‘Law Abiding Citizen” 4K SteelBook brings violent revenge thriller back to home theaters

Director F. Gary Gray’s extreme revenge thriller returns to the 4K disc format and within an Amazon exclusive metal case in Law Abiding Citizen: SteelBook Edition (Lionsgate Home Entertainment, rated R, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 109 minutes, $34.99)

Viewers are privy to the tale of survivor Clyde Shelton (Gerald Butler), who is transformed from an honorable family man to a vigilante out for justice after the brutal murder of his wife and daughter during a home invasion.

Ten years later, Clyde has not just been planning to terminate the psychopaths responsible, but anyone in the courts who allowed one of the killers to get a lighter sentence for testifying against his cohort.

Specifically, he first tortures and kills assailants Clarence Darby (Christian Stolte) and Rupert Ames (Josh Stewart) and gladly turns himself in for judgment.

However, now in prison, Clyde plays the long game against his primary target, Philadelphia prosecutor Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) and his team, and now unleashes a torrent of death to take his vengeance.

Lovers of violent action films will roar with awe as Clyde executes his scheme upon those part of a broken legal system as he justifies slaughtering lawyers and even a judge.

Viewers may find the plot all too familiar, reminiscent of the various iterations of “The Punisher,” “Death Wish” and “John Wick,” but a mildly clever twist should ensnare fans of fictional high-tech assassination.

4K in action: Originally released in 4K in 2018, the presentation was upscaled from a 2K master to ultra-high definition.

That allows viewers to appreciate the hazy outdoor scenes around downtown Philadelphia and its suburbs, as well as the blue-tinged urban and grey-saturated prison settings.

Visuals throughout offer a drab and slightly grainy but satisfactory color and clarity, but watching the too-horrible, vein-popping death of a man by lethal injection and a fiery denouement might be a bit too much detail for the eyes.

Best extras: Lionsgate offers the same digital goodies found in the 2018 release on the 4K disc led by an optional commentary with producers Lucas Foster and Alan Siegel, recorded two weeks after the movie’s release in theaters.

They cover the history of “Law Abiding Citizen”; the script about a character that is both a sympathetic hero and calculating villain; the themes of justice; auditions and casting decisions; some production details during the execution scene; shooting in cold locations in Philadelphia and creating snow; and adding the plot twists.

I missed the director being part of the conversation, but the producers managed to pull off a very informative and nonstop track.

Next, a pair of featurettes start with six minutes with a former Los Angeles’ prosecutor and former Philadelphia assistant district attorney explaining the film’s murder case, breaking down the potential trial, the charges filed with multiple assailants and the plea deal.

Then move to a 15-minute production segment with all of the behind-the-scenes footage shot in black and white to hear from the director, Mr. Foster and the actors, often touching on motivations of the characters. Moments even include some actor rehearsals and shooting in the legendary Holmesburg Prison, nicknamed the “Terrordome,” in Pennsylvania.

Five visual effects progressions are also available, with commentary by producer Lucas Foster for each, and cover tricks such as adding digital veins in the execution scene and creating needle holes from a poisonous gun.

Worth noting, the case also contains a Blu-ray disc that has the director’s cut of the movie (roughly 10 minutes longer), but nobody would know that from the package or even reading the disc. I’ll call it a mystery bonus.

Owners get a SteelBook Edition featuring a translucent plastic slipcover with the title of the film, the stars’ names and a hint of prison bars on the front and the discs’ information on the back.

Remove the slipcover to appreciate on the front of the case an illustration of the headshots of Clyde and Nick bathed in purplish blue and a trail of flames that leads to the back cover showing the silhouette of a man about to be consumed by orangish-red flames.

The interior spread offers a photograph of Clyde and Nick sitting at a table across from one another in a prison conference area surrounded by bars.

By the way, a SteelBook with a far starker look already exists for a 2014 Blu-ray release of the film, but the new Amazon version easily exceeds the previous release’s design.