Law Abiding Citizen is a complicated film. It plays with a realistic vision of revenge in the hands of skilled people. However, it’s also a project that Frank Darabont bailed on and Jamie Foxx manhandled in final development. These events happen from time-to-time, but something is lost by being afraid to make one character into anything but a complicated hero. What makes all of this crazier is that the film had to be cut to avoid getting a NC-17.
Looking back on a film that we heavily promoted in 2010, it plays odd to me. Sure, it was typical of the post SAW gore craze that Lionsgate indulged in before the teen vampire phase took off. Gerard Butler does his best with a thin role, but any character development is stomped on by Foxx taping into his Cruise side. What does that mean? Well, think about any Cruise film since the mid 1990s. Cruise is rarely allowed to die, he can’t be upstage and every action has to center around him.
When dealing with a movie about fighting the justice system, it’s kinda lame to make an attorney into a nearly unstoppable hero. Hell, the fact that everyone dies around him and he can’t be scratched suspends disbelief a little too far. If there is one thing to take away from Law Abiding Citizen, it’s the need to have films like this every era. Calls to challenge the system, but never that much.
The 4K disc pops with deep realistic black levels. Plus,the Dolby Atmos track will beat the hell out of your back speakers during the funeral scene attack. I just wish the special features weren’t complete ports from the Blu-ray.
