Photo Credit: John Baer

Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler), center, surrenders peaceably when the Philly police come for him in 'Law Abiding Citizen.'

Law Abiding Citizen

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Rated R for strong bloody brutal violence and torture, a scene of rape, and pervasive language

Length: 108 minutes

Released: October 16, 2009 Nationwide

Score: 3.0

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Bruce McGill, Colm Meaney, Leslie Bibb

Director: F. Gary Gray
Producer: Lucas Foster, Gerard Butler, Alan Siegel, Mark Gill, Kurt Wimmer, Robert Katz
Writer: Kurt Wimmer
Genre: Drama
Distributor: Overture Films

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"Law Abiding Citizen" is missing something - and not just the hyphen that should link "law" and "abiding."

Gerard Butler's last and best hope to redeem his year in film is an improvement over "Gamer" and "The Ugly Truth," but it isn't the answer. How could it be, when director F. Gary Gray and screenwriter Kurt Wimmer can't decide what kind of film they're trying to make?

"Citizen" takes a "Death Wish" concept and revs it up to "Saw" levels of sadism, but the revenge isn't taken out on standard-issue villains. While the bad guys get theirs, of course, it's not always clear who the bad guys are.

Butler plays Clyde Shelton, an affable Philadelphia inventor who relishes his life with his wife and young daughter. One night, home invaders break in and terrorize the family, seriously wounding Clyde and savagely killing his family. Although the case against the two perpetrators seems open-and-shut to Clyde, assistant district attorney Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) believes that the evidence isn't as strong as it should be, and the results-minded prosecutor settles for an outcome that destroys Clyde's faith in the justice system.

Years pass, and Nick has long forgotten the case. He's so busy with his career that he's barely seen his own daughter, Denise (Emerald-Angel Young), grow up, and his wife, Kelly (Regina Hall), is frustrated with him.

Suddenly, the Shelton case reappears, as it were, with a vengeance. The two killers meet fates that far exceed what was promised them, and it seems fairly obvious that Clyde is responsible. He taunts Nick in his own arena with a series of lethal games that rattle walls well beyond the DA's office.

"Law Abiding Citizen" is at its best when it exudes a blithe nihilism. The action is vicious and reprehensible (not to mention farfetched), but it's understandable and riveting. Butler plays Clyde as a combination of John Malkovich's cerebral criminal in "In the Line of Fire" and a wounded animal, lashing out in pain.

Foxx has perhaps the more difficult role because Nick is not a likable guy at any point. He's a political animal, and the consequences of his work mean little to him. The audience is supposed to root for him because he represents law and order, but it's a tough chore. Foxx can hit the glib high notes, but he runs into trouble when the tone changes.

The supporting cast, which also includes Colm Meaney, Viola Davis, Bruce McGill and Leslie Bibb, makes it seem as though this is a rational affair, though it's far from it. For all the film's viscera and carnage, it lacks guts, the strength of its convictions. "Law Abiding Citizen" comes on like a delusional cowboy vigilante, blasting C-4 from his six-shooters, but chickens out.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel
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