A Moral Battle

Law Abiding Citizen

I avoided this movie while it was in the theater based on the impression that it was just going to be a mindless killing spree ochestrated by the wrath of Clyde (Butler), in which would be followed by unnecessary violence and gore. Surprisingly it was a very enjoyable, but intense movie. The ending was very hollywood, but the moral suggestions throughout this movie were intriguing. Clyde watches helplessly as his wife and daughter are murdered before his eyes, and you're undoubtedly on his side, but then the the two sides become divided when Clyde begins to kill people. Nick (Jamie Foxx) now seems to be the apparent good-guy, with a family of his own and doing what "he" believes is the right thing in the name of the law. Clyde brings an excellent argument though. He questions the poor legal system and Nick. What makes you think twice about Nick though is that you learn Nick is more concerned with his conviction rate and doesn't care about Clyde as he accepted the deal with the murderer even before consulting with Butler. So now the overall moral argument is: "Are Butler's killings more justified than the legal system and Nick's sloppy and selfish judgement, releasing murders and rapists back into the streets?". That's the ultimate question of the movie, "Is it possible that the legal system can actually benefit the criminals more than the victims?" 8 out of 10. Outstanding performance from Butler, the movie ending slips a little though.