While it plays out, the story can be quite compelling, but after the fact when you begin to think about it, some of the intrigue wears off. The kids for example, Megan Rose (Mika Boorem) and Dimitri Starodubov (Anton Yelchin) were clever beyond their years in evaluating the situations they were in. What twelve year old is examining his escape route for observation cameras in order to time his run to safety? Or in Megan's case, not jumping at the chance to be saved when Jezzie Flannigan (Monica Potter) shows up to release her from the room she was being held captive in. Who stops to question why a person you'd trust is there by themselves?

But while it's going on, there are enough twists and turns to keep the viewer guessing, as Detective Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) again steps out of the pages of a James Patterson novel to take on a cunning adversary. Freeman's probably your main reason to see the picture, he's methodical and resolute, but with more than his fair share of implausible assumptions that always turn out to be correct. 'Aces and Eights' is just one that comes immediately to mind.

There used to be a television commercial for the United Negro College Fund that stated 'A mind is a terrible thing to waste'. Kidnapper Sonneji (Michael Wincott) must have seen it enough times to adapt it to his particular circumstances attempting to taunt and outwit Detective Cross. He should have known Cross went to school too, as the only thing that got wasted here were all the bad guys.