Alex Cross Directed by: Rob Cohen Starring: Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox, Rachel Nichols Rating: PG-13 Release Date: October 19, 2012
TRAILER SCORE: 5/10
Thoughts by TSR: I’ve never seen a Tyler Perry film, but I always assumed he’d be more charismatic. While this probably isn’t the ideal first impression – surely a Madea film would be better – his work here looks very standard. He’s intense enough when saying, “I will meet his soul at the gates of Hell before I let him take a person that I love from me,” but I wish he popped a bit more. Admittedly, that’s a tough task considering Matthew Fox went certifiably insane for his role as Picasso. Fox bounces between effectively menacing and hilariously over the top, sometimes within the same scene. I liked the beginning of the phone conversation, but a moment later I was chuckling as he said, “By the way, you have a very pretty wife. She looks STUNNING!”
Still, Fox is the only aspect that seems to have any energy at all, something a film like this sorely needs. Even the action is exactly what I’d expect from director Rob Cohen. It looks competent, sure, but none of what is shown here is memorable. Wait, I take that back. The first explosion is memorable, but that’s only because of the poor CGI used to create it.
Matthew Fox’s involvement has always been the main selling point for me (other than a bit of curiosity about Tyler Perry), so this underwhelming trailer delivers just enough that I’m still likely to see the film. I’d prefer to be watching Jack Shepherd facing off against the Smoke Monster, but seeing him go full-on crazy might help make Alex Cross a passably entertaining take on the formula.