Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Bruce McGill
An everyday guy decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets his family's killers free. His target: The district attorney who orchestrated the deal.
Flixster Users
Critics
R, 1 hr. 48 min.
Directed by:
F. Gary Gray
Release Date: Oct 16, 2009
Your Rating
Your Friends' Ratings
No recent reviews.
Flixster User Reviews
Arguably one of the worst films of the year with another contender- oh wait, what a surprise. Gamer! Why does Gerard Butler keep receiving acting roles, I get a mass amount of splinters from this guy. The plot was ridiculous, as his obvious rage moun... (read more) Arguably one of the worst films of the year with another contender- oh wait, what a surprise. Gamer! Why does Gerard Butler keep receiving acting roles, I get a mass amount of splinters from this guy. The plot was ridiculous, as his obvious rage mounts to inconceivable levels of murdering innocent people, after his first 4 murders of course, I only give it a star and a half due to its neck stabbing scene and overall hilarity.
Had my attention all the way through. Suspend disbelief a bit and you'll enjoy the natural justice.
A superb story, that sadly falls short of being great due to; an uninspired ending, terrible direction, an unbalanced conflict between the 2, and a flat script courtesy of Hollywood. Law Abiding Citizen, was good, but could've been better.
Perhaps I'm just a Gerard Butler lover... but I really enjoyed this movie.
Which is not to say this was a perfect movie. There are certainly some suspension of disbelief moments, the ending was far too "clean" for a movie that was anything but lead... (read more) Perhaps I'm just a Gerard Butler lover... but I really enjoyed this movie.
Which is not to say this was a perfect movie. There are certainly some suspension of disbelief moments, the ending was far too "clean" for a movie that was anything but leading up to it, and Jamie Foxx was trying too hard to channel Denzel Washington, but the movie definitely will keep you on the edge of your seat with some inventive thrills and kills.
An amusingly overplotted and laughably ridiculous thriller, Law Abiding Citizen is a thoroughly entertaining B-movie due to strong performances from Butler and Foxx, with a plot that becomes more and more ludicrous as it hurtles towards its unbelieva... (read more) An amusingly overplotted and laughably ridiculous thriller, Law Abiding Citizen is a thoroughly entertaining B-movie due to strong performances from Butler and Foxx, with a plot that becomes more and more ludicrous as it hurtles towards its unbelievable climax. Melding gleefully trashy storytelling that indicts the justice system without a hint of subtlety, this is one of the finest guilty pleasures to come down the pipe in some time.
Critic Reviews
So blatantly nonsensical that the action quickly tips over into campiness.full review
It's about the cat-and-mouse game between two very smart guys, and it's perfectly happy to be as dumb as it wants.full review
At last, the missing link between Phantom of the Opera and Saw. Welcome to the gonzo revenge saga Law Abiding Citizen.full review
The exploration of right and wrong, and its complicated lack of clarity, gets trammeled amid the bevy of explosions, volley of bullets and mounting body count.full review
Vigilante movies hold a firm place in cinematic history, but for them to work, the vigilante needs to be a sympathetic anti-hero.full review
An exercise in illogic and Death Wish cribbing that lets a bunch of good actors collect big paychecks for playing way less than their A game.full review
The movie is not -- putting it courteously -- tightly constructed. The narrative shifts are jerky and the tone bounces around like a Jeep on a dirt road.full review
That the film, directed in swift strokes by F. Gary Gray from a screenplay credited to Kurt Wimmer, doesn't really work -- unrelentingly grim, unintentionally funny -- is almost beside the point. It's a wild concept.full review
The explanation of Clyde's methods is preposterous, but it comes late enough that F. Gary Gray, the director, is first able to generate considerable suspense and a sense of dread.full review
Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Cast
Showtimes Near You
More Like This
No recent suggestions.
Bookmark This App
Make it easy to check out new movies! Click +Bookmark Movies at the bottom of your screen.
- Get Flixster
- iPhone (free!)
- Myspace
- Flixster.com
- iGoogle
- Settings
- Profile Settings
- My Account
- Help









