Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

All Critics (155) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (118) | DVD (15)

Sadly, there's nothing here but bloody off-cuts from 'Death Wish', 'Saw' and 'The Silence of the Lambs', in roughly that order.

November 27, 2009 Full Review | Comment (1)

Nigel Floyd

Time Out

Top Critic

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.

October 21, 2009 Full Review | Comments (18)

Bill Goodykoontz

Arizona Republic

Top Critic

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 as the victim.

October 16, 2009 Full Review | Comments (30)

Dan Kois

Washington Post

Top Critic

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.

October 16, 2009 Full Review

Laremy Legel

Film.com

Top Critic

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.

October 16, 2009 Full Review | Comments (11)

Joe Neumaier

New York Daily News

Top Critic

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

October 16, 2009 Full Review | Comments (3)

Glenn Whipp

Los Angeles Times

Top Critic

Law Abiding Citizen may be the most nihilistic movie I've ever seen.

March 29, 2011 Full Review

Joshua Starnes

ComingSoon.net

It's exactly the kind of film the phrase 'by-the-numbers' was invented for, but like the best genre films, it acknowledges its niche and goes all out to top its predecessors.

October 21, 2010 Full Review

Simon Miraudo

Quickflix

One of the more repugnant examples of Hollywood's cheap-thrill approach to violence, its voyeuristic brutality is matched only by its innate stupidity.

August 9, 2010 Full Review | Comments (4)

Simon Foster

sbs.com.au

The film can't seem to make up its mind whether it wants to be an audience pleasing popcorn treat or a serious, political thriller. It ends up being partly both... with varying degrees of success.

April 15, 2010 Full Review | Comments (2)

Martin Roberts

Fan The Fire

F. Gary Gray directs with a poker face that just makes the enterprise uglier.

February 17, 2010 Full Review

Sean Axmaker

MSN.com

Putting aside the ideological posturing, this hyper-violent fantasy about a seemingly unstoppable killer who continues his murder spree behind bars delivers on its promise of an intriguing mystery, however far-fetched.

February 16, 2010 Full Review

Rossiter Drake

San Francisco Examiner

Violent vengeance thriller has lots of bloody brutality.

February 16, 2010 Full Review

James Rocchi

Common Sense Media

While one man's terrorist may be another's freedom fighter, it's not quite as simple when it comes to CIA operatives and your basic serial killer. Or rather, a CIA psycho family man that might make Jack The Ripper envious.

February 5, 2010 Full Review

Prairie Miller

NewsBlaze

While one man's terrorist may be another's freedom fighter, it's not quite as simple when it comes to CIA operatives and your basic serial killer. Or rather, a CIA psycho family man that might make Jack The Ripper envious.

February 5, 2010 Full Review

Prairie Miller

NewsBlaze

The diverting garbage that is Law Abiding Citizen would be more deplorable if it were possible to take this wholly implausible film seriously.

January 31, 2010 Full Review | Comments (7)

Mark Pfeiffer

Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema

For large portions of Law Abiding Citizen we're not sure who is going to be the winner here, nor who we want to be, and though it won't make for much of a date flick, as far as intelligent action flicks go, it gets two big burly thumbs up.

January 30, 2010 Full Review

Giles Hardie

smh.com.au

Law Abiding Citizen is totally ridiculous, overwrought, silly and unbelievable. It's a popcorn flick, and should be looked upon as such. But it's fun, entertaining in an exploitative kind of way, and horror fans will definitely get an eyeful.

January 29, 2010 Full Review

Staci Layne Wilson

Horror.com

While Law Abiding Citizen is in no sense a successful work of art, a film that offers the illicit thrill of cheering on an all-American terrorist is at least pursuing something more complex than ''moral clarity''.

January 28, 2010 Full Review

Jake Wilson

The Age (Australia)

A high-octane, high body-count thriller posing the question, how do you stop a psycho vigilante on a killing spree? Apparently, by any means necessary."

January 28, 2010 Full Review

Kam Williams

NewsBlaze

A high-octane, high body-count thriller posing the question, how do you stop a psycho vigilante on a killing spree? Apparently, by any means necessary.

January 28, 2010 Full Review

Kam Williams

Sly Fox

Bloodshed and torture abound in this sadistic thriller with pretensions.

January 26, 2010 Full Review | Comment (1)

Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

An entertaining thrill ride but not much more.

January 26, 2010 Full Review

Julian Shaw

FILMINK (Australia)

In another time and place, Law Abiding Citizen could have been an intelligent critique of a flawed criminal justice system. Instead, I present you Gerard Butler, ruthlessly hacking a guy into 25 little pieces.

January 22, 2010 Full Review | Comments (4)

Anders Wotzke

Moviedex

• 1. Clyde Shelton: I did what I had to do.
  – Submitted by Rolf J (4 months ago)
• 1. Nick Rice: I had to call his wife and tell her that her husband had been buried alive.
  2. Clyde Shelton: Well, justice should be harsh Nick... especially for those who denied it to others.
  – Submitted by Taylor A (12 months ago)
• 1. Detective Dunnigan: I believe those cots are bolted into the cell.
  2. Clyde Shelton: Well, thats what wrenches are for... Dumbass!
  – Submitted by Stephen C (16 months ago)
• 1. Nick Rice: How bout fuck no.
  – Submitted by Stephen S (17 months ago)
• 1. Detective Dunnigan: Surprise mother fucker!
  – Submitted by PJ M (18 months ago)
• 1. Jonas Cantrell: Did we bring this all on ourselves?
  2. Nick Rice: Absolutely not!
  3. Jonas Cantrell: You don't actually believe that do you!
  – Submitted by PJ M (18 months ago)

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