7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
Clyde Shelton, an upstanding family man whose wife and daughter are brutally murdered during a home invasion, declares a one-man war on the justice system and the hotshot young Philadelphia prosecutor, Nick Rice, who offered one of the suspects a light sentence in exchange for testifying against his accomplice.
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Colm Meaney, Bruce McGill, Leslie BibbThriller | 100% |
Crime | 65% |
Psychological thriller | 1% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
You can't fight fate.
Imagine Saw meets "Prison Break," and that's a
pretty solid basis for discussing Law Abiding Citizen. Though the concept appears on
paper
as something that's fairly far-fetched and even borderline absurd, Director F. Gary Gray's (The Negotiator) film
really does work on several levels thanks to a complexly-detailed yet audience-accessible script,
solid
acting, and an excellent pace. On the other hand, there's plenty of opportunity along the way to
discard the picture; it's often exciting and riveting, but at the same time a tremendous amount of
suspension of disbelief is required to get through all of it. That was certainly the case with both
the Saw franchise and the "Prison Break" series, and it's no surprise, then, that that
caveat carries over to Law Abiding Citizen. Still, considering the longevity of Saw
and the popularity of Prison Break, it's clear that audiences are willing to accept
logically-flawed concepts in favor of high drama and good storytelling, two areas from which
Law Abiding Citizen derives much of its strength.
I'm just warming up.
Law Abiding Citizen arrives on Blu-ray with a visually stale but technically superior 1080p, 2.39:1-framed transfer. This is a picture that features a consistently routine visual tone that doesn't exactly lend itself to a spectacular high definition release, but it's also not the sort that's constantly bathed in shadows and darkness. Fortunately, Director F. Gary Gray's film looks excellent on Blu-ray when considering the picture's uninteresting visual flair and nod towards the noir films of old. Colors are nicely reproduced in every applicable frame, appearing stable and natural with no hint of fading or excessive over-saturation. Detail is nicely resolved, too, even if the image takes on a somewhat flat appearance. Very fine object texturing -- for instance that seen on close-up shots of Nick's neckties -- nicely compliments intricate facial details. Additionally, the image is sharp as a tack with nary a hint of excessive softness or any sign of print anomalies to detract from the image, not to mention an absence of digital manipulation, banding, or other compression artifacts. Blacks and flesh tones are accurately reproduced throughout, and Law Abiding Citizen's quality film-like appearance is supported by a handsome but fairly minute grain structure. Though not exactly eye candy material by nature, Law Abiding Citizen nevertheless looks exemplary within the confines of its director-intended tone.
Law Abiding Citizen features a robust but not excessively aggressive Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This one comes across as spacious and precise from the get-go, and indeed, it never disappoints through the rest of the film. This is a soundtrack of jarring cues intermixed with basic dialogue, ambience, and music. All three are handled well enough, with no discernible absence of clarity to be heard. Ambience in particular is exceptional; whether street-level flowing traffic in one scene or a group of rowdy prisoners in another, Law Abiding Citizen does well to immerse the listener into various environments without overwhelming the senses or creating a false space that doesn't fully jive with the on-screen material. Bass is rather satisfying throughout; several explosions send a positive jolt through the listening area, and gunfire from a heavy machine gun is wonderfully realized as rounds tear through the soundstage with a convincing series of rapid-fire thuds. Like the video presentation, Law Abiding Citizen's soundtrack isn't flashy or all that memorable. Where it excels, then, is in its ability to accurately recreate a seamless experience that's on-par with the director-intended feel of the soundtrack. As such, this is an excellent presentation, even if it's not necessarily one for the record books.
This Blu-ray release of Law Abiding Citizen arrives as a two-disc set, disc one featuring
the
118-minute unrated cut of the film, and the second the 109-minute theatrical version. Both
discs
contain special features, and disc one begins with a pair of featurettes. The Justice of 'Law
Abiding Citizen' (1080i, 6:15) features cast and crew and former Los Angeles Prosecutor
Katie
Buckland discussing the legal ramifications surrounding the initial case as depicted in the film, the
quandary of the prosecutor, the fallibility of eye-witness testimony, the role of forensic evidence,
and the details of the plea bargain. Law in Black and White -- Behind the Scenes (1080i,
15:06) is, yes, a black-and-white behind-the-scenes feature. The piece features cast and crew
speaking on the shoot and the film's themes, a glimpse into the creation of several shots and
special
effects, crafting an original film, the work of Director F. Gary Gray and Actors Foxx and Butler
(who
was originally cast in Foxx's role), the complexity of the characters, the chemistry between the
leads, shooting in Philadelphia, and the picture's "neo-noir" style.
Next is Preliminary
Arguments -- Visual Effects Progressions (1080i), a five-part supplement that looks at the
creation of various effects shots and in different stages of completion. Scenes highlighted
include Execution (1:25), Snow Enhancement (1:16), Gun Injection
(1:05), Finale -- Prison Explosion (1:38), and Car Crash Pre-Viz (1:19). Also
included is The Verdict -- Winning Trailer Mash-Up (1080i, 1:05), the Law Abiding
Citizen theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:26), and additional 1080p trailers for The Crazies,
The Men Who Stare at
Goats, Capitalism: A Love
Story, and "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." Disc two features a single extra, an audio
commentary track with Producers Lucas Foster and Alan Siegel. Recorded after the film had been
in theaters for two weekends, the producers discuss the history of the project, the contrast
between rooting for a
man who is both hero and villain, shooting in Philadelphia, the performances of the cast, set
construction, the struggle to fill plot holes, and more. This is a strong commentary that's both
honest and fun, informative and entertaining, and a must-listen for fans of the picture.
Law Abiding Citizen is a smart, innovative Thriller that's wholly implausible but nevertheless a whole lot of fun. It's Saw with less violence and a bit more of a focused structure and brain power, and even though much of the film plays out with an absurdity that's hard to ignore, the picture works as sheer and imaginative entertainment that's good enough to keep the audience guessing and immersed in a topsy-turvy world of deliciously-realized improbabilities. Rounded out by slick direction and solid acting, Law Abiding Citizen won't be up for a host of Oscars but it's certainly good enough to enjoy as a thinking man's Horror/Thriller delight. This Starz/Anchor Bay Blu-ray release of Law Abiding Citizen offers a technically strong video transfer, a fine lossless soundtrack, two versions of the film spread across two discs, and a fair helping of extras. As the film doesn't offer much in the way of extensive replay value, general audiences may best be served with a rental, but buyers can rest assured that this Blu-ray release of Law Abiding Citizen features no deal-breaking flaws.
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