KISS THE GIRLS

INTRODUCTION: The second feature (always the hardest) from "Things to do in Denver when your Dead" director Gary Fleder is an adaptation of the second novel of James Pattersons Alex Cross Trilogy (The 4th book in the series to be published soon). Following the adventures of Alex Cross a member of that new breed of hero the Forensic Psychologist. 

In this age of paranoia and mistrust when you cant trust the police or journalists, the forensic psychologist and pathologist seem to be rising up to take the mantle of the investigative hero. If only Id been able to predict this strange turn of events six years ago when I was studying for my Psychology A level I might of followed an entirely different career route or at least of studied and got a decent grade. 

SYNOPSIS: Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) is forced to leave his beloved Washington DC and head south, when his niece falls victim to a menace stalking the North Carolina research triangle. Calling himself Casanova this menace is a serial killer with a difference, he doesnt kill anyone, well okay he does but only when its absolutely necessary you understand. Casanova is a collector building up a harem of brilliant and beautiful girls. Cross is aided in his investigation by Kate McTiernan (Ashley Judd) the only one of Casanovas victims to escape. 

REVIEW: The girls arent the only thing butchered in this movie, despite an immense amount of charm and intelligence James Pattersons best-selling novel can not survive the brutal slashing pen of a deranged screenwriter. Gone is the Romantic sub-plot between Kate and Alex doubtless due to the insurmountable age difference between the two leads. Gone is the twinning theory, the psychological lynch-pin in the novels intelligent plot. Gone are any elements of wit, originality or logic. In there place we have a bog standard action movie of its genre. 

Freeman excels as always in the lead role although he is perhaps a little old for the part. Freeman is a great actor and almost succeeds in proving to the audience that hes not merely reprising his role from "Se7en". Judd puts in a gutsy performance that marks her out as one of the up and coming actresses of the year. Following years of minor roles in movies such as "Heat", guest star roles in TV series like Star Trek: The Next Generation, and being the lesser known sister of a Country and Western singer this will hopefully be her breakthrough role. The rest of the cast are instantly forgettable, including Casanova himself, which is a shame because as always a menacing killer is essential for this sort of film to generate any degree of tension or excitement. 

An atrocious opening sequence prepares the way for the rest of the film, starting with a contrived scene not in the book that shows us what a different breed of hero Cross is when he talks a woman out of committing suicide. The pace is fast and the thrills are often but ultimately thats all there is to this film. It is a serious disappointment that Fleder the man who turned the gangster movie on its head should produce such a run of the mill serial killer flick. Particularly when films like "Scream" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" are doing to the that genre, what "Things to do in Denver" did to the gangster movie. 

This movie often seems to be going out of its way to prove that its not "Se7en" it succeeds. 

Mutts Rating: **

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