'Law Abiding Citizen' Film Review

Every good director has at least one bad outing in his career, and with 'Law Abiding Citizen,' F. Gary Gray had the task of trying to salvage a complete mess of a script.

Starring Oscar winner Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler, with Viola Davis in a pivotal role, the film is filled with plenty of action but also laced with absurdities that make folks who work in law enforcement cry for justice.

Set in Philadelphia, the film starts off violently when Clyde Shelton (Butler) and his family are attacked. His wife and daughter are murdered, but Clyde manages to survive and identity his attackers. The two felons get off with light sentences, thanks to Assistant District Attorney Nick Rice (Foxx) and his penchant for cutting plea bargains to avoid trials.

Ten years later, Clyde is seeking vengeance and coming after everyone involved in the case. Instead of playing a cat-and-mouse chase with the law, he easily gives himself up and is taken into custody. With nothing to lose, he challenges Nick to outwit him within the legal system, while his plans of murder and mayhem are in full effect.

Apparently Gray came in to the production with six weeks to prep. That's sign number one for doomsday.

Besides his performances in 'Ray' and 'The Soloist,' Foxx's dramatic films haven't done him any service. He needs to go back and lighten up with a comedy. He's trying too hard.

Butler plays a role he could probably pull off in his sleep. With his roles in 'Gamer' and this film, it's clear that he needs to find an agent who will get him better material. While Davis is forceful in her few scenes, Regina Hall is stuck playing the ordinary prop-wife role that could have been edited out.

'Citizen' wants to send a message about the justice system and how flawed it is, but the approach here was, at best, poor. I mean, how many criminals can demand a steak dinner before admitting their guilt in a crime?

If you're planning to see 'Citizen,' either go with the flow and check your brain at the door or simply avoid it and catch reruns of 'Law and Order.'

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