Starring Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd Directed by Gary Fleder Rated R, with strong violence, implied kinky sex and profanity Running time 105 minutes Jack gives this film a rating of 6 out of 10

(Oct. 3, 1997) -- Kiss the Girls is a promising serial-killer thriller that hits a high-intensity peak at the midpoint, then becomes increasingly conventional.

Under the direction of Gary Fleder (of Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead), the film is darkly entertaining and moderately engrossing, but still fails to generate first-class suspense in the latter stages -- when it's most needed.

Kiss the Girls also fails to take full advantage of its two intriguing lead characters.

Morgan Freeman is Alex Cross, the police detective and forensic psychologist at the center of three James Patterson novels, including the best-selling Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider.

A smart cop who is also a psychologist offers all sorts of possibilities beyond the normal bust-down-the-door sort of action. And Freeman offers the intelligence, depth and integrity to properly play the role.

Ashley Judd co-stars as Dr. Kate Mctiernan, a brilliant young physician who is kidnapped by a deranged "collector" of distinctive women. He keeps them imprisoned to serve his own demented needs -- and kills them when they somehow offend him.

But Mctiernan manages a breathtaking escape in a riveting scene midway through the film, and nothing that follows can hope to match the intensity of the sequence.

For the second half of the film, Mctiernan fills the typical and tired female role of helping the guys solve the crime. It's a shame such a spunky resourceful character is reduced to saying "Be careful!" and "Watch out!"

As mysteries go, Kiss the Girl offers its share of twists and surprises, as well as a few diverting red herrings. Ultimately, though, the denouement is predictable and seems more of a gimmick than a plausible solution.

Freeman, meanwhile, is playing a role that may too quickly remind viewers of his detective in the superior Seven. But Alex Cross is more interesting, fully developed and multifaceted than the earlier cop.

Hopefully, Cross will get to solve another crime or two in adaptations of other Patterson books -- and let's hope Freeman plays him.