Perfect popcorn fodder

Gerad Butler and Jamie Foxx in Law Abiding Citizen (2009, USA< Dir: F. Gary Gray)

We’ve seen the set up before: a good man turns to violence when his wife and child are brutally murdered in front of his eyes and he seeks revenge. Although it’s not the most sophisticated film of all time, Law Abiding Citizen is certainly better than the 80s straight-to-video machine-gun fest (possibly starring Steven Seagal) that you would expect based on its opening scene. Thankfully the “good man” in question (played by Gerard Butler) has a much more contemplative take on getting his own back than your average Arnold Schwarzenegger, which makes for a brutal and twisty thriller.

You see, Butler’s character doesn’t just want to punish the killers, but the whole legal and political system that failed to punish them the first time round. And he has spent a lot of time planning how best to do it. The young and talented Assistant District Attorney who handled the case (Jamie Foxx) is pulled into a dangerous game of cat and mouse, full of shocking moments.

Foxx shows he has definitely earned his leading man status with this assured performance, and that he can take on the mainstream genre roles usually reserved for Denzel alongside the more challenging material of The Soloist. Butler, who also produced the film, has his first real shot at consolidating the success of 300 here, after squandering our collective good will with RocknRolla.

Director F. Gary Gray tries to get a dark, Se7en-ish vibe going, but unfortunately Kurt Wimmer’s script isn’t quite clever enough to make that work. And don’t expect a damning indictment of the American legal system either – there’s more depth in your average episode of Law & Order. This is still a high quality adrenaline ride, and will certainly entertain while you suspend your disbelief.