This screen adaptation of James Patterson's suspenseful bestseller is all surface gloss with little real substance. It gets by thanks to atmospheric photography and great performances from Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd. Freeman plays a forensic psychologist whose niece has been abducted by a serial kidnapper known as "Casanova"; Judd is the only woman to have escaped from the villain's secret lair. Can Judd overcome her drug-induced amnesia and guide Freeman to the culprit? Logic and credibility completely disappear as the conclusion nears, and the kidnapper's identity is relatively easy to guess, but it's still a compelling enough thriller despite its many weaknesses.

Forensic psychologist and detective Alex Cross travels to North Carolina and teams with escaped kidnap victim Kate McTiernan to hunt down "Casanova," a serial killer who abducts strong-willed women and forces them to submit to his demands. The trail leads to Los Angeles, where the duo discovers that the psychopath may not be working alone.