Review of Alex Cross (2012) by Indiefilmlover — 21 Oct 2012

In a departure from his previous efforts, Tyler Perry tries his hand as an action star in "Alex Cross" with mixed results. Playing the title role, Perry gives a credible if unremarkable performance. Just like his previous performances in his own films in non-Medea roles, his acting lacks range, subtlety or depth. Rather than create a nuanced performance Perry indicates his character's emotional state through obvious gestures such as nose flaring and tearing of the eyes. On the story front, "Alex Cross" is a generic buddy cop film with Edward Burns as his partner. As typical of buddy cop films they are an exercise in contrasts. Perry is the sensitive family man that's not afraid of showing his emotional side while Burns is the macho ladies man. Much of their exchanges involve banter along predictable lines. Perhaps the best thing about the movie is Matthew Fox as the main villain. A complete sociopath, his character is the perfect antagonist for the emotional Perry. For fans of action films, Perry's Cross might be a little too much in touch with his feminine side. Also, Perry, while a big guy, lacks the athleticism to make his more physical scenes interesting. This is the most evident in a climatic fight scene. It is shot in a very stylized way as if to hide Perry's lack of brawling skills.

With the exception of one particularly gruesome torture scene, the PG-13 rated "Alex Cross" is pretty tame for an action film. Tyler Perry fans aside, "Alex Cross" is best for video and only after other choices have been exhausted.