Dodgy politics aside, Law Abiding Citizen is a slickly made, trashily entertaining thriller that builds to a suitably explosive climax.
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11/27/09
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Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
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%
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Reviews Counted:131
Fresh:32
Rotten:99
Average Rating:4.3/10
Consensus: Unnecessarily violent and unflinchingly absurd, Law Abiding Citizen is plagued by subpar acting and a story that defies reason.
Rated: R [See Full Rating]
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Oct 16, 2009 Wide
Box Office: $72,443,511
Synopsis: In LAW ABIDING CITIZEN, a prisoner's incredible reign over the city outside his cell is interrupted by an assistant district attorney. Gerard Butler (300) stars.
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Viola Davis, Bruce McGill
Director: F. Gary Gray
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Reviews for Law Abiding Citizen
Super-slick filmmaking masks this thriller's reprehensible message that violence can solve any problem. It's so beautifully shot and nicely underplayed by the cast that viewers could be fooled into believing that it's coherent or acceptable.
11/27/09
If you want a crazy mix of Saw and Shawshank, where a lot of people get killed in nasty ways and Gerard Butler gets his bum out, then this is a decent bet.
11/27/09
A morally dubious, deliriously demented thriller.
11/27/09
It should be put under citizen's arrest as it's one colossal disappointment.
11/25/09
While preferably to the typical Saw entry by about a five-to-one ratio, Law Abiding Citizen still isn't any good.
11/25/09
Jamie Foxx's Nick mostly repeats the part played by Denzel Washington in Ricochet, the superior first incarnation of Law Abiding Citizen.
11/19/09
Entertaining, without making sense. Film tries to say something about the judicial system, but fails badly. Nevertheless, an intriguing idea. Paul Chambers, CNN.
11/11/09
It's never clear how we're supposed to feel about Butler and when he's gone too far. Should he kill the judge? Maybe the court clerk for filing the paperwork?
11/06/09
Shamelessly crass and blatantly stupid. There oughta be laws against films like this.
10/31/09
full review on Movies for the Masses
10/30/09
So blatantly nonsensical that the action quickly tips over into campiness.
10/26/09
F. Gary Gray draws up some nifty car explosions, but he delivered a more exciting, thoughtful and better-acted system-challenging movie 11 years ago with "The Negotiator." This is immeasurably dumb sludge masquerading as rage against the machine.
10/25/09
It's a toss-up what's dumber: the forehead-slapping contrivances director F. Gary Gray sets up for each killing, or the Neanderthal political "message."
10/22/09
Sadistic and silly, 'Law Abiding Citizen' takes the revenge movie to ridiculous extremes.
10/21/09
Director F. Gary Gray (The Italian Job) heightens a sense of anticipation with his deft direction, and Butler delivers an excellent performance as a brainiac who can outthink a horde of law officials.
10/21/09
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.
10/21/09
You won't like yourself for liking it, but you probably will like it
10/20/09
Has the audience for these kinds of films demanded this sort of torture-porn titillation from their popcorn thrillers?
10/20/09
What might've saved the movie is if Viola Davis was the one who was wronged by the justice system and seeking revenge. Ms. Viola could read the back of a Listerine bottle and make it award-worthy!
10/20/09
Latest News for Law Abiding Citizen
October 15, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Where the Wild Things Are Is A Wild Rumpus
This week, we've got a wild rumpus (Where the Wild Things Are, starring Max Records and Catherine Keener), a legal skirmish (Law Abiding Citizen, starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard... More...
October 14, 2009:
Five Favorite Films with F. Gary Gray
Director F. Gary Gray began his career creating music videos for several big name R&B and hip-hop artists in the early 90s, including Ice Cube, TLC, and OutKast. In 1995, Gray... More...
October 06, 2009:
Win a $300 Apple Store Gift Card from Rotten Tomatoes and F. Gary Gray
The iPhone is cool, but it's even cooler to get one for free!
You could be the lucky winner of a $300 Apple Store gift card, if you enter the Law Abiding Citizen Re-Tweet... More...
September 28, 2009:
New: Brand New Trailer/Poster. 
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