Just like every other actor with an extensive filmography to their name, has starred in movies that either strengthened his recognition or damaged his reputation. For instance, Zack Snyder’s 300 from 2006 was not only a box office hit but was also a breakout role for the Scottish actor. However, he has some unforgiving flops as well (both commercially and critically), like Dracula 2000, 2003’s Timeline, and 2016’s Gods of Egypt. But created a huge line in the sand — it's not the usual clash between moviegoers and reviewers, though.
Outlets like Rolling Stone, Empire and NPR tried ripping the vigilante thriller apart. Mixing in with about 20 other publications, they all talked about how the dangerous nature of the main protagonist was either comedic or, rather, not shown enough. Directed by Felix Gary Gray and written by Kurt Wimmer, the story focuses on Butler’s Clyde Shelton and his revenge-fueled plan to assassinate the man who killed his wife and daughter. He also wants to reset Philadelphia’s entire criminal justice system (which means killing legal assistants, lawyers and the mayor).
Admittedly, the movie doesn’t have a consistent tone. In one scene, Clyde is systematically sawing his family’s murderer into itty-bitty pieces (off camera). Soon after, he’s getting a new mattress and a steak dinner in jail for cooperating with detectives. Regardless, .
First put together in 1973 by Donald A. Reed, the Saturn Awards usually stick to the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres. This organization was explicitly built to spotlight the more fantastical films that the general film industry would not honor. This was the case back in the '70s and '80s, anyhow. Things have changed since then, and the Saturn Awards have expanded to include other categories, as you can probably tell.
However, with members like J.J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, and Vince Gilligan (just a few of those who vote for category winners each year), the Saturn Awards will always come from a place of recognition and importance. When Hollywood directors (like those mentioned above) feel that Law Abiding Citizen deserves a place in the running, yet reviewers are making fun of the movie’s world and rules, something might be wrong.
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Did the movie actually have a chance at winning when competing against the likes of The Hurt Locker, Brothers, or Inglourious Basterds? Probably not. However, . The characters they play are like pieces to a puzzle — the story of Clyde Shelton only moving along when the rest take their turn.
Talking about Clyde, the traumatizing event that sets his entire arc into motion takes place like a bang right at the start of the movie. Director Gray’s decision to have it happen with such desperate, emotional weight is a memorable aspect of Law Abiding Citizen. Clyde may very well be a madman by the end of the movie, but a home invasion that severe would turn any one of us into a similar type of person.
Unlike many other action movies, some of the kills and explosions are very surprising. If Law Abiding Citizen was as bad as the critics say, would it be getting a sequel? In May 2022, .
While the plot is being kept under wraps for now, the film companies involved have said that this is a franchise opportunity, meaning the 2009 film could turn into something like Denzel Washington’s The Equalizer if this much-anticipated second entry takes off properly. It might be “silly and nasty,” like The Guardian says, but Law Abiding Citizen is certainly not “relentlessly ugly, preposterous and hackneyed dialogue” like Empire Magazine goes on about. The combination of the Saturn Awards and sequel talk proves that to be utterly wrong.
When you see prosecutor Nick Rice shake hands with Darby (who pled guilty to third-degree murder charges), explosions, bullets, and body count might just be the correct cinematic answer, contrary to what USA Today thinks. These three types of violence make for a good kind of comeuppance in a movie like this. There doesn’t have to be levels of realism in a revenge movie. Look at Liam Neeson’s Taken or Keanu Reeve’s John Wick, for instance. If you want to see Law Abiding Citizen for yourself and see what the fuss is all about, the movie is currently streaming on Starz.
