There are few things I hate more than a movie taking me for a ride for eighty minutes, completely sucking me in to its every nuance, then resolving the plot with a so-called twist as dumb as a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie.
“Kiss the Girls” is an offender in the first degree.
And in this case, the stupid plot resolution was even more unfulfilling than usual, as the film had avoided formulaic plot movement from the beginning. I won’t give away the silly ending, but I guarantee it will completely disappoint.
This, however, is not true of the entire film.
Until the pathetic conclusion, “Kiss the Girls” is manipulative in the best way - the unpredictable plot keeps twisting and turning until all mystery cliches are totally forgotten.
Morgan Freeman stars as the intelligent, respected forensic psychologist Alex Cross. He is the consummate professional - that is, until an elusive kidnapper and murderer kidnaps his niece.
The bad guy, who calls himself “Casanova” is, we find, “a total pro,” stalking his victims for weeks in advance to make sure everything goes perfectly. Perhaps more disturbing, we learn that he has kidnapped ten young women and killed three of them, suggesting that collecting, not killing, is his motive.
As the plot thickens, it really does become more interesting, but can never quite keep up with the quick-moving plot. While I haven’t read the book on which “Kiss the Girls” is based, I have a feeling that the movie doesn’t do it justice.
“Casanova” is a total mystery until one of his victims outsmarts him. Kate McTiernan (Ashley Judd), a medical intern, escapes from her cell the day after she is kidnapped. With her help, detective Cross finally is able to accomplish something.
Freeman is very much at home in his role as the wise, elder statesman of the film. He ends up playing that part in most every film he turns up in, whether intended or not. After years of playing second fiddle, he finally gets an opportunity for a lead role, and uses it to full advantage.
Ashley Judd is a surprise success, as well. I haven’t been impressed with her work in the past, but she abandons her usual sex bomb approach and actually plays a character, and the movie uses that side of her to full advantage.
If you’re prepared to walk out before the last ten minutes of “Kiss the Girls” and make up your own ending, it’ll be a great movie. If you succumb to the outrageousness of the one provided, you may wish you were at a Van Damme movie.
Grade: C