Along Came a Spider

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.

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.

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

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.

I must say this film was better than your average thriller to me. Call me stupid, that's just fine, but I didn't see the ending coming at all. Of course, it didn't hurt the film's stature to have Morgan Freeman back in the lead role, the guy doesn't seem to be able to make a bad film and is one of the most underappreciated actors of his time. Also, Michael Wincott is one hell of a great villain, as he has proved time and time again in The Crow and Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, as well as this film. Monica Potter is indeed Julia Robert's clone, and that's not good in my eyes. I cannot stand Julia Roberts or any movie she has ever been in (I actually WATCHED My Best Friend's Wedding with my girlfriend in the theaters, and it was so bad even she couldn't watch it). All in all, I highly recommend this film as a modern day thriller. Yes, it has a few holes and gets bogged down a bit in the middle, but Freeman as always is a delight to watch and the film is about as good a thriller as you'll find in modern times. That's just one guy's opinion.