by: Paolo Sardinas

F Gary Gray knows how to make an action scene. He can play the camera to make the viewer believe that what hes showing are absolutely possible. Whether it be the wild and crazy car chase from his version of "The Italian Job" or the very well made "The Negotiator". This is the reason why his latest flick "Law Abiding Citizen" does nothing more than puzzle me. And I’ts not because of the ridiculous plot, or the mediocre acting, nor is it the simple fact that this movie takes unrealism to a whole new level. No, its the fact that they actually spent money to make this movie.

The whole story is about a man named Clyde Shelton (Gerrard Butler) who, after witnessing his wife and daughter murdered and is later told that one of the two men accused of the crime is getting off, spends the next ten years of his life planning on how to get back at the system. Standing in his way is Jamie Foxx who plays Nick Rice(the assistant D.A. who told him that one would get off) and what ensues is a mad tale which pretends to have some deeper meaning than what it truly is. It does and will bore you down with over unnecessary violence as Clyde goes after everyone originally involved with the case and, well, kills them.

Not only is it dumbly written but its also very exaggerated. The whole premise about one person getting back at the justice system is nothing new. Plenty of films have dealt with that subject, most notably Death Wish, but it’s not the boring premise which kills the movie, its everything after it. Sure nobody else is going to bitch about how unbearable to watch it is, the men will be too busy watching the cars blow up and the women will be too busy watching Gerrard Butler strip down before being arrested. The level of violence throughout is a bit more than what was needed. The whole concept of him getting back at them while being in bars is not only absurd but just plain dumb. And the supposed surprise ending comes as nothing more than another added scene.

Jamie Foxx, who was the original highlight of seeing this film, actually doesn't offer anything new. The Oscar winner has officially lost his vote with me. After doing the outstanding Ray and the flawed but entertaining Dreamgirls, Foxx proved he could be a versatile actor while still bringing something new and original to the table. But after seeing this, you know realize it was just another pay day for Mr. Foxx. And though he gives a better overall performance than his co star, it still is the same dreary boringness and gives you the feeling of "Why am I watching this"? Gerrard Butler, who has headlined two other major and critical bombs this year, does nothing new to prove he’s actually got some skill. Not only does he not look interested, he looks like a potato faced idiot while delivering lines that seem like they were ripped from a TV program.

While Gary Gray offers enough gore to keep the splatter fans happy he still fails to offer something new and something that is completely and utterly stupid. Something which is only as smart as it thinks it is and features another absurdly stupid title. Don't even get me started with that one. Grade: D-

R strong bloody brutal violence and torture, a scene of rape, and pervasive language