Alex Cross 2/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli
Alex Cross, loosely adapted from the novel Cross by James Patterson, has all the earmarks of something contorted and condensed to fit into the 100-minute time limit imposed on mass marketed motion pictures.
Parts of the movie feel inexcusably rushed (thereby enhancing their inherent implausibility) – none more so than the incompetently directed climactic fight scene, in which director Rob Cohen goes into hand-held mode and shakes the camera as vigorously as possible.
The last time we saw Dr. Alex Cross, he was played by Morgan Freeman. That was nearly a dozen years ago in the forgettable Along Came a Spider (which was a sequel to 1997’s Kiss the Girls). However, using the septuagenarian Freeman as the lead in an action-tinged thriller didn’t make much sense, so the role was re-cast. Not a problem; the Bond movies do this all the time. The choice for the new Cross is Tyler Perry, who is moving outside of his comfort zone. The producers obviously hope he’ll bring his fan base with him. This is a dark movie; there’s little opportunity for comedy. Perry shows decent dramatic chops but his competency as an action hero is less certain.
View the trailer
