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Max Braden: I could see audiences being split into two camps: if it's action, you want Denzel. If it's Tyler Perry, you want light comedy-drama. And the two might not be able to flip. I'm not questioning Tyler Perry's acting chops, but Fusco is more believable as a cop in Person of Interest than Perry is. Perry doesn't just doesn't carry the weight of someone who knows what a killer instinct is. He may continue to try to act in other people's projects, but I think this was a big damper on the pace of that transition. On the other hand, Jim Carrey didn't do so well breaking out of slapstick into drama at first, but I think he's found a healthy medium. Where Jim Carrey stepped beyond the bounds of his audience's limitations: Joel Schumacher's thriller The Number 23.

David Mumpower: I believe the answers above are dancing around the question of whether casting Tyler Perry as Alex Cross passes the laugh test. Judging by the replies I saw when the trailer debuted, I do not believe he did. I also believe Mr. Huntley is correct regarding the lack of a bridge role for Perry. While he has demonstrated uncanny ability as a content creator and comedian, the juxtaposition of Madea solving crimes is problematic.

I am reminded of the Oscar buzz for Eddie Murphy when he was nominated for Dreamgirls. After playing variations of the same character for 25 years, Murphy shocked everyone by demonstrating his acting chops. I believe he was nominated because the lowered expectations of his career up until that point led to heightened opinions of what was frankly a mediocre performance. Perry faces exactly the same challenge here save for the fact that despite the character’s reputation, Alex Cross is not as meaty a role. As the titular lead, he cannot show up in short bursts and chew up scenery as Madea so often does. Being in almost every scene is an onus for Perry in this regard. Yes, I do believe he was miscast just as I believe that he had earned the right to anchor a potential franchise character as much as any actor in recent memory has.

Still, Kim and I mentioned in the wrap that procedural fatigue is the overriding factor in the disappointment of Alex Cross. In researching the argument, I counted 12 (!) network television programs that qualify as procedurals. Asking any consumer to pay for something that is readily available for free is a challenging task. In combination with questionable casting, Alex Cross never had a chance.

Kim Hollis: All I know is that the trailer for this movie felt almost like a spoof. The only reason I knew it was meant to be a real thriller is because Tyler Perry was trying so hard to be a Serious Actor. This movie had a lot going against it. James Patterson is sort of out of vogue these days, particularly given the knowledge that he has a group of writers that push out novels. Perry has a niche, and Lionsgate should be forever grateful to him for reaching those consumers, but he’s just all wrong for this sort of role. And like Patterson, serial killer movies are extremely passé. People have moved on to other things and if they haven’t, they can find any number of well-done shows on TV dealing with the same sort of subject matter.

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