Alex Cross

Alex Cross could have been a good film, especially considering it’s based on a fairly popular book series that could have led to an interesting film franchise. I must admit I hope that doesn’t happen. Alex Cross isn't horrifically bad, but what they did with the main character is utterly ridiculous. The protagonist should be someone you root for, someone you believe in, someone who is different in a certain way, on the side of good, and should possess some skills. At least Alex Cross is described in such a way that he should have certain abilities. If he does, I don't know what they are. As a psychologist, he doesn't inspire much confidence in me; his genius deduction about where the killer might be hiding is completely unfounded, merely serving to show that Alex is indeed a great guy. At that moment, the film lost all credibility for me. This is during the scene where Matthew Fox prepares for the assassination on the train. That’s a good scene. Matthew Fox delivers an excellent performance in this film and was the only positive aspect. He plays a truly outstanding lunatic. The only downside is that he’s too much of a lunatic, lacking any redeeming qualities, which is a shame. He’s too black and white, not gray or nuanced. Such clear character delineation is unfortunate. He’s just another crazy person among many, but for those few moments, I genuinely enjoyed him, and he was the only reason to watch this film. (2013.03.04)