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Roger Ebert bemoans the implausibilities and plot problems. "A few loopholes I can forgive," he says in his review at the Chicago Sun-Times, "But when a plot is riddled with them, crippled by them, made implausible by them, I get distracted. I'm wondering, since Dr. Alex Cross is so brilliant, how come he doesn't notice yawning logical holes in the very fabric of the story he's occupying?" Michael Elliott at Movie Parables is likewise boggled: "A spider's web, to the human eye, is something that is precisely and intricately crafted. Along Came A Spider still has much to learn from the arachnids. The characters are forced to make incredible leaps of logic which defy understanding. The plot twists … become rather ludicrous." And The U.S. Catholic Conference review states, "The surprise ending in director Lee Tamahori's generic film does little to compensate for a sketchy story line that lacks character definition and a compelling plot."

Despite these rants, Morgan Freeman gains raves for returning to the role of Detective Alex Cross. Elliott says, "Accolades must be given to Morgan Freeman. His seemingly effortless portrayal of Alex Cross is a great study in control. He is proof that an intelligent actor playing an intelligent man can be a pleasurable thing to watch." And Phil Boatwright at The Movie Reporter writes, "Whatever a film's weaknesses, it always has a redeeming value if Morgan Freeman is in the cast. Truly an exceptional actor, Freeman doesn't need verbose dialogue or scene-chewing antics to keep us glued to the screen. He has a mystic presence. Real yet charismatic, he's intense and always likable."

Ted Demme's Blow is drawing comparisons to a long list of movies about the drug trade, from Traffic to GoodFellas. Johnny Depp plays George Jung, a drug smuggler who played a major role in introducing cocaine to America. Most critics divide their attention between praising the actors and expressing frustration with the film's failure to portray the impact of drugs on the culture. Peter T. Chattaway at The Vancouver Courier is impressed with "a refreshing lack of violence … superb acting and a great soundtrack." He mentions that the supporting work by Ray Liotta (GoodFellas) "shows a sensitivity and maturity that his past roles have never tapped."

But Chattaway is not entirely impressed: "You can never quite escape the feeling that the script has gone out of its way to shift the blame for Jung's downfall onto other people." At The Dove Foundation, Phil Boatwright calls Blow "well acted and poignant," but he has trouble with the script as well: "Writers David McKenna and Nick Cassavetes and director Ted Demme … neglect to showcase any victims of this over-indulgent and deadly lifestyle. Had there been at least one example of a life ruined by cocaine use, we might have seen [Jung] and his accomplices for what they truly were—soulless." J. Robert Parks at The Phantom Tollbooth has the strongest objections. "Blow is an enormous con job, designed to make George Jung look like some sort of martyr," declares Parks. "Jung is presented as some sort of enlightened businessman, delivering a product that 'everyone' wants. Demme and his writers, in collusion with Jung, have produced a film that attempts to invert and subvert important notions of morality."

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April (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45