 Law Abiding Citizen
Is it worth $10? Yes; Hudak grades it a C+
By Dan Hudak // hudakonhollywood.com
Truth, justice and the American way are under fire in “Law Abiding Citizen,” which takes an unflattering look at the legal system, while never forgetting its place as ridiculous Hollywood entertainment. The story is fresh and interesting, and the moral and ethical issues raised are good food for thought, but an excess of plot holes and explosions unseat all attempted seriousness.
Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) has a right to be angry. His wife and daughter were murdered by two home invaders, and due to some inadmissible evidence District Attorney Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) is only able to have one of them sentenced to death. The other, Clarence Darby (Christian Stolte), gets to go free after five years in prison.
Ten years pass. Darby is out. Clyde is still angry and wants to teach the system a lesson. After kidnapping and torturing Darby, Clyde is arrested. Here’s where things get interesting: From prison he’s still killing those involved in Darby going free — with everyone from the judge (Annie Corley) to Nick and his co-workers (Bruce McGill and Leslie Bibb) at risk. It’s kind of like “Death Wish,” only with an actual plan. And if you’re thinking Clyde has someone on the outside working with him, you’re wrong. So how is he doing it? With a lot of advanced planning, and with a lot of things conveniently (and unfathomably) happening exactly as he envisioned.
An ethical question is nonetheless raised: Is Clyde’s conduct OK? Sure it’s revenge for his family, but murdering everyone involved in his pain hardly seems justified. And yet audiences are cheering for Clyde, one murder after another, even when it’s people who don’t deserve it. Even when it’s people who were doing their jobs as they’re supposed to be done, which is the same way they’ve served the legal system for years.
The message from director F. Gary Gray and writer Kurt Wimmer is, of course, that the system is flawed and needs to be changed. But Clyde goes to such extremes it’s hard to take anything seriously, especially when his actions are truly uncalled for, such as frightening Nick’s young daughter and blowing up innocent people.
A message movie in the guise of a Hollywood thriller is more common than you may think, as all movies reflect society. But “Law Abiding Citizen” offers quite the paradox: It wants to condemn the legal system, but it also embraces violence and murder — two things the legal system also condemns — while making its point, which is that both sides need to change if we’re to live in a just world. |
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Capsules: By Dan Hudak
Couples Retreat: B
(Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman) Four couples take their troubled relationships to a gorgeous paradise island in this funny but predictable comedy. It takes a bit too long to get to the island and the jokes are one sketch after another, but the reality of the couples’ hardships and consistent laughs allow the movie to work. Rated PG-13.
Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg: B
(Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Edward Asner, Norman Lear) Before Lucy there was Gertrude Berg, a radio and television star who created the modern sit-com as we know it. This documentary by Aviva Kempner explores her career as a writer and actor, and looks at why we’ve never heard of her. The story also goes in some interesting directions when it discusses Blacklisting and Berg’s fight to break into the film industry. Not Rated.
Gotta Dance: B
(Joe Bianco, Jaclyn Sabol, Petra Pope) The first year (2007) of the NET-Sationals, a senior dance team that performs during home games for the NBA’s New Jersey Nets, is chronicled in this inspiring documentary. Writer/director Dori Berinstein flirts with issues of staying fit as we age and the pressure put on the team of 60-plus seniors. The joy of the film shines through as the squad embraces hip-hop music and dancing. Not Rated.
Zombieland: B
(Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone) With earth overrun by zombies after a virus wipes out most of humanity, the survivors (Eisenberg, Harrelson, Stone and Abigail Breslin) work together to stay alive. You’ll expect the playful violence, but the laugh-out-loud humor may take many by surprise. In fact, this is the best horror-comedy since “Shaun of the Dead” in 2004. Rated R.
Toy Story & Toy Story 2: C
(Voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Wallace Shawn) With “Toy Story 3-D” due out next summer, Disney has re-released the “Toy Story” movies as a double feature (two for the price of one) for two weeks, with the added attraction being that they’re now in 3-D. Unfortunately, the 3-D doesn’t add much and isn’t very impressive, so don’t go for that reason. But if you want to see the movies again, or haven’t seen one or both of them, they’re still fabulous and great to watch on the big screen. Otherwise there’s no reason to spend the money. Another note: The two movies, combined with a 15-minute intermission, means more than three hours in the theater. This may be too much for some youngsters. Rated G.
Whip It: B
(Ellen Page, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore) With a mother (Marcia Gay Harden) who wants her to be a beauty queen, teen misfit Bliss Cavendar (Page, “Juno”) finds her true calling and new friends (Wiig, Barrymore) in the dangerous and exciting sport of roller derby. It’s painfully predictable, but first-time director Barrymore finds a way to make it work in terms of humor, action and drama. This is the perfect choice for a girl’s night out. Rated PG-13.
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs: B
(Voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan) Ice cream, steak, spaghetti and (yes) meatballs rain from the sky after young inventor Flint Lockwood (voice of Hader) creates a machine that turns water into food. The 3-D animation (in select cities) looks fabulous, particularly during the “spaghetti twister” sequence that slings giant pasta and meatballs about the town. The story (based on the children’s book by Ron and Judi Barrett) works nicely as well: It’s sweet, not too sentimental and has some good laughs. Rated PG.
The Informant!: C
(Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale) An executive (Damon) with a corn-processing company becomes paranoid and turns whistleblower to the F.B.I. when his company’s global price-fixing scheme threatens his job. Logic would suggest that he tell the F.B.I. agents (Bakula and McHale) all he knows, but that’s not his style. Through the oversaturated visual style, cartoonish music and random voiceover narration, director Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic”) is going for an oddball funny reality here, but only achieves unfunny oddball. Rated R. |
