Any husband’s or father’s worst fears is having his family be killed, especially of being a forced witness to the murders. Being the lone survivor with nothing left to lose, it’s safe to say that if the murderer, whether at large or awaiting trial, would become public enemy number one in the eyes of a man who had lost his family. However, in the case of this film, Law Abiding Citizen, the man who has lost his family has a score to settle with everyone involved in not only the murder, but the trial as well.
The film stars Gerard Butler as inventor Clyde Shelton. When two men invade his home and kill his wife and daughter, he seeks the council of lawyer Nick Reed (Jamie Fox). Reed is not your average lawyer, having a 96% conviction rate. However, in this case, he manages to get one of the murderers to turn against the other one, and plea bargain his conviction down to a five year sentence. The problem is that the wrong man is being sentenced to death, and Clyde knows this. Upset with Reed’s decision, Clyde walks away. Ten years later, however, Clyde is back with a vengeance. He meticulously begins to murder everyone involved in the death of his family and everyone involved in the case that set free one of the murderers. Having learned his way around the system, Clyde admits to the murders after purposely being arrested, however, what the authorities can’t explain is how he is carrying out these killings from his jail cell.
Law Abiding Citizen is an exposure film, and that is what I love about it. Besides being a revenge tale, it is actually a tale of exposing the truth behind the laws of our country in which the most despicable criminals can go free just by making deals with judges and lawyers. These things happen all the time in our great country. My hat is off to the writers and filmmakers for having the balls to make a film that exposes how corrupt our justice system can be, and how the guilty can go free with the minimum of punishment. The script presents a story that is not only hair-raising and eye-gripping, but also brings to the viewer’s attention how broken the system really can be. It is a very well-written script with great character development and excellent dialogue to accompany its gripping storyline.
The film features excellent acting by both leads. Jamie Fox is one of those rare talents that got his break later in life than most. After being one of the many guys in the back of the room on the popular nineties show “In Living Color,” Fox has joined the ranks of Hollywood’s elite since winning an Oscar for his lead performance in the biopic Ray. Since then, the roles have been coming in hard for the man, and this role is no exception for this great and diverse actor. Having also produced this film, Gerard Butler also gives a wonderful performance, since first really being noticed when 300 became a box office success. Horror fans may remember him as Dracula in Dracula 2000 and as the phantom in the 2004 remake of The Phantom of the Opera. Butler gives a dynamic performance in which, in the beginning of the film, we feel for his character, but towards the end, we are not so sure if what he is doing is right. The great supporting cast includes Bruce McGill, Colm Meaney, Leslie Bibb and Regina Hall.
The DVD has a lot of special features, including Audio Commentary with producers Lucas Foster and Alan Siegel. There are also a few featurettes on the disc, including The Justice of Law Abiding Citizen; Law in Black and White – Behind the Scenes of Law Abiding Citizen; and Preliminary Arguments – The Visual Effects of Law Abiding Citizen. There is also a feature called The Verdict – Winning Trailer Mash Up, and of course the film’s theatrical trailer.
Law Abiding Citizen is one of those films where, despite its graphic scene and gory visual effects, the characters and the story draw attention away from the fact that you are watching a film that has more brutality than most horror films do. This is a film that actually speaks volumes with its story. It’s a real eye-opener. The end is nothing special and is kind of predictable, but a lot of the film’s final plot twists and reveals are ones that you most likely will not see coming. It is a great film in which you are not sure with which characters to sympathize. It is a film that will have you thinking about it well after you have finished viewing it. I highly recommend it.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
