Along Came a Spider

Morgan Freeman is just one of those actors who brings an extra degree of class and intelligence to all of his movie characters. In his now recurring role as Detective Alex Cross, this is a special boon. Alex Cross is the perfect detective; he has literally written the book on criminal profiling.

In Along Came a Spider, he meets the perfect villain, Gary Soneji. Played by the gravel voiced Michael Wincott, Soneji has been plotting his crime for years. His kidnapping of a Megan, a U.S. senator's preteen daughter, involves sophisticated disguises, expensive computer equipment, and a commitment of several years of his life to his cover as a teacher at the girl's school.

What's more, Soneji has researched Alex Cross. He has read his books, anticipated Cross's moves, and hopes to use Cross in order to complete his crime and gain worldwide infamy - you see, he's a Lindbergh kidnapping fanatic. Here's the catch. In Along Came a Spider, Alex Cross is perfect. He knows what the villain is thinking. There is no clue too minuscule. He even knows when the villain is deliberately leading him astray. He knows that the villain knows that he knows, etc…

Sound too hard to swallow? It may be for realists who don't think elaborate picture puzzles have a place in crime solving. Otherwise, the film is slick, attractive, and engrossing. Directed by Lee Tamahori (Once Were Warriors, "The Sopranos") Spider opens with a bang. In an intense undercover sting, the life and death stakes of Cross's workday are established. Unfortunately, the film stalls between action sequences.

Despite fine supporting performances, the tangled story slows the pace of the film. Introducing characters that may have been pivotal in the original novel by James Patterson seems unnecessary here. Most likely, Tamahori couldn't bear to take screen time away from actors like Michael Moriarity and Penelope Ann Miller, who give strong performances as the kidnapped girl's parents. As an unctuous FBI agent in charge of the kidnapping, Dylan Baker is the only person present who does not bow down immediately to Cross.

As Secret Service agent Jezzie Flannigan, Cross's self-appointed new partner in the kidnapping investigation, Monica Potter gets a chance to play a range of emotions. In a less than thrilling assignment as a guard to the kidnapped girl's prestigious school, she, too, is aware of Alex Cross's expertise, and joins forces with him in order to catch Soneji. As with all of the characters, there is more to Agent Flannigan than meets the eye, and Potter seems to relish the chance to play more than the pretty girl.

In one of Spider's many twists, the most pivotal female character is the kidnapped girl, played by Mika Boorem. Megan does more to foil Soneji than all of the adults combined. That said, if you are able to believe in the perfect villain, detective, and kidnap victim, and repeated plot twists don't make you dizzy, Along Came a Spider is an enjoyable ride.

- Photo copyright: Paramount Pictures.