My Review of Law-Abiding Citizen · 5:18pm Jul 31st, 2023
Rating Scale:
12/10—a complete masterpiece; flawless and outstanding
11/10—Excellent, near-perfect film
10/10—the standard rating; awesome film with a couple of flaws
9/10—a wonderful film with several flaws
8/10–a great film with numerous flaws but not enough to ruin it
7/10—a fun and entertaining movie; not great but still enjoyable
6/10—a slightly above average film; it is something I might watch again
5/10—mediocre movie; not awful but not great either
4/10—a below average film; it could have been much better
3/10—a bad film; poorly written and poorly executed
2/10—a very bad movie; the few good things in the movie overshadowed by the bad things
1/10—a terrible movie; a total waste of time
0/10—a worthless piece of abomination; should have never been made
Greetings, everyone! This is Mr. J back with another movie review for today! This afternoon, I will be reviewing "Law-Abiding Citizen" from 2009. Now, this film was the one of the most thrilling, thought-provoking, and heart-stopping films I've ever watched. It managed to boldly tackle on the themes of crime, corruption, and the justice system and makes you think about what it's presenting. And given the history of our country and how it has gone to shit over the last decade or so, I'd argue it is a lot more relevant now than it was back then.
This movie is about a man who gets attacked in a home invasion. As he is beaten and stabbed, his wife gets raped and murdered in front of him, and then his daughter suffers the same fate. To add insult to injury, the justice system failed to grant him the justice he deserved and had the actual murderer get a slap on the wrist. Ten years later, he exacts revenge not only on his family's killers but also on all those who had a connection with the case.
Folks, this has a very engaging storyline that makes you sympathize with the main antagonist and understand why he is committing all these traps and killings throughout the movie. However, it came to a point where I stopped rooting for Clyde when he bombed all the cars in a parking lot--slaying multiple officials on the spot, including that young lady. Clyde, overall, is a sympathetic yet dangerous criminal who had to be put down before innocent people could get hurt.
Nick Rice was a decent character who had some solid character growth...at the end of the third act. I say this because throughout the movie, he was an arrogant idiot who cared more about maintaining his conviction rate rather than putting more effort in giving Clyde the justice he needed. Yes, he became a better family man at the end, but at what cost? His arrogance later on caused the death of dozens of his colleagues which he barely acknowledged.
Don't get me wrong, Jamie Foxx did a great job with his performance, but his character is a 50/50 for me. Gerard Butler, however, was definitely a scene-stealer due to his chilling performance as Clyde. He was both convincing and scary at the same time.
The action and the violence were both wonderfully utilized well in this film. The most shocking part of the whole movie was where the judge was about to answer a phone call in her office...only for it to explode and blow her brains out. That completely caught me off-guard.
The film showed us how messed up the justice system is and how corrupt most of its upholders can be. No matter what criminals do to their victims or how heinous their actions are, more often they get lighter sentences, get comfortable in prison cells with food and clothing via taxpayer money, and so on. While the victims get zero justice and are left traumatized for life with no one else to help them. It's a sad reality we live in, and only time will tell when another Clyde Shelton will step up and do what he did.
Lastly, I do want to give my take on the ending. It sparked a lot of controversy and dissatisfaction amongst a lot of people. Here's what I think: on one hand, I do agree it could have been better written; how the heck was Nick able to find the bomb on time within City Hall and relocate it in Clyde's cell within a short period of time just before Clyde gets back in his cell? That was so rushed and confusing, to say the least.
On the other hand, though, I don't really have a problem with the outcome thereof; Clyde was about to commit mass murder in a terroristic manner which would undoubtably harm innocent bystanders. If he wasn't stopped, then he would've continued killing until everyone is dead. Delusions of grandeur and his lust for revenge clearly blinded him. So I'm okay with Nick breaking the law in order to kill him. Desperate times require desperate measures.
With that said, I will give this a 9/10. It has its flaws, but it is absolutely worth a watch.
Peace!
"Law-Abiding Citizen" is a powerful film, Mr. J. Your review emphasizes its compelling exploration of crime, corruption, and the justice system. It's intriguing to see a movie that tackles such weighty themes and remains relevant as society continues to address these issues. If you find these topics fascinating, you might want to check out some resources for deeper insights or help with related assignments. Services like Edubirdie can provide assistance when I need help with my assignment and additional support for my academic work. Looking forward to more of your reviews and hearing your thoughts on other engaging films.