As a fan of the "Alex Cross" books by James Patterson, I was excited to watch the newest film adaptation of the character. I also like Tyler Perry (Diary of a Mad Black Woman). People often think of him as a one-trick, cross-dressing pony, but he is a smart guy who plays the game well (he is, after all, the most well-paid individual in Hollywood.I particularly liked Tyler Perry in the role for two reasons: (1) I wanted him to prove himself as a multitalented star (and prove me right!) and (2) he fits the physical description of Cross more closely than Morgan Freeman ever did in previous Alex Cross adaptations Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider.
Unfortunately, Alex Cross was not the film I hoped it to be, nor did Perry prove himself as much as I wanted him to. The story, which establishes events preceding any of the books, was predictable and lacked the fluidity needed to maintain momentum, making it feel more like an episode of CSI.
Tyler Perry worked well with the script he was given, but still failed to reach a strength of depth within the character to elevate the shoddy screenplay. The only person involved in the film who met (and then exceeded) my expectations was Matthew Fox (Lost) as the deranged serial killer. Not only did Fox really transform himself physically for the role, but also gave himself the nuances and nervous ticks to create a villain that was actually creepy and threatening.Overall, Alex Cross was a decent film, but not the movie it could have been due to a pretty lame story and a failure to reach the full potential of Tyler Perry as an action star, which I do still believe is there. Here’s hoping the planned sequel is made and greatly exceeds this lackluster reboot.
The Final Word: Wait to rent it.
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