Renowned detective Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) is on leave of absence following the death of his partner. He is drawn out of seclusion and into the heart of a child abduction case when the kidnapper singles him out as the only one who can appreciate his cleverness. This is a satisfyingly twisty thriller that doesn’t try to overstretch itself. It doesn’t aim for angst and psychological depth: all it wants to do is entertain, and it does so quite nicely.