‘Law Abiding Citizen’: delivering real justice?

If you are the kind of person who thinks that Liam Neeson’s character in “Taken” was too touchy-feely, then “Law Abiding Citizen” is for you.

Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is a seemingly everyday guy who has his world turned upside down by a home invasion robbery that goes horribly wrong. Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) is the district attorney that makes a deal to send one criminal to death row, while the other gets a short prison term. For any person who watches their spouse and child die, this may not seem like nearly enough justice. Shelton decides to take matters into his own hands.

The plot of this movie is more than just him hunting down bad guys. It does not take long for him to take out the men who killed his family, and the police to arrest him. His vengeance isn’t about who did it, but who is responsible. Shelton is arrested and put in jail, but people keep dying. The theme of the movie becomes how to stop someone who is already in jail.

As far as revenge themed movies go, this one is off the charts. It does not fit any genre and keeps the audience on its toes by stirring the pot to keep moviegoers interested. There are elements of a thriller, plenty of action, and if you are a bad guy, this is a horror movie. This is the revenge movie that “Man on Fire” and “Taken” wanted to be.

There are a couple times in the movie where it gets a little graphic, but those scenes are rare and short in duration. Unlike other revenge movies, “Law Abiding” isn’t linear, whereas the others tend to be pretty predictable. The hero finds one bad guy, who leads him to another bad guy, who leads him to another bad guy.

“Law Abiding Citizen” doesn’t work that way. Every time you feel like you are going down a predictable road, it takes a turn. Just when you are sure you have it figured out, it changes. This makes “Law Abiding” a fun ride to be on.

If you are one of those people who likes to turn your brain off and just let the movie happen, this movie will keep you entertained, and won’t leave you with holes in your understanding of what just happened. However, if you are the cerebral moviegoer, this movie will give you a lot to think about. You can leave the theater discussing crime and punishment, the legal system and your different interpretations of justice. While there is a resolution in the movie, ultimately it is up to the viewer to decide if justice is served.

This movie has excellent acting, writing and directing. It scores high on the cinema experience scale. For me, it was also very enjoyable. If you like a good action movie that makes you think, this movie is for you. If you are one of those people who do not believe in the existence of evil (you know who you are), but think that some people are just misunderstood, it might be best for you to stay home, curl up with your cats, and wait for the “Rainbow Brite” movie to come out.




*Reprinted with permission from The Triton Review