‘Citizen’ is no mastermind

So far this year, Gerard Butler has been unconvincing as a journalist, a video game avatar and now a mastermind murderer.

It’s not entirely his fault. “Law Abiding Citizen” is such an inherently idiotic film it’s understandable that Butler’s performance is a few notches shy of the joker.

Butler plays Clyde Shelton, who after avenging the death of his family proceeds to murder people while in prison. He’s determined to bring down the legal system after Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) lets one of his family’s killers walk free. 
  
The plot is actually quite original. Butler and Foxx make for good enemies and the film keeps us guessing until the end.

But “Law Abiding Citizen” is rife with plot holes in pinning evidence against Shelton, and his character is less a mastermind and more a master of the deus ex machina.

The film’s moral code is based on loose philosophies and the explanation for Clyde’s brilliant scheme is the most impractical thing I’ve seen on screen all year.
Smart as these characters may be, this is a dumb movie.