Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

In “Law Abiding Citizen,” Gerard Butler plays Clyde Shelton, a family man who goes loopy nutty after the Jabba-fat prick who butchered his family cuts a deal with soulless Philly ADA Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx). Shelton doesn’t just grab a rifle for “Death Wish” or “Gran Torino” kills. He declares war on the entire city of Philadelphia, using his mad-dog engineering skills to chain-bomb cars and rig a cell phone to explode. Even for the often ugly genre of revenge films, “LAC” is grim entertainment. (The violence inflicted on women is astounding.) Director F. Gary Gray and his writers never give us anyone to even remotely root for older than 10. As Shelton and Rice diligently race to kill one another first, Butler and Foxx race to see who can suffocate their own charisma and acting talent fastest. A climatic shocker is so over-the-top ridiculous that even the characters mock disbelief. It’s never good when the filmmakers apologize for what they’ve served up while you’re still watching. Billy Penn atop City Hall needs to check his shoes. The muck is piled high. C-