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Movie Review: Along Came A Spider
Reviewed by Eric Tarik Johnson 24/04/2001
A Senator's daughter is kidnapped from a prestigious Washington, D.C. school. The kidnapper leaves no clues; however, the police know who did it although they don't know where he has taken her or why.
Along Came a Spider is an exquisite mystery and crime drama with a storyline filled with surprising twists. If you like classic crime/detective films with interesting plot twists, this is the movie to see.
The film opens with Washington, D.C. police detective Dr. Alex Cross (played by the superbly talented Morgan Freeman) on a stakeout that ends tragically, leaving him constantly haunted by guilt.
A few months later, a psychopathic teacher, Gary Soneji (played by Michael Wincott), lures one of his students, Megan Rose (Mika Boorem), into his office. He then abducts her and sneaks her out of the school past several Secret Service agents. We do not know why Soneji has abducted Megan - other than his sick obsession with the Lindbergh kidnapping and, perhaps, as a demented way for him to become famous.
Soneji contacts Cross and offers him a clue. Cross then teams up with Jezzie Flannigan (Monica Potter), the Secret Service agent who was in charge of watching and protecting the Senator's daughter. Freeman's veteran acting skills are reflected throughout his intense struggle to find the criminal.
The action begins. In a series of events, we realize that the kidnapper's plan is not what it appeared to be. The twists in the plot leave the audience speculating and searching for clues and motives. Soneji's objectives become clearer as the story evolves and we discover that the kidnapping of the Senator's daughter was a means to an end. However, Soneji's plans are amiss and the end soon becomes unattainable. He is forced to abandon his mission.
The cleverest person would have a difficult time solving this mystery; they would at best be merely guessing. Rather than being in awe, however, at the cleverness of the plot, we feel a jolt. There is no doubt that producing detective type films is difficult to do. The objective of the filmmakers is to not only make the story interesting and entertaining, but also to unravel the mystery in a believable and enticing way that leaves viewers wanting to see it over and over again to determine if the clues and evidence fit the investigation.
Along Came a Spider is rated R for violence and language; however, it is a good action drama filled with mystery and suspense. The acting is superb, especially Morgan Freeman's riveting performance. Lee Tamahori's direction is excellent as well. The visual mastery of the lighting and cinematography and its brilliant technical artistry clearly capture the darkness and mystery that fill the story.
The film is a must see; however, it is likely that viewers will see it only once. The action sequence at the beginning is exciting and interesting but, all of a sudden, we are thrown into a world of make-believe. Not even the best special effects artists could make some of the action sequences believable. Some viewers may be left wondering whether the twists were just mere improvisations or a cheap way to throw in a surprise.
Yet, the story does move forward in an interesting fashion as the crime takes place and the investigation begins. Most people will find the storyline satisfying.
There is an important underlying issue that is relevant to Muslims. We observe how deception plays out, but in the end, meets its destruction, and we are reminded that not even the best of deceivers can be successful.
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