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Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Colm Meaney, Bruce McGill, Leslie Bibb ... see more see more... , Michael Irby , Gregory Itzin , Regina Hall , Emerald Angel Young , Christian Stolte , Annie Corley , Richard Portnow , Viola Davis , Michael Kelly , Josh Stewart , Roger Bart , Dan Bittner , Evan Hart , Reno Laquintano , Jason Babinsky , Richard Barlow , Greg Young , Jim Gushue , Charlie Edward Alston , Anthony Lawton , Julian Marzal , David Villalobos , Ksenia Hulayev , Brooke Mills , Todd Lewis , Bijean Ngo , Cecelia Birt , Lamont Clayton , Lynn Boianelli , Dave Huddleston , Gabra Zackman , Brian Anthony Wilson , Stephanie Humphrey , Tracy Toth , Patrick F. McDade , Jim Fitzpatrick , Lawrence Laravela , Barbara Lambert , Timothy Whiteside , Nakia Dillard , Michael Gambon

Jamie Foxx stars as an assistant DA who finds himself at the mercy of a spiteful vigilante (Gerard Butler) hell-bent on avenging the death of his wife and daughter, whose murderers are set free due to... read more read more... legal loopholes. F. Gary Gray (The Italian Job) directs from a script by Frank Darabont and Kurt Wimmer. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Flixster Users

77% liked it

235,983 ratings

Critics

25% liked it

154 critics

R, 1 hr. 48 min.

Directed by: F. Gary Gray

Release Date: October 16, 2009

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DVD Release Date: February 16, 2010

Stats: 20,847 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (20,847)

  • jmanard52
    March 5, 2010
    jmanard52
    An excellent thriller that takes you to the edge of your seat. Excellent acting across the board makes this movie much better than the average revenge flick. Butler's bow as the "bad guy" truly makes the film as you tend to understand his want for revenge and makes him someone yo... read moreu can connect with. Overall a good action thriller.
  • Callahan441
    May 19, 2012
    Callahan441
    This film is silly, and not in a good way. Any film you have criticised in the past for farfetchedness or implausibility will be put into perspective by this truly ludicrous film.

    Firstly, all characters are wholly flat and featureless; there is no depth or anything of intere... read morest in any of them, the film is just comprised of stock characters. Gerard Butler co-stars as 'Clyde Shelton', a seemingly omnipotent God-like figure who appears to be stronger and more capable than the FBI, the Philadelphia Police Department and various other judicial bodies combined. He's on a mission to correct the judicial system, which he deems to have failed him after the murder of his wife and child. His extraordinary tactility and expertise are tenuously explained in a frivolous scene in which a back story is given to Shelton, a cliched story of how he was a human disposal expert, the character predictably saying "He was the best". His superhuman capabilities are all very convenient, but I don't think he's all that bright, he clearly makes everything much harder for himself. Once the credits roll, it becomes apparent that the plot has one gaping hole, there was no reason for Clyde Shelton to want to be in prison, it would be a completely illogical decision for him to want to be there; you'll know what I'm talking about if you decide to see it. Besides this fatal flaw, there are the ways in which he exacts revenge, they become increasingly nonsensical and boring as the film progresses.

    All of this absurdity is fatally compounded by the fact it takes itself seriously. I expected to enjoy this film in a similar way I enjoyed 'Commando', a film which is implausible too, but works through caricatures, hilariously bad acting and fantastically corny one-liners. In 'Law Abiding Citizen' however, there was barely a grain of humour. Despite this, the film gave me one laugh, a scene in which a particularly irritating, somewhat cliched character is inexplicably killed by means of a maliciously modified mobile phone.

    This juvenile, unbelievably far-fetched narrative means Law Abiding Citizen is boring. It makes the mistake of adopting a serious approach on a script that appears to have been written by an eleven year-old, but even with humour and interesting performances, I doubt this film could be salvaged. The film is just a brain dead heap of cheap viscera manufactured for the multiplexes; it speaks volumes for today's audience's tastes.
  • SirPant
    February 27, 2012
    SirPant
    *Review contains spoilers* The first two thirds of Law Abiding Citizen are awesome and slap in the face refreshing. The last third of this film is beyond crap. This could have been a great film, instead, it flushed itself down the toilet. Was this the original ending or did the p... read moreroducers intervene I wonder!? I don't want to give away the plot or ending to anyone who hasn't seen it but basically, the film revolves around the actions of a guy, who for the last decade, has been setting up a brilliant plan of revenge, that only works due to immaculate precision, timing and extensive planning. All this cleverness is spoilt at the end because the laws of time and distance are completely ignored, thus throwing any amount of intelligence this film might have had and kicking it out the window. If the ultimate message was 'No matter how hard you try, you can't mess with the system' then maybe it would work but it doesn't and any film that has a slimy lawyer win is a bad film in my book. A horrendous wasted opportunity and a huge disappointment.
  • fb791220692
    January 22, 2012
    fb791220692
    Despite devoted performances and a decent job building suspense, Law Abiding Citizen manages to come up with one of the most ridiculous twist endings I've ever seen - so dumb in fact that it almost seems like a joke. The movie is entertaining on a basic level, but just expect to ... read morebe incredulously let down by the final scenes.
  • blkbomb
    December 11, 2011
    blkbomb
    Clyde Shelton: Well, justice should be harsh Nick... especially for those who denied it to others. 

    "How do you stop a killer who is already behind bars?"

    Law Abiding Citizen is an unrealistic film with plot holes aplenty. It's also an extremely fun and entertaining one. The fu... read moren outweighs the negative aspects of the movie and makes for a really enjoyable thriller. The movie doesn't waste any time jumping into the brutal nature and violence that will fill the one hour and forty five minute running time. It's a nonstop action and violence extravaganza, with more than a few twisted killings. The premise is cool, even if it leads us down a predictable path.

    The film opens on Clyde with his family. He hears a knock on his door and when he answers it, two robbers beat him down and enter the house. They kill his family and leave him for dead. He doesn't die though. One of the killers makes a deal with the prosecutor, that allows the other suspect to be killed, but he will get out after three years. This doesn't make Clyde very happy. The plot jumps ahead ten years after these events and that's when the movie really starts.

    Law Abiding Citizen isn't as good as I had initially thought after my first viewing a few years ago. With a second watch, I still really enjoy, but I found a lot of things about it bothersome that I must have missed in all of the excitement the first time around. Good thing I don't watch movies like Law Abiding Citizen for their realism. As all the critics will point out, it isn't realistic. No shit. 

    Overall, it is a fun, action filled ride with solid performances from both Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler, who play off each other extremely well. It manages to be thrilling, but not suspenseful, as everyone and their mother knows how movies like this will eventually turn out.
  • DreamExtractor
    September 2, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Law Abiding Citizen was a movie of revenge, and corruptness. Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx are really good in this, but nothing award winning. The plot is boring, until the end where the story actually gets somewhere. It does have a few cheap thrills but it also has some cool W... read moreTF moments. It had a pretty good message about the justice systems corruption. Overall I dissagree with the reviews and I agree with Roger Ebert, this was a pretty good movie.
  • fb729949618
    August 9, 2011
    fb729949618
    WOW! One of the most underrated movies I know, that includes inside and outside of Rotten Tomatoes. First of all, it didn't do well in theatres (probably due to poor marketing), and second, a 25% on here!?!? No justice at all! Please....if you're reading this and haven't seen it... read more, go watch it. Im annoyed.
  • fb100001048934982
    May 30, 2011
    fb100001048934982
    It's an entertaining movie, but it doesn't break any ground in terms of great cinema. Subpar performances and an unrealistic story are only some of it's flaws, but it keeps you on the edge of your seat.
  • matertenebraum
    April 14, 2011
    matertenebraum
    I thought this film was fantastic. From start to finish you are in suspense. I read some comments on here and seen some people saying the ending was a let down, but in my opinion it was a great ending. It was the whole point of the story...the whole time Gerard Butler is trying t... read moreo make a point that the system is corrupt and you shouldn't make deals with murderers, etc. At the end it finally sinks into Jamie Foxx. It proves a point and Gerard Butler then doesn't mind dying because his lesson has finally been taught, and Jamie Foxx then learns to appreciate his family more.

    Suspenseful, upsetting, amazing, unpredictable, a must watch!
  • mjgildea
    February 5, 2011
    mjgildea
    Law Abiding Citizen had so many things going against it--Jamie Foxx's presence, Gerard Butler's refusal to commit to an accent (any accent at all...!) and its (possibly not completely unfounded) presumption that its target audience is completely retarded. There are many movies th... read moreat are simply just... there and the final 10-20 minutes determine if the last two hours were a complete and total waste of time or not and if it was actually maybe even a good movie. Ridiculous dialect or not, I was pulling for Butler's character. And despite all of the executions, each one more preposterous than the one before it, I was just... "fine, whatever." But the dickbag explanation given as to how this level of bullshit was able to be achieved was too much even for me. I love the occasional piece of shit movie myself and I knew I wasn't going to get a latter-day Bridge on the River Kwai here but seriously?

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Critic Reviews

Bill Goodykoontz
October 21, 2009
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic

As a social statement, Law Abiding Citizen is a flawed attempt at holding the legal system accountable for its shortcomings. As a movie, it's a ridiculous execution of a misguided concept. Full Review

Dan Kois
October 16, 2009
Dan Kois, Washington Post

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 ... Full Review

Laremy Legel
October 16, 2009
Laremy Legel, Film.com

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. Full Review

Joe Neumaier
October 16, 2009
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News

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. Full Review

Glenn Whipp
October 16, 2009
Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times

Say what you will about Death Wish, but Charles Bronson was never boring. Full Review

Rick Groen
October 16, 2009
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

This strikes me as narrative cheating, but you may play the critical game by more relaxed rules. Full Review

A.O. Scott
October 16, 2009
A.O. Scott, New York Times

It's about the cat-and-mouse game between two very smart guys, and it's perfectly happy to be as dumb as it wants.

Richard Roeper
October 16, 2009
Richard Roeper, Richard Roeper.com

"Final Destination" meets "Saw" meets disaster. Full Review

Kyle Smith
October 16, 2009
Kyle Smith, New York Post

At last, the missing link between Phantom of the Opera and Saw. Welcome to the gonzo revenge saga Law Abiding Citizen. Full Review

Richard Corliss
October 16, 2009
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine

Butler has the showier part, but his impersonation of the tragic hero is undercut by his weird resemblance to Soupy Sales. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts

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    • Nick Rice: I had to call his wife and tell her that her husband had been buried alive.
    • Clyde Shelton: Well, justice should be harsh Nick... especially for those who denied it to others.
    • Detective Dunnigan: I believe those cots are bolted into the cell.
    • Clyde Shelton: Well, thats what wrenches are for... Dumbass!
    • Nick Rice: How bout fuck no.
    • Detective Dunnigan: Surprise mother fucker!
    • Jonas Cantrell: Did we bring this all on ourselves?
    • Nick Rice: Absolutely not!
    • Jonas Cantrell: You don't actually believe that do you!
    • Clyde Shelton: I'm just getting warmed up.
    • Clyde Shelton: This is Von Clausewitz shit-total fucking war.
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  • I starred as the leading man in 'P.S I love you', 'Law Abiding Citizen' and 'The Phatom Of The Opera'. Who am i?  Answer »
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