Alex Cross (2012)
Certified: 18
Duration: 101 minutes
Directed by: Rob Cohen
Starring: Tyler Perry, Edward Burns, Matthew Fox, Jean Reno, Carmen Ejogo, Cicely Tyson, Rachel Nichols, John C. McGinley
KRS release
Tyler Perry replaces Morgan Freeman in his portrayal of Alex Cross, the star of 19 books written by James Patterson, in an effort to reboot the franchise.
Rob Cohen was always at best a perfunctory director and here he seems to have simply gone through the motions, ticking off one obligatory scene after another
Perry tries hard but he can do nothing to stop this film from descending into tired melodrama. Its hackneyed direction makes the film look like a television episode gone bad.
Perry plays Alex Cross when he was still a detective with the Detroit Police force. He is partners with Tommy Kane (Edward Burns), his buddy from childhood. Monica Ashe (Rachel Nichols) is also in the team. Cross is father to two children and his wife Maria (Carmen Ejogo) is pregnant.
One day he comes face to face with a killer known as Picasso (Matthew Fox) who is as sadistic as they come, who kills and tortures a sexy, rich woman and her bodyguard.
Alex discovers a clue that leads to the fact that Picasso is an assassin hunting down corporate figures. The main target is Giles Mercier (Jean Reno), a French businessman who is on the verge of renovating Detroit.
For Alex the stakes are high and Picasso seems to be always one step ahead. When the killer realises they are on his trail, Alex discovers that no one is safe anymore.
Alex Cross seems to be a film without direction: it seems to be about catching a killer but it is more of an action film than a detective movie. The action sequences are stagey and lack excitement.
Fox as Picasso the killer is a taut figure, full of obligatory tattoos and a cold stare but ultimately his character is void of any background, foundation or anything else to make him truly interesting. Sure, he enjoys torture, but as a villain he never arouses those powerful feelings a bad guy should.
Rob Cohen was always at best a perfunctory director and here he seems to havesimply gone through the motions, ticking off one obligatory scene after another.
Perry gives a surprising performance: he goes against the grain in his usual acting as in the likes of Madea’s Family Reunion (2002) and such low-brow farcesque fare.
Freeman’s Alex Cross had been cool, detached and analytical. Perry is never cool, and is more akin to a man who has turned to the dark side. Thus his character has a degree of added dimensionality but it is very difficult to see how this “origin of” characterisation can be deemed credible.
The supporting cast does not fare any better: Edward Burns is wasted and Jean Reno is simply lazing it out on screen.
The film wants to be slick and cool: cue sexy women into kinky poses, flashy cars and a one-man army killing machine of a villain who seems to know everything.
As a reboot, the producers should have hired a director who has the knack for a thriller or a serial killer movie and cashed out for a decent script. The choices made in this film would give Alex Cross plenty to be cross and analytical about.