Alex Cross - Review

Alex Cross
(2012)
Action | Crime | Mystery
1 hr. 41 min.

Rated: PG13 Violence, Nudity, Disturbing Images, Language, Drug References and Sexual Content What parents need to know
Grade: C-

Director: Rob Cohen
Writers: Marc Moss (screenplay), Kerry Williamson (novel 'Cross'), James Patterson
Stars: Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox and Rachel Nichols | See full cast and crew


Alex Cross follows the young homicide detective/psychologist (Tyler Perry), from the worldwide best-selling novels by James Patterson, as he meets his match in a serial killer (Matthew Fox). The two face off in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, but when the mission gets personal, Cross is pushed to the edge of his moral and psychological limits in this taut and exciting action thriller. -- (C) Lionsgate 

I admit I have never read a James Patterson novel, so I came in with no preconception for this film. I was eager to see Tyler Perry do something other than his Madea characters. Critics have been extremely harsh on everyone involved in this film. I didn't love the movie but hate it either.

 

It is a very formulaic serial killer movie, but then I am assuming that would be the case with most of Patterson's novels. He does seem to churn them out with the regularity of a conveyor belt. How could they not be formulaic? The question is can a script be artfully crafted and directed with competent actors and production personnel into something that we just enjoy and don't get hung up on the formula. Does Alex Cross accomplish that goal...well, no, not really. Do you enjoy the plethora of crime dramas on TV?

If you do you will probably be satisfied with Alex Cross. I must admit that I was very often distracted by blatant product placement (mostly GM cars) and by the host city...Detroit, what a disgrace!  To see the skeletal remains of a once great city brought to the edge of the open grave by an unholy alliance of greedy union bullying and socialist philosophy looting. It is simply mind boggling, but that is and entirely different discussion for another time. Meanwhile back at the theater, if I found myself drifting off on such tangents then I guess the filmmakers came up a bit short of accomplishing their goals.

Tyler Perry is, I guess, OK as Alex Cross but I found myself awestruck at the banality of his 'profiling' monologues, certainly the script isn't meaty enough for any real character development beyond general stereotypes. Incidentally, while we're speaking of stereotypes, when is someone going to find Cicely Tyson a role for which she worthy? In this film she is reduced to playing the stereotypical stern, one dimensional, sage black grandmother. What a pathetic waste of talent. She does the best she can with what she has been given but you can't anchor an entire film with one great actor in a bit part.

Fellow detectives Tommy Kane (Edward Burns) and Monica Ashe (Rachel Nichols) are cardboard cutouts,  Police Chief Richard Bookwell (John C. McGinley) appears entirely miscast and unconvincing, and the villainous Picasso (Matthew Fox) is an over the top psychopath. All of the characters are written paper thin.

Another negative check for the film is in its resolution, it appears to suggests that even for cops at times it's justifiable to pursue morally questionable methods, to take matters into their own hands, to circumvent the law in search of personal vengeance. On the plus side of things, at least we aren't bombarded with 'F' words throughout the film as in the recently released End of Watch, an element which made that film almost unbearable to sit through, it certainly sullied any positive messages.

Alex Cross debuted in fourth place to an estimated $4.01 million from 2,539 locations, trailing Paranormal Activity 4 ($15 million) Argo ($5.09 million) and Taken 2 ($4.25 million). That's lower than Daddy's Little Girls ($4.58 million), which previously held the record for worst opening day for a movie Tyler Perry was associated with.

Considering the reception this film is getting from the critics across the board and the low box office showing, Tyler Perry had better not hang up his Madea dresses. I don't see a sequel in the future.

Cast

Tyler Perry             Matthew Fox

Alex Cross                            Picasso

John C. McGinley        Edward Burns           Rachel Nichols

Richard Bookwell                Tommy Kane                 Monica Ashe

Carmen Ejogo           Cicely Tyson

  Maria Cross                   Nana Mama

Taken 2 - Review

Taken 2
(2012)
Action | Crime | Drama
91 min.

Rated: PG-13 Violence, Language (what parents should know)
Grade: B

Director: Olivier Megaton
Writers: Luc Besson (screenplay), Robert Mark Kamen (screenplay)
Stars: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace | See full cast and crew

Taken: Former government agent Bryan Mills has retired and attempts to reassemble his old life, after years of overseas employment have left him estranged from his teenage daughter. But when she is kidnapped while in Europe, Bryan must revert to his old skill set to rescue her before she disappears forever. -- (C) Official Site

 

If you saw and enjoyed Taken, you can expect more of the same from Liam Neeson, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. This time around we have a new director, Olivier Megaton (Is that a made up name?), who does not quite have the same finesse as Taken's director, fellow countryman Pierre Morel (The Transporter [2002] and Transporter 2 [2005]). Speaking of the previous film, its writers,  Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen (who teamed up on The Fifth Element and  Transporter  2) have returned to work their magic on Taken 2. Unfortunately they fall into the sophomore slump just a little. Most critics have been quite harsh on the writers and especially the director but so far the audience reaction has been very favorable.

I thought the film started out a little sluggish as it tried to get into a little character development (paper thin as it is) but of course had it started out rip-roaring with action one would complain that it was one long chase scene with out a story, a trap many action films fall into. This film is a less violent, more sympathetic sequel but still delivers the thrills.

The Istanbul sets were very gritty and interesting.

One year after the events in Paris in Taken (2008), Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) while working in Istanbul,  gets a surprise visit from his ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen) and his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). Their reunion takes a sudden turn for the worse when he and  his wife are taken by people working for the revenge seeking Murad Hoxha (Rade Šerbedžija), the employer of the men who were working in the Paris building where Kim's friend, Amanda, was found dead in the previous film, Taken.

Murad is the father of the white-slave trader, Marko Hoxha, whom Bryan killed in Paris in the process of rescuing Kim. Bryan manages to escape but Lenore is still being held hostage, Kim on the run and now Bryan must utilize all his 'special set of skills' to rescue both of them and eliminate any who are seeking revenge against him.

Cast

 Liam Nesson          Famke Janssen

Bryan Mills                     Lenore Mills

   Maggie Grace      Rade Serbedzija

       Kim Mills               Murad Krasniqi