‘Alex Cross’ is Further Proof that Tyler Perry Should Stop Making Movies
Battleship dumbfounded audiences with its stupidity, Project X with its hateful misogyny, and The Lucky One with its pervasive sentimentality. Based on a best-selling series of novels by James Patterson, Alex Cross commits the sin of treating its adult audience like a group of toddlers who just awoke from naptime.
Issue being, the roles are reversed: here we’re the wide-eyed and observant spectators watching this hazy, confused, and disastrous display of action filmmaking awaken, then implode, and ultimately explode in a fiery pit of hackneyed cinema.
Set in Detroit, Alex Cross (Tyler Perry) is a prophetic homicide detective pushed to his limits when a masochist sociopath takes the Motor city by storm. The ex-military murderer named Picasso (Matthew Fox) proclaims “inflicting pain” is a part of his “calling” in life. Amid painting, poisoning, and torturing, the psychopath – without any clear rhyme or reason – targets an international financier who wants to rebuild Detroit.
Called to investigate and hunt down the criminal, Cross and partner Tommy Kane (Edward Burns) run into some trouble when Picasso proves to be their greatest threat to date. Both detectives, through a series of graphic death sequences, broach their own moral and physical limits.
Alex Cross is grim and gritty, relentless in its dark portrayal of one man succumbed by insanity, the other on the brink of it. For the opening half hour, director Rob Cohen (responsible for Fast and the Furious andThe Skulls) provides some wonderfully entertaining moments – almost convincing us that these characters are worthy of our time.
The film’s momentary satisfaction is quickly squandered when Alex Cross’ objective(s) becomes clear: another vehicle for Tyler Perry to please his audience (who apparently are ardent enough viewers for the aforementioned star to keep making movies and T.V. shows).
Perry, similar to a Tom Cruise or a Will Smith (though they’re much more talented), can never quite inhabit a role. You don’t see Alex Cross, the commanding law-enforcer on screen, but Tyler Perry, the actively straining and ungifted actor.
Terrible things happen to our protagonist and his family – not that any of it carries much weight. Screenwriters Marc Moss and Kerry Williamson clearly placed their emphasis on unintelligible shoot em up’ action sequences over character or thematic development. There’re some nifty gadgets and garish firepower in Alex Cross, but hardly any substance. If the combat sequences were created to dismay and perplex the audience with its hyper-editing tactics and hand-held camerawork, they succeeded.
There’s some minute subtext in the dichotomy between seeking justice and providing revenge. Are the two interchangeable? The “eye for an eye” approach seems to be at play in Alex Cross – in which our protagonist decides to personally hunt down this methodical killer who has brutally taken away someone he loves.
Though, much like the ferocious act of redemption, Alex Cross is ultimately both unsettling and unsatisfying. Cohen and Perry desperately want us to respect their story – but never does the film take time to respect its audience.
I’m sure that’s a punishable crime in utopia. I can already envision Perry and company’s prison sentence: life in Hollywood without ever making a motion picture again. It’d be a joyous public service for all.
One star out of four
D
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9 Comments
Good review Sam. It’s typical cop-movie, that doesn’t do much with it’s plot or it’s talent involved, it just meanders along an obvious, conventional line.
Ugh. I’ve thought about seeing this a couple of times because I have a MoviePass and I’ve worked my way through just about ever other option. Then I read more and more reviews like this one and it just confirms my dread.
I have never seen a Tyler Perry film, and until I convinced otherwise, I will continue this trend. But without a doubt, that isn’t going to stop him from making films year in and year out.
Sorry to disagree but you missed why this one was bad. and that reason isn’t Tyler Perry…it’s the director Rob Cohen.
Perry actually did a solid job as the character. The fault laid with the screenwriting and misdirection. Don’t mistake me, I’m not a big fan of Tyler Perry’s movies (as a matter of fact, I usually despise them…please check out my post: http://wp.me/pWaTa-3eO) but, i was glad to see Perry venture out and this movie proved that he has the ability to grow and be more than Madea. I hope that he doesn’t stop with this and starts to experiment and find another niche that expands his filmmaking ability.
Granted, the movie is bad, but it wasn’t Perry’s fault. I failed to see why James Patterson’s novels were so popular after how they were represented here, and the translation from words to screen was not well done at all. But I gotta stick up for Perry here and applaud his attempt at something different. I encourage him to continue if not only for the sheer reason for Madea movies to end!
I understand your view though, just had to say something. sorry it was wordy
Cohen’s direction was also awful and misguided. But I didn’t miss that — I still believe Tyler Perry is at the root of this film (a horrendous one at that).
My analysis is as subjective as yours. The character was run-of-the-mill (the fault of poor screenwriting), but Perry did nothing to elevate Alex Cross (the character and movie).
I’ve seen dozens of films with middling screenplays and hackneyed direction, that is then saved by a true talented actor or actress. Tyler Perry, at least in my eyes, is neither worth our time, money, or energy in front or behind the camera.
I will agree with u in that Perry didn’t elevate Alex Cross, but gotta give him a shot…it’s the first time he’s been the lead in a movie that he didn’t write, direct, and produce. So, there’s some leeway to be given for that.
You’re right. but (and trust me, I’m usually never at Perry’s defense if you saw my post), I am glad to see Perry come out of his comfort zone (which previously was only through one little stint in Star Trek) and I hope that he grows to be the actor that the character Alex Cross deserves and that varying audiences want to see.
Matthew Fox was way worse in this film, and seemed to be the bigger flaw in terms of characters/actors, don’t you think? (great discussion btw)
Note to self – look out for Tyler Perry on the movie poster…then avoid the film.
He makes it easy to spot, his name is featured in all of the credits on the poster if you look closely enough.
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