In 2009, Law Abiding Citizen pitted Jamie Foxx against Gerard Butler. In one corner sits Nick Rice (Foxx), a Philadelphia lawyer with a high conviction rate who later becomes the district attorney. In the other corner is Clyde Shelton (Butler), an engineer who witnesses the murders of his wife and daughter by Clarence Darby (Christian Stolte). When Nick cuts a deal with Darby for a lighter sentence due to botched evidence, Clyde embarks on a revenge-fueled quest to take out the justice system and anyone who wronged him.
Directed by F. Gary Gray, Law Abiding Citizen instantly became a polarizing movie. Critically, the film tanked, but financially, it made two-and-a-half times its budget. Critics and audiences seem divided on how to evaluate Law Abiding Citizen. Fifteen years later, the audiences have won out, as Law Abiding Citizen remains a popular film in both actors’ filmographies.
Vigilante movie with a sinister side
The idea of a vigilante movie rose to prominence in the 1970s with Dirty Harry and Death Wish. These revenge thrillers feature someone who takes the laws into their own hands when the justice system lets them down. Even though the vigilante commits crimes, the audience can rationalize why they have to break bad for justice to occur. It’s why Max Rockatansky or John Rambo are viewed as heroes, not criminals. Their reasons for committing the crimes outweigh the illegalities of their actions.
The film’s opening moments establish Clyde as the victim-turned-vigilante after he witnesses the murders of his wife and daughter. The justice system, specifically Nick Rice, fails Clyde right away when the murderer receives a lighter sentence after cutting a deal. In most vigilante films, the protagonists battle the system for most of the movie before exacting their revenge.
This is where Law Abiding Citizen differentiates itself from The Outlaw Josey Wales or Sudden Impact. Instead of killing Darby quickly, Clyde inflicts pain and suffering on the murderer, dismembering him first to make him suffer. Clyde does not feel sorry for what he does. Clyde is so broken by the system that instead of getting his revenge and moving on, he wants to bring the entire system down, no matter how many deaths it takes. Clyde transforms from vigilante to mass murderer. Clyde is not Batman; he’s the Joker, an agent of chaos.
Gerard Butler is the patron saint of star-driven action thrillers
Butler has been called the “King of the B-Movie.” The Scottish actor is keeping the 1980s and 1990s action movies alive. From his work in the Has Fallen series and Den of Thieves entries to Greenland and Plane, Butler has a knack for playing tough, macho characters who are either in law enforcement or possess elite combat skills.
Law Abiding Citizen might be too expensive ($50 million budget) to be considered a B-movie. However, it’s a star-driven action thriller, a popular B-movie format. The selling point of Law Abiding Citizen is Butler versus Foxx. Even without prior knowledge of the film, someone could look at the Law Abiding Citizen poster and determine the plot involved a showdown between Butler and Foxx. In a time where cinematic universes require countless hours of deep dives, the simplicity of Law Abiding Citizen is a refreshing change of pace.
Embrace the absurdity
Upon its release, Law Abiding Citizen was destroyed by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, Law Abiding Citizen has a 26% on the Tomatometer, with critics consensus describing it as “unnecessarily violent and unflinchingly absurd.” How to handle the absurdity is where critics and the audience differ. If you view Law Abiding Citizen with a critical eye, you’ll get obsessed over potential plot holes. “How was Clyde able to tamper with the lethal injection before going to prison?” “How can Clyde be in two places at once?” “How can Clyde plant so many bombs in so little time?”
For your own sanity, don’t waste time trying to figure out the logistics. Think of Clyde as Jigsaw from the Saw series. He’s a villain past the point of no return. Villains find a way to do preposterous things, and the discovery as to how Clyde executes his plan from solitary confinement is ridiculous.
And that’s OK! Most of the action movies with Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger are completely unrealistic, but we love them anyway. The same can be said for Law Abiding Citizen, which has a 75% on the Popcornmeter and grossed over $127 million worldwide. Enjoy the chemistry between the two stars and the suspense of the plot. Embrace the absurdity, and you’ll be entertained.
Watch Law Abiding Citizen on Starz.
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