Alex Cross

A homicide detective (Tyler Perry) investigates the work of a torturer and killer (Matthew Fox), which causes him, his wife (Carmen Ejogo) and his detective team (Edward Burns, Rachel Nichols) to become targets. Author James Patterson’s character, played twice before by Morgan Freeman, is taken over by Perry in an apparent effort to break out of the Madea trap he’s been in for so long. He does reasonably well and is supported by a reasonably good cast (Cicely Tyson, John C. McGinley and Jean Reno are also along). Unfortunately, the movie itself is pretty slapdash. Marc Moss and Kerry Williamson’s script junks most of Patterson’s plot without coming up with a very good one, and they change the locale from Washington, D.C., to Detroit to take advantage of General Motors product placement. Rob Cohen directs with a heavy hand.