Law Abiding Citizen
A; THRILLER
Dir: F Gary Gray
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler
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"Lessons not learned in blood are soon forgotten." A philosophy that spells magic at the B-O, as Ghajini and Wanted have proved. When you're out for revenge, baying for blood, people will pay to watch. And they will remember. And cheer for you.

Ask Charles Bronson. The guy made a living off the Death Wish franchise, a story that goes down the same dark alley this one does.

Clyde Shelton (Butler) is an entirely different monster, though. Inexplicably, the only survivor of a killing spree in his own home, finds justice isn't served when insufficient evidence might see both the accused walking.

Prosecution lawyer, Nick Rice (Foxx) cuts a deal with one of the perpetrators of the crime. He gets away with a lesser sentence in return for a testimony against the other guy. Understand-ably, Clyde isn't pleased.
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Fast forward to ten years ahead. Clyde is still hurting. And he really doesn't care anymore. He tracks down the guy who got away, finds him and cuts him good, a la Saw. Then, he goes after every one of the names that mattered in the dus-saal-puraana trial. Heads roll (quite literally!), car bombs go off for no apparent reason and without warning. And this doesn't stop even after our avenging hero is put behind bars. The killings continue unabated, leaving Rice & Co scratching their heads in disbelief. Clyde's sanity is long past gone. He's a one-man WoMD, but they can't prove it.

On the face of it, it sounds promising, doesn't it? One's an Oscar winner, the other's an action hero. All good, no? Well, here's the thing. Butler outshines Oscar winner by several miles. And not just because he has the author-backed role. He brings such charisma to his role as a psychotic genius that you want him to win nevertheless in this Clyde Shelton vs The World shoot-em-up craziness. Reminds you of why 300 was so watchable in the first place.

The director has made competent thrillers before. He brings a frenetic pace to the proceedings and keeps you interested throughout. But the suspense dies out early into the second half and that's a shame. The courtroom scenes are good but not good enough. All spitfire, no brimstone.

If you're a fultoo ceetee-zen, though, this is the ticket you ought to pick. If not, don't bother.u00a0u00a0