The Punisher Meets Law & Order In Gerard Butler's Brutal Action Thriller

This Gerard Butler action thriller is a guilty pleasure mix of Law & Order and The Punisher. Butler is a classic case of an actor who took time to find his niche. From Gerard Butler's horror movies like Dracula 2000 to grounded dramas like Dear Frankie, he bounced around a lot in his early career. After the runaway success of 300, Butler looked primed for A-list stardom.

Most of his follow-ups failed to hit the mark, however, and misfiring rom-coms like The Ugly Truth or awards bait like Machine Gun Preacher did little to help his career. But then, with the arrival of 2009's Law Abiding Citizen, Butler became an action star. The list of Gerard Butler action movies is lengthy now, and covers the Has Fallen trilogy, Den of Thieves, and many more.

Law Abiding Citizen is where it all started, with Butler playing a seemingly ordinary man named Clyde who wages a bloody revenge campaign on the legal system itself. It's about as close to The Punisher as Butler has gotten, and the movie has a bodycount to rival that particular Marvel antihero.

Despite the gory chaos on display, this F. Gary Gray thriller also functions like a weird episode of Law & Order. Jamie Foxx's District Attorney and his team are racing against time to stop Clyde's killing spree, and doing their level best to work within the legal system to do it.

Law Abiding Citizen Is A Bizarre Genre Mix That Somehow Works

Law Abiding Citizen was a solid hit, grossing over $127 million worldwide on an estimated $53 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). Reviews were harsh, thanks to its delightfully implausible plot and high levels of gore. On paper, it should be a tonal disaster. Merging an old-fashioned legal thriller with the bloody carnage of a Saw sequel should result in a mess, yet somehow, it's a blast.

Sure, it doesn't hold together on a plot level, but it's a slick package with a killer cast. The screenplay isn't high art, but screenwriter Kurt Wimmer deserves credit for dreaming up so many memorable sequences, such as that mobile phone jumpscare. The key to Law Abiding Citizen's success is that, despite its glossy, A-list trappings, at its core, it's a grimy B-movie.

While Foxx has to play the more uptight role, Butler is having the time of his life. He gets to chew through several meaty monologues, and while it's an action movie, he gets to spend much of it sitting down in a cell.

Despite Law Abiding Citizen's Ending, A Sequel Is Still Planned

Law Abiding Citizen's ending seems to nail the door shut on a potential sequel. Clyde is killed by one of his own bombs, and Foxx's Nick has (hopefully) learned a lesson about failing the victims of violent crime. The movie has developed a loyal fanbase over the past 17 years (!), however, so it wasn't a huge shocker when a sequel was announced in 2022.

Butler was set to return as producer, while Wimmer would once again work on the screenplay. Plot details for Law Abiding Citizen 2 were kept under wraps, however, and it wasn't even revealed if Foxx was returning. Presumably, a follow-up would pit Nick against another criminal mastermind, though it has to be said, the absence of Butler would have been felt.

Since Law Abiding Citizen 2 was confirmed in 2022, little has been heard of the project. It wouldn't be the first sequel to go quiet for years before suddenly being pushed into production, but as of 2026, it appears stick in limbo. It might be fun to see what other inventive (and gory) setpieces a follow-up could feature, but perhaps the original is best left as a one-and-done that is way better than it has any right to be.

Source: Box Office Mojo

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  Release Date October 16, 2009

  Runtime 109 minutes

  Director F. Gary Gray

  Writers Kurt Wimmer

  Producers Gerard Butler, Kurt Wimmer, Lucas Foster, Mark Gill, Alan Siegel

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    Gerard Butler

    Clyde Alexander Shelton

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  Birthdate November 13, 1969

  Birthplace Paisley, Scotland, UK

  Notable Projects 300, Olympus Has Fallen, How to Train Your Dragon