Cast of Alex Cross: Matthew Fox, Tyler Perry, Rachel Nichols, Edward Burns |
Alex Cross surprised me, as I assume it did most.
We don’t see Tyler Perry much outside of the Madea movies,
and that’s why movie goers were unsure if Tyler Perry could hold us in an action
thriller, playing Alex Cross. Well he did.
Alex Cross was a pretty good movie, but had one plot hole
(which I will get to in a minute).
Matthew Fox played the villain “Picasso” in this movie, and
he did an excellent job. He trimmed down for this role, leaning down to all
muscle, playing a sociopath ex-military killer that enjoys torturing people.
Picasso first enters a secret fight club, held in a former
church building, and bets $10,000 on himself. He beats the opponent, while
eyeing an Asian woman who is watching the event.
She takes him to her home, which is protected by armed
guards. He sneaks his gun in because it is inside his shoe. He injects the Asian
woman with a drug, and kills the guards. He then returns to torture her, so he
can find out her computer password. He stayed at her residence long enough to
draw a Picasso-like charcoal picture of her, and left it behind at the crime
scene.
Alex Cross deduces that this is the work of one man, not a
gang.
Let’s backtrack for a minute.
Actor Edward Burns plays Alex Cross’ best friend, Thomas
Kane. It is revealed early on that Thomas Kane is having a physical relationship
with a female member in the unit, Monica Ashe (played by Rachel Nichols). You
may recognize her from her role as Scarlett in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
Thomas is unsure that he is ready to tell Alex that he is in
a relationship with Monica; however Alex is able to tell the moment that he
picks Thomas up in his Suburban.
Picasso then breaks into a large corporation in downtown
Detroit, as Alex, Thomas, and Monica are investigating a lead left behind by
Picasso. The elegant waterfall water slows and then stops. The German guards
are flabbergasted, since nothing like that has ever happened before. They weren’t
going to let Alex or his team in the building, but this emergency prompts them
to figure out what is going on.
Meanwhile, Picasso is traveling up the water pipe in a lean
scuba outfit. He is trying to get to the CEO’s office. When the power goes
down, Alex takes a shotgun and looks around for Picasso. Thomas and Monica
guard the CEO, until he hits a panic button, slamming down a large steel door.
Monica is shut out, and Thomas is trapped in the room with the CEO, who swears
it can only be opened from the outside by security guards. Thomas threatens
him, until he re-opens the door. Alex has another encounter with Picasso,
catching him off guard. Picasso lays down his gun but ejects a mine from his
belt.
It blows up, blasting Monica through a window onto a large
conference table. Alex took cover under a conference desk.
Picasso gets away, and learns the identity of Alex, Thomas,
and Monica.
Monica returns to her apartment. Picasso is waiting. He uses
her phone to call Alex, who is eating out with his pregnant wife. Picasso says
he is not impressed with Alex’s tie, which says he is watching Alex. Alex
scrambles to protect his wife, who is seating outside, but it is too late.
Picasso shoots her with a scoped rifle.
Stop here. Alex Cross takes a vengeance on Picasso from this
point on.
But, one major hole now looms in the movie.
Monica is still missing.
The movie carries on. There is a funeral for Alex’s wife.
They continue to follow leads, but there is not another mention of Monica over
a period of days. For all we know, she is dead.
Alex Cross was better than I thought, but I couldn’t help
but wonder why they never found Monica, or revealed that she was found and is
okay.