Newsday Review of LAC

Subject: Newsday Review of LAC Thu Oct 15, 2009 5:51 am

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/foxx-and-butler-in-law-abiding-citizen-1-5-stars-1.1523665

FOXX AND BUTLER IN 'LAW ABIDING CITIZEN'(1.5 stars)

October 14, 2009

By JOHN ANDERSON. Special to Newsday

The words "dumb" and "thriller" are seldom used in the same sentence, and "Law Abiding Citizen" illustrates all the reasons why. Not only is it a hapless crime drama about outrage and revenge, it provides the sad spectacle of a movie far less intelligent than the one its filmmakers thought they were making. Starring Jamie Foxx as a scruple-free prosecutor and Gerard Butler as the victim he cheats out of justice, "Law Abiding Citizen" (yes, it needs a hyphen, and a new script) has so many plot holes, preposterous procedures and impotent gestures that it would take till the sports section to list them. Suffice to say, if a film's going to appeal to your worst instincts, you shouldn't be feeling bad about it before the credits roll.

Clyde Shelton (Butler) saw his family killed, but hotshot Philly prosecutor Nick Rice (Foxx) makes a deal with one of the murderers, just so he can maintain his 96 percent conviction rate. Ten years later, when the other killer is about to be executed, Shelton re-enters the picture, with appallingly violent results. Strangely, there's never any development in how the characters are perceived - we're with Clyde all the way, despite his homicidal mania, which is perpetrated even while he's in prison - a minor detail that's never really explained. Perhaps because Foxx is giving such a self-satisfied performance, Butler steals the movie, and doesn't even strain himself doing it. But laziness is probably "LAC's" greatest virtue.

PLOT Mastermind takes revenge on the legal system that cut a deal with his family's killer. RATING R (brutal violence, vulgarity)

CAST Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Bruce McGill, Colm Meaney, Leslie Bibb

LENGTH 1:48

PLAYING AT Area theaters

BOTTOM LINE Certainly nothing wrong here that a new script, a new director and a couple of committed actors couldn't fix.

Subject: Re: Newsday Review of LAC Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:41 am

to quote Shirley Temple..."oh my goodness"!

Subject: Re: Newsday Review of LAC Thu Oct 15, 2009 2:24 pm

Harsh isn't it, PJ?

To be honest, I will wait until some 'normal' people see it and give their review. It hasn't opened in Australia yet nor have I seen any advertising.

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» Miami Herald review
» Roger Ebert's Review of LAC
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» Review of LAC by Orlando Sentinel