Tuesday, February 12, 2013

DVD Review - "Alex Cross"


"Alex Cross" (2012)

Staring: Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox, Rachel Nichols

Synopsis: (Courtesy IMDB) A homicide detective is pushed to the brink of his moral and physical limits as he tangles with a ferociously skilled serial killer who specializes in torture and pain.

       When I first saw the trailer for "Alex Cross" I will admit, I was drawn right in.  It was not because I was a fan of the novels, at this point I had never read them. It was simply the performance I was seeing from Matthew Fox.

       However, after it was released, the reviews began tanking and it quickly dropped out of the theaters to sit in the long waiting line for the DVD release.

       Well after snatching this up for a weekend viewing, I can say.... was it great? No.  Was it enjoyable? Yes.  I think this is a film that suffers from reviews that are not entirely true.

        Let's start with the story.  "Alex Cross" is a prequel to the 1997 and 2001 films "Kiss the Girls" and "Along Came a Spider" and is based on the James Paterson novel "Cross."  So, saying that the outcome is predictable is not entirely fair.  If you saw the other films, it's going to be predictable.  The story follows Detective Dr. Alex Cross (Perry), a Detroit Homicide Detective, who is brought in on a case to help track and capture a serial killer known as the Picasso Killer (Fox).  As the investigation continues, the killer begins a personal cat and mouse game with Alex, that begins to take some serious personal turns. The story is decent and does still contain a few surprises to keep your attention.

        Tyler Perry, better known for his cross-dressing role as Madea, is bearable as Alex Cross.  His performance gets the job done but does not do anything special to elevate the film.  What really lifts this from a bad to decent film is the performance by Matthew Fox.  Fox's role as the Picasso Killer is fantastic.  Fox perfects every line, every tick, and every bit of body language to give the killer a real deranged creepy feel.  Fox is the glue that holds this film together and makes it work.

         If you are a fan of the novels, or of detective cat and mouse stories, check this one out.  However, do not look for this to become a successful franchise, unless they can can find a lead actor that can raise the level of the story.



I give "Alex Cross" 3 out of 5 Picasso drawings:  












A DVD review by: Cinema Reelz
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