Precocious kids, computers, and a famous kidnapping figure into this elaborate thriller set in Washington, D.C. A guilt-ridden detective (Morgan Freeman) and his Secret Service partner (Monica Potter) try to catch a psycho who abducts the child of a prominent family. The film is aimed at viewers who like crime puzzles and mind games. There's lots of action and dark suspense.
The film's underlying concept is fascinating and clever. But the screenplay overlays the ingenious concept with implausible, and at times confusing, plot twists. After my second viewing I still had unanswered questions.
The screenplay had another weakness. At least seven times, it used TV news coverage of the abduction to advance the plot. Relying on TV news reporting is a stale and tiresome plot device that detracts from any film, in my opinion. Here, its repetitiveness made it even more irritating.
The film's characters were not particularly interesting. Freeman's Alex Cross was dull and plodding; Potter's Jezzie Flannigan was nasal and humorless. And the melodramatic music was manipulative and too loud.
"Along Came A Spider" does have entertainment value, derived from its suspenseful action, and cloak and dagger intrigue, enhanced by excellent cinematography and good set design. I just wish that the film's screenplay had been as clever as the concept upon which the screenplay was based.
The film's underlying concept is fascinating and clever. But the screenplay overlays the ingenious concept with implausible, and at times confusing, plot twists. After my second viewing I still had unanswered questions.
The screenplay had another weakness. At least seven times, it used TV news coverage of the abduction to advance the plot. Relying on TV news reporting is a stale and tiresome plot device that detracts from any film, in my opinion. Here, its repetitiveness made it even more irritating.
The film's characters were not particularly interesting. Freeman's Alex Cross was dull and plodding; Potter's Jezzie Flannigan was nasal and humorless. And the melodramatic music was manipulative and too loud.
"Along Came A Spider" does have entertainment value, derived from its suspenseful action, and cloak and dagger intrigue, enhanced by excellent cinematography and good set design. I just wish that the film's screenplay had been as clever as the concept upon which the screenplay was based.