"A psychopath has brought the city to its knees."
Do you have fond memories of sitting in a movie theater on a rainy Saturday
afternoon watching a B-movie full of impossible situations and characters – and
loving it? “Law Abiding Citizen” will take you there. The story is wrapped in
unwatchable gore, but bear in mind that when the trappings are preposterous, a
well made movie can become more of a comic book than a nightmare. This is a
well-made, preposterous revenge thriller.
Close your
eyes as the film opens on a loving husband/father who loses his wife and
daughter in seconds to grisly murder in what is now known as a “home intrusion.”
Of the two murderers, one goes to jail while the other cuts a deal with the
prosecutor for a short seven year sentence. While Clyde (Gerard Butler) endures
the trial of the killers who destroyed his family, he recognizes in Nick, the
prosecutor, the arrogance of an ambitious man who cares greatly about himself
and little about justice. Nick intones: “It’s not what you know; it’s what you
can prove in court. That’s how the justice system works.”
In the
absence of acceptable justice, a ten year plan of retribution materializes in
Clyde’s head. Suddenly, the intricacies of the plot grab hold of us and save the
movie. In spite of his malevolent plans, there is a certain amount of residual
sympathy for Clyde, the bereaved dad who adored his family. He is not, you see,
violent by nature, though we come to doubt that; he is simply violent in the
cause of vengeance. His plans are powered by a strange kind of intellect. The
police must deal with a man who can kill people at will without ever being on
the scene – and that’s a trick.
And so you
will have to deal with electronic torture, with the poisonous liver of a
Caribbean Puffer fish, a machine gun, a killer robot, a rocket, an electric saw,
bolt cutters, and box cutters. Most terribly, you will experience a real
eye-closer when Clyde straps a murderer to a table and cuts off his legs, arms,
a smaller, softer limb, and finally, his head. You will experience primal
horror. Just concentrate on the intellect and remember: this is a comic book
fantasy.
The avenger
is a deadly and deliberate tactician. As he says to the head cop, “This is war;
I’m going to bring the whole corrupt, diseased temple down on your head. It’s
going to be Biblical.” And so it is. As one observer remarks, “A psychopath has
brought the city to its knees.” You get the idea.
But here’s
the thing: the whole cast is good and the cerebral intricacies engage you in the
horrific plans. Yet again a movie awash in blood, fireballs and gunfire can
still trigger the matinee adrenaline. What could possibly be better for a
B-movie finale than a race across town against the clock for high stakes? Eyes
closed, hands over ears.
Copyright (c) Illusion