When a movie is titled "Along Came a Spider," you expect it to weave a tangled web. However, these expectations are not met, and this film ends up as a bunch of loose ends.
"Spider," adapted from the first of James Patterson's best-selling Alex Cross series, rests on the premise of being a psychological thriller and begins rather promisingly.
Morgan Freeman once again portrays Cross, the same role he played in the 1997 predecessor, "Kiss the Girls." After beginning with a tense and harrowing scene in which Cross's partner dies during a sting gone bad, the movie doesn't let up in intensity -- at least initially.
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Set in Washington, D.C., the story starts in a school for the children of politicians and diplomats. Naturally, the school's grounds are teeming with Secret Service agents, so when one of the teachers, Gary Soneji ("Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'" Michael Wincott), abducts a senator's daughter, Megan Rose (Mika Boorem from "The Patriot"), all hell breaks loose.
While the Feds desperately search for some clue as to what exactly happened, Soneji decides to get the infamous Cross involved in the case. Cross, who has gone into retirement after the earlier "Kiss the Girls" mishap, reluctantly is drawn back to work after Soneji plants some key evidence in his mailbox.
But where would this movie go if it didn't also force another partner down Cross' throat? Secret Service Agent Jezzie Flannigan (Monica Potter from "Patch Adams"), the agent in charge of Megan, naturally feels the need to redeem herself; the only way she can do so is to attach herself to Cross' hip and help him solve the case.
At this point, the movie still is fairly intense, but it soon starts to slip. As "Spider" progresses, too many cracks appear in the storyline.
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Soneji, after such a brilliant start, implausibly makes too many mistakes, not only in his dealings with Megan, but also with Cross. These mistakes unfortunately leave Cross with nothing exceptional to profile, basically destroying the original plot.
Then the plot inexplicably twists, not once, but twice. For those that still want to see this movie, I will not reveal the twists, but suffice it to say that they were bad.
It is apparent that whomever wrote this movie did not attend Screen Writing 101. Whether it was a flaw in Patterson's book or a flaw in the screenplay, the so-called "surprises" destroy whatever is left of the story. Without any hints, clues or foreshadowing of any kind, the viewer is jerked through some sharp turns. By the time the movie is over, one is left wondering what on earth just happened.
But unlike what might take place in a movie like "Sixth Sense," this sense of wonder leaves the viewer not fulfilled, but empty and confused. At no point is an explanation given for what has happened, thus making the departures from the original storyline seem sloppy and thoroughly uninspired.
The acting, however, is not bad. While Potter does not turn in her best performance, her work here is sufficient enough to portray a relatively shallow Fed.
And on the plus side, Wincott does an excellent job as Soneji. He perfectly portrays the narcissistic kidnapper, a man who wants to go down in history as having pulled off the perfect crime. Cold and calculating, yet somehow with human warmth, Wincott inspires both fear and trust in the viewer. Wincott successfully pulls this off, that is, until the story turns him into a bumbling idiot.
Luckily the saving grace of the movie, Freeman, once again convinces viewers of his status as a great actor. In every role ever played, Freeman has brought an elegant, sophisticated air to each movie. Unruffled by just about anything, he is the perfect man to play Cross.
Not only is Cross a crack detective, he is a deeply intelligent man and a best-selling author. Even when working under the greatest of strain, he never breaks a sweat. In the midst of this unbalanced plot, Freeman's steady and unwavering nature fills his role to its max.
It's too bad Freeman's talent alone isn't enough to save this movie. In the end, it is the flawed plot that washes this "Spider" out.
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