Detective Alex Cross: Morgan Freeman	Secret Service Agent Jezzie: Monica Potter
Soneji: Michael Wincott	Megan Rose: Mika Boorem
FBI Agent McArthur: Dylan Baker	Katherine Rose: Penelope Ann Miller
Senator Rose: Michael Moriarty	Agent Ben Devine: Billy Burke
Director: Lee Tamahori

30 Second Bottom Line: A detective, with a doctorate in criminal psychology, tries to locate the kidnapped daughter of a US Senator. The kidnapper is a man determined to be highly regarded as a criminal mastermind, which makes him more dangerous than one who wants a ransom.

Story Line: Soneji (Michael Wincott) is a schoolteacher at the prestigious Cathedral School, a private institution in Washington, DC, for the children of government officials and diplomats. He is also a terrorist, doing the Mission Impossible bit (TV version) with a peel off face, and kidnaps Megan Rose (Mika Boorem). She is the daughter of Senator and Mrs. Rose (Michael Moriarty and Penelope Ann Miller), who seem to be unlikely candidates because of their relative anonymity in the Congress. The kidnap plan is a meticulous one that Soneji has been fine-tuning for years.

When the FBI is called in to assist the Secret Service, who under the watchful eyes of agents Jezzie and Ben (Monica Potter and Billy Burke) allowed the kidnapping of Megan, a minor turf war develops. The game begins when Soneji allows Detective Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) to make a tape of their telephone conversation and provides Cross with a material clue proving that he has the child in his custody. Technically, Cross has no jurisdiction in this case.

FBI Agent McArthur (Dylan Baker) heads the task force to retrieve Megan. He thinks that the kidnapper will want a huge ransom, while Cross believes that Soneji sees it all as a big game in which he seeks the recognition of the world and "respect" of law enforcement agencies such as the DC Police, Secret Service and the FBI. Cross is a popular author and Soneji is projecting that one day a book will be written about him.

Nine months prior to the kidnapping, Cross's partner was killed in a sting operation, which Agent McArthur thinks the kidnapper is using to work mind games with Cross's self confidence. The plot thickens when it appears that McArthur and Cross are both right.

McArthur reluctantly agrees to include Jezzie in the initial kidnap debriefing after Cross makes the point that although Megan was lost under her watch, Jezzie more than anyone else knows about Megan and Soneji because of her three years of observing them at the school. Soon Cross and Jezzie are working together to solve the case. When they stake out what they believe is another news breaking kidnapping, they meet Megan's kidnapper face to face.

This fast paced story will keep you guessing as Cross and Jezzie pursue Soneji and attempt to rescue Megan. She is a smart young lady, about the same age as the girl in Spy Kids but with even more savvy. Megan truly takes matters into her own hands to control her fate.

The story unfolds with a number of scary moments interspersed with humor, and Cross's consummate mentoring of Jezzie.

Tell Me More About It: This is a must see film for fans of actor Morgan Freeman or writer James Patterson. It captures the essence of Detective Alex Cross and the evil characters that Patterson is so masterful in creating. Along Came a Spider is a thriller not for the faint of heart.

Some of the things that are good about this film are not readily apparent. As events unfold you question the motivations or reasons why a person did or did not do something. Why did Jezzie not call security before rather than after she broke in the door of Soneji's office? Are agents Jezzie and Ben as weak as they appear and do they deserve to be on a baby-sitting detail for three long years? Is the psychological match only between Cross and Soneji or should Cross be looking in more than one direction?

The casting of Potter is interesting because she looks like she belongs in her last film, Head over Heels, rather than being a FBI agent. She has the charm of Sandra Bullock, a wide-eyed innocence, plus the smile and possibly the intellect of Julia Roberts in Erin Brokovich. Stereotypes do tend to tug at our minds as we try to not just be politically correct, but fair to others, as we'd like for them to be with us. These factors are directly related to assumptions you make about Jezzie.

Morgan Freeman is such a good actor that he makes it look easy. He's comfortable in literally any role from a chauffeur (Driving Miss Daisy) to the President of the United States (Deep Impact). Freeman is a master at saying a lot by saying little, and conveying more with his eyes about what he is thinking.

Like another best-selling fiction author named Patterson (Richard North), James Patterson knows how to write strong female characters in the midst of what appears to be a story revolving around a group of macho men. In addition to Potter and Boorem, Penelope Ann Miller portrays considerable strength, intelligence and resolve as the concerned parent of a kidnapped child, without the slightest hint of patronization.

In the middle of the film, when I thought it was lagging a bit, it was drawing me into the spider web that turns out to be a surprisingly strong ending. It's even more fun than What Lies Beneath, 1) because it's a better story and 2) you can enjoy being surprised as the story unfolds. I can't wait for the next Alex Cross movie based upon a book by James Patterson…both are just that good. Kiss The Girls was good and this is even better.

Morgan Freeman: Nurse Betty	Monica Potter: Head over Heels
Michael Wincott: Before Night Falls	Mika Boorem: The Patriot
Michael Moriarty: The Life & Times of Hank Greenberg	Penelope Ann Miller: Famous
Billy Burke: The Acting Class	Lee Tamahori: The Soprano's-TV; Once Were Warriors