Can inflicting pain be called a hobby?

Esposito, John C. McGinney, Stephanie Jacobsen, Werner Daehn, Jean Reno.
Director: Rob Cohen
Cinema: Eastgate
Running time: 98 minutes
Type of film: Urban police seek assassin
Age Restriction: 16

Seeing two films starring a single actor perform entirely convincingly in extremely diverse roles, only two days apart, is the clearest proof of the performer’s talent.

Tyler Perry, 44 years of age, born in America’s Deep South, known formerly as the creator of the cross-sexual roles in the “Madea” series, has, with this film, entered my Pantheon of super- stars. Taking a familiar plot, that of a crazed killer, picking off what appear to be undistinguished urban dwellers, and keeping the viewer on the edge of his seat, is no easy matter.

The 47-year-old actor Mathew Fox, born in America’s Wild West State of Wyoming, formerly unknown to this reviewer, has, in this film, returned, after a long absence, to Detroit, in the State of Michigan, in America’s Midwest; the home of the Ford Motor Company. His aim is to seek revenge for what he considers childhood wrongs perpetrated against him. He concludes perhaps logically that if the police choose to get in his way, they, too, must perish.

Tyler Perry, as “Dr Alex Cross,” is a noted member of that city’s police force, who heads the team that customarily tackles cases where, it is felt, psychological urges are motivating the killer.

And so, before the film has advanced beyond its early stages,, the beloved (pregnant) wife of this highly regarded member of the police establishment, is murdered by Picasso (Mathew Fox).

It should be noted that this film is notable in that this villain, Picasso, is a man of extraordinary talents. Unattractive physically, he had been presented to us, initially, as a superstar, winner and as a prize fighter. There may indeed be those who feel that he steals this film.

Heading a super sleuth department of the police, Alex Cross (Perry) is aided by his sidekick, the long absent from the screen Edward Burns. Commonly, in such films, the audience is kept abreast of “where-we’re-going” by the dialogue between two principals.

A major cut above the typical “cops ‘n’ robbers” films which were at one time Hollywood’s major output, this film presents the attentive viewer with a sequential, realistic plot which will keep him alert for “what’s-coming-next.”