User Reviews

The plot starts out in a very straight-forward manner: a man with an ambition to become criminal legend kidnaps the daughter of a congressman right out from under the nose of the FBI. He then sends a note and a sneaker of the girl to Detective Alex Cross, hence forcing him out of his self-inflicted isolation, the reasons of which are explained in the opening scene. Along with the FBI agent who was in charge of security at the scene of the crime, he follows the clues laid out by the kidnapper in order to find the girl. And so the story goes.

The kidnapper is portrayed by the always formidable Michael Wincott, the best serial villain on that side of the Atlantic. He should have the Best Supporting Role awards piled up in his attic. Alex Cross, whom we remember from "Kiss the Girls", and portrayed by Morgan Freeman, is just the kind of cop you like best: sincere, sympathetic, intelligent, thorough and committed. Monica Potter features as the FBI agent determined to redeem herself after she let the kidnapper escape.

This may not be a blockbuster, but this solid and underrated thriller delivers what so few of them have to offer these days: a final plot twist that genuinely surprises. It shall not be revealed here.

Crime story-wise, this was nothing extraordinary but was a pretty solid film. He isn't always like this, but Morgan Freeman does best in films where he's the likable hero-cop. He is definitely that in this film although his character, Alex Cross, is a little too sharp for believability. There were just a bit too many "oh, come on's" said by me watching this as Cross would get computer passwords with no trouble, etc. The odds of that happening are millions-to-one but not in the world of films. There were other examples, too, of him figuring out things that were almost impossible.

For a tough modern-day crime story this film, for the most part, was pretty low- key with low profanity and not a lot of gore or overdone action. That was surprising considering the sordid subject matter. The tameness in here, and Freeman, make this a notch (albeit a small one) above the average thriller.

When a senator's daughter gets kidnapped from a exclusive private school by her teacher Gary Soneji, the FBI are called in. However the kidnapper has his own agenda and phones Alex Cross, sucking him into the case even though he has not worked for almost a year due to the guilt he feels over the death of his partner. With the killer leaving him clues, Cross realises that Soneji is after fame and is using him to communicate to the world. Taking on Secret Service agent Jezzie Flannigan as his partner, Cross tries to work out enough about Soneji to profile and catch him.

It has been too many years since I saw Kiss The Girls for me to be able to comment on the quality or lack thereof in the first film but I decided to give this sequel a try anyway. From the opening scene this is pure Hollywood with its clunky CGI and its simplistic plot device of the dead partner and so we continue with a fairly uninspiring thriller that is engaging enough but never does anything that special. It doesn't help that the primetime schedules are full of versions of Alex Cross in TV series mysteries but generally this film just plods its way through a story that isn't "obvious" so much as it is uninspiring. It is an enjoyable enough mystery that is professionally handled but it lacks imagination and flair. The twists come but the film is not exciting enough to prevent the audience from thinking and, in thinking it is easy to rip massive holes in the logic of the whole thing – and thinking a plot is a bit silly doesn't help keep one interested. Tamahori directs without any distinction – he isn't bad but again he doesn't do anything of that much interest.

Instead he sits back and hopes that Morgan Freeman doing Morgan Freeman's "Zen-cool™" will be enough to carry the audience along with the whole affair. Luckily for him this does work to some degree because Freeman on his day could sell shoes to fish. He is solid and professional even if he is underserved by the script. Wincott is good in a role that he could have made more of but instead is controlled and restrained. Potter is blond and dull and is not suited one jot to the role that her character grows into during the film. Baker deserves a bigger role while Miller, Horsford and a few others provide familiar faces.

Overall then an entertaining but uninspired affair that pushes the right buttons but doesn't aspire to anything beyond the genre. The cast and the budget help but the story gets weaker the longer it goes on and although it will do enough for some viewers, it is nothing that special.

A terrific movie. Suspense, thrills and a plot that twists and turns. Detective Alex Cross(Morgan Freeman),on sick leave recovering from the lose of his partner, is called back into action when the daughter of Senator Rose(Michael Moriarty) is kidnapped from her private school. Cross is an expert profiler and is very successful in tracking down elusive criminals.

Michael Wincott plays the savvy kidnapper. Also in the cast are: Monica Potter, Mika Boorem and Dylan Baker. Penelope Ann Miller is the Senator's wife. Very tense mood throughout with Freeman strong and steady. Probably the best acting is turned in by easy on the eye Ms. Potter.

The kidnapper has the detective hurrying to keep pace in the race to save the little girl's life. A surprising twist makes for a very satisfying finale. This thriller is just that.

Overall I enjoyed Along Came a Spider, it wasn't absolutely brilliant, but it sets out to be a good thriller and does that. Even with some plot implausibilities, a so-so performance from Monica Potter and one or two moments of forced pacing, it is well made and suspenseful. The cinematography is skillful and stylish, and the music is nicely done and adds to the suspense. The pace in general is brisk, apart from it being forced on occasions when it tried to fit in too many plot twists, and the story springs from an interesting concept. The script has some very good moments, and the direction is very good. The performances apart from Monica Potter are strong, with Morgan Freeman great as always and Michael Wincott solid as the kidnapper. Mika Boorem shows promise as a blossoming young actress, and Penelope Ann Miller does a very nice job as her mother. Overall, decent thriller, with problems, but carried by its cast primarily. 7/10 Bethany Cox

"Along Came a Spider", with Freeman leading the way as a super sleuth cop who sets about to solve the kidnapping of a Senator's daughter, is strictly Hollywood formula film-making. The flick follows the rules, lacks in creativity, twists and turns a little in the middle, and provides a modicum of entertainment. With the always good Freeman and the always delicious Potter in the foreground, there's little to fault and little to rave about in this middle-of-the-road thriller.

Even if there are a few (and not very important) credibility problems, this movie doesn't make big mistakes: Directing, acting, the plot including a real "WTF"-twist: Everything is fine. And believe me, I have seen a lot of bad thrillers to see: This one is really one of the good ones.

So, if you want to have a nice evening with a good movie: Watch it. You won't get disappointed.

The only thing why I don't give more than seven points: You will enjoy this movie, but you will not keep it in mind. There is no genious moments just a few thrillers of all times have.

But this can't be your expectations. So: Watch it and have a good time.

ALONG CAME A SPIDER / (2001) ** (out of four)

By Blake French:

In 1997, a big year for serial killer movies, Gary Fleder's "Kiss the Girls" enriched the genre with a sense of splendid atmosphere, mystery and intrigue. "Along Came a Spider," based on a novel by James Patterson, is not on that level. It is not really a sequel, but more a continuation of the adventures of Forensic Psychologist Alex Cross. It is a well-made movie with good performances and effective, unexpected plot twists and startling surprises, but so much of it is too conventional. As I watched the film, often spotting ample plot holes, I was astonished at how recycled so many of the scenes were. There is a sequence that has Cross running throughout a busy city during rush hour to deliver a ransom. The killer commands him to race from one location to the next answering pay phones. Gee, we have never seen this idea before.

Morgan Freeman reprises his role as Alex Cross who finds himself in complete grief and remorse after losing a partner during an undercover operation that we see at the beginning of the film. It starts out quick as his time of regret is shattered when he gets a phone call from a killer who just kidnapped the 12 year old daughter of the Senator (Michael Moriarty). We know this man as a school teacher named Mr. Soneji (Michael Wincott). Although under the secret service protection by Jezzie Flannigan (Monica Potter) and Ben Devine (Billy Burke), Soneji devised an articulate plan and now holds the girl captive on his boat.

I dare not reveal any more of the story. There are several ninety degree twists that play games with our mind. However, they are disposable and essentially unneeded, and only rationalize familiar clichés. Some of them are fun, but they seem to crawl out of holes in the plot. As the movie continues, it only becomes more absurd. And it is particularly vulnerable to logic, or perhaps it is just poorly edited. For instance, what if the detectives missed any of the killer's clues? Any given clue? Then what? His entire plan would be shot to hell because each clue he leaves sets the police up for the next one. So I question: why do killers always want to play elaborate cat and mouse games with detectives?

Unlike "Kiss the Girls," "Along Came a Spider" lacks suspense and thrills because there is little tension in its structure. We already know the killer's identity-but do we? The movie certainly ends up on different floors than where I thought it would land, and it works to some extent. I still think the movie could have had some more thrilling moments of suspense and chills instead of indulging in a crime case that is not really all that involving. Actually, we never really care if the killer is caught. Since the film's villain is so much more interesting than the good guys, I was actually rooting for him in some scenes. When the girl tries to escape from Soneji, I was hoping she would be caught, because I wanted Soneji to lay down more puzzle pieces for Cross.

There are nice moments here, effective scenes of action. Morgan Freeman is a little too calm and collected for such an intense situation, though. Monica Porter has a great performance, however, in one of the film's trickiest roles. "Along Came a Spider," directed by Lee Tamahori ("The Edge," "Mulholland Falls") has a lot of potential-but strays from its roots and becomes just another contrived thriller in which we have already seen countless times before.

I'm not sure why everyone rated this a mid grade movie. It is far better than a lot of 6&7 star rated movies out there. Never was bored, good storyline, not as predictable as other murder mystery stories.

A slick suspenseful Cop Thriller with a great Morgan Freeman back in the iconic role of Detective Alex Cross as seen & starred in the 90's CLASSIC, Kiss The Girls, here Alex is on the case of a kidnapped senators young daughter & unravels a scary mystery. Along Came A Spider is a thrilling, exciting psychological Thriller drenched in that Awesome 90's Thriller Movie Feel from the lovely rich cinematography to the exciting & thrilling music score by legendary composer JERRY GOLDSMITH, this is a cracking good Cop film & Morgan Freeman is great again as the super smart veteran Detective but this time he's more troubled after the devastating death of his partner seen at the beginning of the film that he just couldn't save in time, his Alex Cross feels more tormented & vulnerable here & Freeman is just great on screen as usual & is best when playing a Detective like he did in Seven & Kiss the Girls. The rest of the cast are all fine in their roles like Michael Wincott as the criminal villain with an icey-cold presence & the secret service agent who teams up with Alex Cross played by Monica Potter who may hide a dark secret, it's all a slick & well made Thriller & a great late night flick. "Spider" is just as good as "Girls" but both films are excellent Suspense Thriller's & equally enjoyable but i think i enjoy "Spider" more for it's rainy moody atmosphere & relaxed pacing, i enjoy the quiet moments of Alex Cross just investigating & looking at evidence. I love this film & can say it's my favourite Morgan Freeman film. I got the same nice, cozy & almost comforting feel as i got from other Thrillers such as Kiss The Girls, Murder At 1600, Metro, The Bone Collector & Striking Distance, among others. This is the type of Detective Mystery Thriller that i want WILL SMITH to make!!!

Along Came a Spider is not a bad movie all in all. It is just a generic movie and a pretty decent generic movie at that. Lets face it, every plot is based on clichés. What counts is how these clichés are used. The screenwriter's challenge is this: Can he blow enough smoke and juggle his mirrors in such a way as to make the viewer believe he is seeing something new or, at least, enjoy the same old crap? Shakespeare did it. Dickens did it. Stephen King has made a career out of it. The problem with Along Came a Spider is that no-frills clichés are all you get, basic and unadorned. The movie's ad campaign should have featured bare white posters, a bar code and the word `Thriller' printed in the middle. Okay, I overstate. You do get Morgan Freeman and Michael Wincott. Mr. Freeman has never given a bad performance and doesn't start with this film. Mr. Wincott is also very, very good. He makes you feel a little sorry for his character despite his murderous escapades. You rather want to comfort him when the inevitable problems start cropping up.

To make sure you are getting your moneys worth, the writers have thrown in a `Guaranteed Surprise Ending". Now some movies sport twist endings that are knockouts. These endings not only come as genuine surprises and are completely satisfying; they force you to reconsider everything that went before in the film. Think of The Sixth Sense, The Usual Suspects or The Crying Game. First, in all these movies the ending was prepared for. No matter how unexpected ultimately the twists make sense in the terms of the logic of the movie. Second, you recognize these movies as superior long before you reach the conclusion. Had The Sixth Sense ended five minutes before it did you still would have remembered the performances, the genuinely scary moments and the fantastic plot. The twist came as icing on an already fine cake. Along Came A Spider has a surprise ending because, well, 'Thrillers' have `Surprise Endings'. That's all. You probably won't guess it, but even so you won't be all that surprised. You will realize that since because such and such happens, the movie can only end in two or three different ways. Like the rest of the movie the twist is mechanical and non-descript. It's satisfying enough but it operates more as a punctuation mark than anything else.

This sounds like a pretty negative review - and I guess it is. In fairness I should say I enjoyed myself watching it. A predictable experience is not necessarily a bad experience. Sometimes all you want is a no frills `Thriller'. You have a taste in your mouth for guns and psychopaths and you've already seen Hannibal, so what do you do? Sure, a movie that sautés it's clichés with a bit more sauce and spice would be preferable, but if your only other option is a Matlock rerun, Along Came A Spider looks pretty darn good!

"Along Came A Spider" works. It may suffer from one plot twist too many, it may borrow liberally from other pictures, it may have narrative holes you could run a horse race through, but in spite of all that, it WORKS. And as everyone knows, that is about the highest compliment a film like this can be paid.

Directed by Lee Tamahori, "Along Came a Spider" hits the ground running with a bravura sequence in which a federal sting goes horribly wrong and a good agent dies. Det. Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman), the leader of the sting, goes into brooding isolation, but a year later, the daughter of a U.S. congressman (Michael Moriarty) is kidnapped from her prestigious Washington boarding school by a brilliant madman, and Cross, a mental wizard with the ability to see into the mind of the maddest psychopath, is the only one who can track the criminal's M.O. and save the girl.

Standard thriller territory, and it's given more or less standard treatment, albeit with a fair share of stylistic spark and energy. Tamahori does a good job choreographing his action set pieces, particularly that shattering opening and a nifty cat-and-mouse chase that closes out the picture. Cinematographer Matthew F. Leonetti gives the film a dark, brooding visual richness, and Jerry Goldsmith contributes another thunderously effective thriller score.

The acting is also generally strong across the board. Morgan Freeman.. what can one say? I honestly cannot think of another modern actor who has done such consistently high-quality work. Granted, Cross does not seem like a role that would overly tax a top-notch thespian like Freeman, but he doesn't sell it short either, giving the character his full, commanding force. He is the tough, solid center that really elevates "Along Came A Spider" above pulp territory. Michael Wincott plays the psycho (as naturally he would; what else is Michael Wincott going to play in a film?), and gives it his gravelly-voiced best, making us hate this guy just as much as we should. Monica Potter is fine as the young security officer helping Cross track the fiend, but I was constantly distracted by the fact that her voice sounds EXACTLY LIKE JULIA ROBERTS! I swear, it sounded like she'd been dubbed. Am I the only one who noticed this? Probably, so I'll drop it.

If there's any real complaint to be had with "Along Came A Spider" (aside from my weird personal difficulties with Monica Potter's voice), it is an age-old one for a thriller: script problems. Screenwriter Marc Moss keeps things moving nicely, and there are some clever moments throughout, but the film also raises unanswered questions. What was the purpose of the weird Lindbergh website the kidnapper sets up? When will they learn that internet-related plot devices just don't work in films? What was the point of the Russian kid who seems to play such a big role in the middle portion of the picture? Why did Moss feel the need to crib his most exciting sequence, a footchase with the maniac leading Cross through Washington via cell phone, from "Dirty Harry"? Granted, I haven't read the novel by James Patterson upon which this film was based, so I may not be casting blame in the right place. But Patterson didn't write this script, so maybe I am.

As I mentioned before, however, all of this largely doesn't matter. In the moment, while it's unfurling in front of you, the film's fast pace, engaging performances, and visual polish keep you intrigued, and allow you to overlook the plot's more outrageous contrivances and awkward reversals. "Along Came A Spider" is not a perfect thriller, but brother..it WORKS.

I like this sequel to Kiss The Girls, but the script maybe a little weak. Morgan Freeman has done better things in his hugely successful career, but performs to his usual high standard.

Monica Potter is a glamorous woman, her beauty taking precedence over her strong character portrayal. She seems a quiet lady, but Jezzie Flanagan's personality might be misleading, and could hide an angry and deeply hurt conscience, while the revengeful side to Michael Wincott works exceedingly well, such was his performance in the film Metro, and he convinces thoroughly.

A thriller like Along Came A Spider does its best to keep the viewer interested, with tautly directed scenes and strong acting. Even so, this movie is not the best ever made, and may leave you wondering what the point was in making it in the first place.

If you do watch Along Came A Spider, stick with it and enjoy what it offers - I certainly did. 7/10

What went wrong here? A strong source novel by James Patterson. A plot full of twists. A director on his way up. And Patterson wrote the screenplay, which makes the end film even more surprising. All but the most blatant plot twists have been cut out so what we're left with is your average thriller. Soneji starts out as a refreshingly believable killer - in fact, he's pretty normal - but then degenerates into a cliche'd raving loony. The murder on the boat is commited as if Soneji were just killing a bird, which gives a stark realism to the film. But it's not all bad. The studio re-shot the ending (and boy does it show) but when the film is good, it's great: Morgan Freeman can do no wrong and the cinematography is slick and Monica Potter is a real find. If only the studio had had the guts to trust the audience's intelligence, this could have been the thriller to end all thrillers. Read the book.

Detective profiler Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) loses his partner after the perp drives them over a dam. He's been hiding ever since. Senator (Michael Moriarty)'s daughter Megan Rose (Mika Boorem) is kidnapped under secret service agent Jezzie Flannigan (Monica Potter)'s watch. The kidnapper is disguised as teacher Gary Soneji (Michael Wincott). He calls up Cross to get him back into the game. Agent Ollie McArthur (Dylan Baker) is now in charge. Agent Ben Devine (Billy Burke) is also in trouble along with Flannigan. Cross teams up with Flannigan who has known Soneji for the last 2 years. It's a cat and mouse game where Soneji seems to be inspired by the Lindbergh baby kidnapping.

Morgan Freeman reprises his Alex Cross role from 'Kiss the Girls' replacing Ashley Judd with Monica Potter. They form a good team. I like him in this role. He is more cerebral than muscle. It's got good tension. It's on track for a very good thriller. Then the twist comes and the logic goes all to heck. This could have been better. At least we still have Morgan Freeman.

I hadn't seen this movie in 20 years so there were a few bits I'd completely forgotten, i.e most of it! A really good thriller with good acting and a tight plot. Strangely, I find Alex Cross movies are better than the books.

A good movie, exciting and with a good Morgan Freeman. It tells a compelling story even if the final twist did not convince me a little. The actors are good and the script works albeit with some flaws.

Music and background sound effects override the verbiage, and make the spoken audio hard to hear. Other than that the plot and acting are very good.

It's a shame as the actors are strong.

I just finished watching this movie and really enjoyed it. It is one of those movies where if you walk to the kitchen for two minutes, you probably missed something important. It leaves you on the edge of your seat throughout the course of the movie. The only flaw that I have with the movie is the decision to use special effects in the first few minutes of the movie. These special effects with the car were not very "special" at all. In fact, it was so unrealistic looking that it was borderline pathetic. Fortunately, this only occurred in this one scene. However, the scene with the thermos (as to not give anything away) was excellent and extremely creative. Morgan Freeman did his usual brilliant job of acting. If you like a good suspenseful thriller/mystery, this may be a good choice for you. 8.5 Stars.

Along Come a Spider perfectly retains suspense for a thriller, then the dynamics of the plot sags. Typical scenario of kidnapping a small child of an important person. It may seem that there is nothing in the film, then for some time the plot twist worked out and I was surprised as a viewer, unfortunately this is less and less in modern thrillers.

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.