A high-octane, high body-count thriller posing the question, how do you stop a psycho on a killing spree who's already behind bars?
Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:127
Fresh:32
Rotten:95
Average Rating:4.3/10
Consensus: Unnecessarily violent and unflinchingly absurd, Law Abiding Citizen is plagued by subpar acting and a story that defies reason.
Rated: 18 [See Full Rating] for strong bloody brutal violence and torture, a scene of rape, and pervasive language
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:27-11-2009
Synopsis: In LAW ABIDING CITIZEN, a prisoner's incredible reign over the city outside his cell is interrupted by an assistant district attorney. Gerard Butler (300) stars.
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Viola Davis, Bruce McGill
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Viola Davis, Bruce McGill, Leslie Bibb, Colm Meaney, Regina Hall
Director: F. Gary Gray
Director: F. Gary Gray
Screenwriter: Kurt Wimmer
Producer: Mark Gill, Gerard Butler, Lucas Foster, Alan Siegel, Kurt Wimmer
Composer: Brian Tyler
Studio: Overture
Reviews for Law Abiding Citizen
Revenge has never been so bland. Much of the fault for the failure of Law Abiding Citizen lands at the feet of its two equally monochrome stars Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler.
Despite the gore, which is marginally justified to drive the revenge aspect, the film is worth seeing for the clever plot turn finale as well as above average performances by leads Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler.
Revenge is a dish best served cold by a very angry, naked Gerard Butler.
Increasingly preposterous and asinine, but nonetheless mindlessly entertaining thanks to Gerard Butler's oddly invigorating and captivating performance.
A gruesome melodrama that, too afraid to tackle the issues it brings up, instead elects to transform into a ridiculous thriller about a psychopath terrorizing a city.
The film is filled with plenty of action but also laced with absurdities that make folks who work in law enforcement cry for justice.
...the kind of ragged film that appeals to the lower common denominator rather than the intelligent portion of the viewer's brain.
This is brilliant exploitation with A-listers. It's not an Oscar movie. It's way cooler because it's not looking for anyone's approval.
May be lacking in social graces -- it's about as dignified and refined as a Hell's Angel fighting a caveman -- but on the red meat, reptile brain level, it scores.
Law Abiding Citizen doesn't follow the laws of logic, let alone competent storytelling.
The overall moral focus is lost early on when the film turns into a highly entertaining and far-fetched action adventure. Butler hasn't been this good since 300.
'It's going to get Biblical!'...sets new standards of lunatic plotting as it goes about its smiting.
If you're looking for a movie that'll let you switch off your brain without insulting your intelligence, this might be the flick for you this weekend.
The mixture of gruesome revenge picture and self-satisfied message movie is deeply off-putting.
A preposterous exercise in high-minded brutality, "Law Abiding Citizen" tries to pass itself off as a dialectic on justice betrayed, but instead plays like a snuff film with our nation's legal system as the victim.
Sure, it's outta place for October, but there's no reason you can't enjoy a mindless piece of candy against the backdrop of fall foliage.
Simply rent Silence of the Lambs and Falling Down, then mash them together and maybe you’ll have what this movie was trying to achieve. Maybe.
The crystal clear cinematography and superb lighting make effective use of aerial views of the City of Brotherly Love. The movie proceeds at a rivetingly brisk pace and never lets up on the accelerator.
Law Abiding Citizen is such a lazy action-drama underachiever, it seems unfair to target stars Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler for bringing their C game.
Latest News for Law Abiding Citizen
October 15, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Where the Wild Things Are Is A Wild Rumpus
This week, we've got a wild rumpus (Where the Wild Things Are, starring Max Records and Catherine Keener), a legal skirmish (Law Abiding Citizen, starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard... More...
October 14, 2009:
Five Favorite Films with F. Gary Gray
Director F. Gary Gray began his career creating music videos for several big name R&B and hip-hop artists in the early 90s, including Ice Cube, TLC, and OutKast. In 1995, Gray... More...
October 06, 2009:
Win a $300 Apple Store Gift Card from Rotten Tomatoes and F. Gary Gray
The iPhone is cool, but it's even cooler to get one for free!
You could be the lucky winner of a $300 Apple Store gift card, if you enter the Law Abiding Citizen Re-Tweet... More...
September 28, 2009:
New: Brand New Trailer/Poster. ![]()
More...
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