"Law Abiding Citizen"

Rated R
1 hour 45 minutes

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Colm Meaney, Leslie Bibb, Bruce McGill


I've always suspected that vigilantes with a noble cause can't help but become sympathetic maniacs, which makes Gerard Butler such a charismatic "Law Abiding Citizen." He makes the movie such a gripping thriller. Two degenerates murder Butler's wife and daughter. He interprets the law differently from the way Prosecutor Jamie Foxx does.

Prepare yourself for some gruesome retribution as Butler takes the law into his own hands with a touch of torture porn thrown in for a certain audience.

"Law Abiding Citizen" interrupts it's gruesome bloodshed just long enough for Butler to turn the system upside down dazzling Foxx with his diabolical cleverness.

The film features a tantalizing twist. You'll exercise your brain trying to figure out just how Butler's executing his murderous rampage from behind bars. How much you enjoy "Law Abiding Citizen" depends on how well you suspend disbelief.

Police brutality becomes an element very much in keeping with the film's philosophy that civil rights applies only selectively when the bad guys have the good guys over a barrel.

I can assure you that "Law Abiding Citizen" will not be the American Civil Liberties Union's favorite film. But this gritty thriller will excite mainstream moviegoers. Yes, vigilante justice pays off with 3 stars. This movie abides by the law of cleverly manipulating our emotions.