For
the first time Tyler Perry doesn’t produce, direct and/or write the
screenplay though he should have. He is a ‘hired gun’ as the title
player in the new movie “Alex Cross” possibly looking for a franchise to
take it easy every 3 or 4 movies. Compared to other actions pictures is
no better, no worse. Compared to other action actors Perry comes across
as an able fighter and much smarter, though how he figures out so many
things, in spite of a sharp scene with his wife, than most.

The
major objection to this film, even from people not familiar with Tyler
Perry’s pictures, is the violence. The screenwriters, Mark Moss and
Kerry Williamson, plus the director, Rob Cohen, push the movie over the
PG-13 rating though that’s what it gets. It starts with our villain in
one of those no bars hold cage fights followed by a woman being
murdered, having her fingers sliced off.  Matthew Fox is Picasso, or the
Butcher of Sligo, who gets off torturing people and our psychiatrist
police detective sees right through and ahead of him. As the villain Fox
is scary and physically impressive.

Cross’s
partner and best friend since childhood, Thomas Kane, played by Edward
Burns, is charismatic and more than believable. Maria Cross, Alex’s
wife, played by Carmen Ejog, is a beauty and is responsible for the one
touching scene in the movie as is Janelle, played by Yara Shahidi, as
their daughter. Cicely Tyson, as Alex’s mother who lives with the
family, would probably have had a better role and certainly better lines
if Perry had written the screenplay. John C. McGinl, as the police
chief, has one of the most ridiculous lines heard in a movie in a long
time.

The
biggest mistake the director and the director of photography, Ricardo
Della Rosa, both must take the blame for is the climax is hard to see,
let alone know who is doing what to whom and we are dealing with a Black
man and White man in the scene.

Tyler
Perry certainly doesn’t disgrace himself as the hero, psychiatrist and
detective but the script does let him down. Maybe in the sequel, and
there should be one if action and Tyler fans come out to support him in
this first for his career, he will write the screenplay.