Movie review: "Alex Cross"
BY NOUR HABIB World Scene Writer
Saturday, October 20, 2012
10/20/12 at 5:33 AM
"Alex Cross," Tyler Perry's latest movie, is a step up from his last two films.
The slow pace of "Good Deeds" and the repetitiveness of "Madea's Witness Protection" are gone with this fast-action crime thriller that will keep you glued to your seat till the very end.
The suspense-laden film follows Detroit police detective Alex Cross, played by Perry, as he tries to capture and stop a psychotic assassin who seems to be out to kill a high-profile businessman and his associates. When Cross and his team thwart one of his assassination attempts, he adds them to his hit list.
Matthew Fox, of "Lost" fame, plays the role of the assassin who tortures his victims to death and takes pleasure in their pain.
When the killings personally touch Cross and his partner, played by Edward Burns, the pair vows revenge, no matter what it takes.
There's plenty of gun-shooting and punch-swinging in this film, along with a few torture scenes that may leave you queasy. But, as a PG-13 movie, the images show you just enough to let the disturbing factor come from what you imagine in your head, rather than what's actually on screen.
Cross is based on a character in a series of crime novels written by James Patterson. Morgan Freeman played the role of Cross in "Kiss the Girls" (1997) and "Along Came a Spider" (2001). Compared to his own performances in recent films, Perry gives us a well-done portrayal of a tough, sharp cop who's also a loving husband and father.
Fox gives a great performance. Constantly cracking his neck and stabbing knives into pictures of his targets, Fox shows sudden angry outbursts that are perfect for the role of a nutty yet shrewd killer.
Some lame dialogue and special effects do make their way into this movie, directed by Rob Cohen ("The Fast and the Furious," "Dragonheart") and written by Marc Moss and Kerry Williamson.
The fires, explosions and bodies flying through the air are not realistic enough, and the back-and-forth between Cross and his partner is not sharp enough. But, after all, there's really not much time to worry about such things when there's a psychotic killer on the loose.
'ALEX CROSS'
Cast: Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox, Rachel Nichols, Edward Burns
Theaters: Promenade, Cinemark Tulsa, Cinemark Broken Arrow, RiverWalk, Owasso, Eton Square, Sand Springs, Moviestar Cinema, Starworld 20
Running time: 1 hour, 41 minutes
Rated: PG-13 (for violence including disturbing images, sexual content, language, drug references, and nudity)
Quality: 
(on a scale of zero to four stars)
Original Print Headline: Tyler Perry takes charge in 'Alex Cross'
Nour Habib 918-581-8369
nour.habib@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Tyler Perry, playing Detroit police detective Alex Cross, holds a suspect at gunpoint in a scene
from “Alex Cross.” COURTESY/Comingsoon.net
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