The premise and set-up of this violent action film delivers some old school fun and excitement, even if the final execution could have been cleaner.

Nick now finds himself in a desperate race against time to outwit a brilliant enemy who’s hell-bent on destruction and is always one step ahead. Clyde has a plan and an agenda which he has been working on for years and he plans to execute it no matter who gets in the way.

Gerard Butler takes on producing duties and has an enormous amount of fun with a role which is heaven sent. It was surprising to hear that he was originally in line for the role of studious lawyer Nick, because Clyde is just such a great character. He is designed to initially have the audience’s sympathy but to lose it all by going too far… but to be honest I suspect a lot people will be rooting for him all the way to the end.

The idea that the legal system is no longer working for the victims is a universal theme, and most people will identify with the situation if not the extremes that Clyde goes (although again perhaps he does have the majority of the audience vote). The film is cleverly crafted in its build-up so that we get the standard ‘man on a mission’ revenge arc played out within the first 30 minutes. It’s then that the film REALLY begins and Butler turns up the heat.  

As previously mentioned the violence is surprisingly visceral throughout with a couple of shocking moments lasting well after the end credits. It’s not as if the climax is particularly bad, it’s just that it is disappointingly conventional in an otherwise innovative take on this genre of film.

Director F. Gary Gray stepped in when original choice Frank Darabont quit the project. Darabont’s track-record (Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile) would have suggested more of a focus on the prison element of the story given that Clyde is incarcerated early in the proceedings. This would have allowed for careful development of the cat and mouse game that the two leads play out but instead in the hands of Gray (The Italian Job) we cut straight to the chase.

There is actually very little for Jamie Foxx to do despite the extensive screentime he is given, he is very much the straight man to Butler’s shenanigans. But he does well as the devoted family man trying to stop a man he initially has all the sympathy in the world for.  

Law Abiding Citizen is a fast-paced and engrossing action thriller that manages to take you along for a ride but leaves you feeling slightly short-changed by the ending.

Rating: ***

Review: Cassam Looch

Starring: Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Colm Meaney, Bruce McGill and Leslie Bibb
Director: F. Gary Gray
Written by: Kurt Wimmer
Release date: 27 November 2009
Certificate: 18
Running time: 108 min
Official UK website: www.orange.co.uk/lawabidingcitizen

Find out just why revenge movies are so in vogue with Harry Brown and Katalin Varga also out now.