This was very nearly a great movie. It was so close. If they had just doubled-down on making Gerard Butler the protagonist instead of trying to split the difference between him and Jamie Foxx, I would have driven out immediately and bought a copy. But they didn't, so this is only an okay movie.Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is a victim of a home invasion in which his wife and daughter were murdered. The prosecutor, Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), cuts a deal for a reduced sentence for one of the men in exchange for testimony about the other. Clyde does not consider this to be justice but Nick points out that they have to work within the confines of an imperfect system. Clyde decides that no, no he doesn't, and works to enact his own brand of justice, spiraling out to include the lawyers, the judge and the prison system as well as the perpetrator of the original crime.
So. Close. This came out the year after Taken, so they have zero excuse. My only thought is that they were trying to make this a vehicle for Jamie Foxx instead, in which case they should have made him a more sympathetic character. I was totally okay with him suffering and he did not demonstrate enough growth to warrant me changing that opinion by the time the credits rolled. Now, the only way I would buy this film is if it were included in a combo pack of two other movies I'd want to own.
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