Alex Cross - D

Rated PG-13, 101 minutes

Dismal “Alex Cross” is peppered with action, little else

Tyler Perry

When I first saw the trailers for the new action crime film “Alex Cross” I was excited to see comedian Tyler Perry branching out for something different. After seeing it, I still admire Perry for doing something he’s not known for: playing a cop in an action film, though he’s no Morgan Freeman, who originated the role in “Kiss the Girls” and “Along Comes a Spider” in the ‘90s. This dismal, wooden version isn’t entirely his fault, though most will try to pin it on him. Perry is Cross, a police detective and psychologist, who becomes obsessed in tracking a serial killer named Michael “The Butcher” Sullivan (Matthew Fox from “Lost”) after The Butcher kills Cross’s wife. “Alex Cross” is an incoherent, badly directed and scripted film that offers little in terms of character development or tension and relies strictly on its action scenes, which can only carry it so far. Directed by Rob Cohen (“xXx”), the action scenes are serviceable, but everything else is over-the-top and melodramatic. Cohen is likely the wrong choice for this film, and it’s obvious he places little value on acting or characters; while Perry is serviceably bland, Fox is woefully miscast and laughably wrong for this part. Edward Burns (another cop role), Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad”) and Cicely Tyson are among the stellar supporting cast wasted in this effort. James Patterson, who created the Alex Cross character and novels, will likely not be pleased with how this turned out. “Alex Cross” is a rather unfortunate disaster and a mistake to try to resurrect this well-known character. 

 Wes’s Grade: D