Customer Reviews

Cape Fear

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

of course robert deniro does an amazing job as usual and i liked the premise of the story. A ex convict terrorizes and family after spending 14years in jail which gave him the time to edjucate himself. There were many things that he does that i thought were pretty smart for a psycho path and it was definatly a good watch. Its kind of funny watching this movie and seeing the similarities to the simpsons episode that parodies it.

i believe this film pales in comparison to the original 1962
version.for one thing,i found it way too mean spirited and overly
gruesome.i just don't think it needed to be that violent to tell this
particular story.i also didn't like the way religion was used one of
the motivating factors behind Cady's revenge.there are some good things
about he movie,though.one is the acting.Robert Deniro Plays max
Cady,who after spending 14 years in jail,seeks revenge on his layer(and
his family),who he believes helped put him in jail.Nick Nolte is Sam
Bowden,the lawyer.DeNiro is very good as Cady.one look at him and you'd
have no trouble believing he is capable of anything.Nolte is also good
as Bowden.Jesicca Lange plays Bowden's wife Leigh.i didn't like her
very much in this role.i found her too weepy for me tastes.Juliette
Lewis plays the daughter Danielle.i found her role to be unnecessary
and her character is just too naive.Robert Mitchum and Gregory
Peck,from the original Cape Fear,also appear in the movie.even though
there are some things i didn't like about this movie,it's still a not a
horrible movie.it's just not as good as the original.for me Cape
Fear(1992)is a 3/5

But don't compare it to the original; that's not fair. In some ways, they're almost 2 different films. This one has entertainment value, for sure, including DeNiro's over-the-top performance and the cameos by the original's stars. Nolte, Lange and Lewis are all OK, but ultimately not really believable in terms of the whole picture. Worth watching, but catch the original too, for sure.
PS to a certain March 14 reviewer: First, learn to spell and use English properly. Second, the original "sucked" to you because it didn't have enough violence or tattoos, right? Yeah. THERE's a legitimate reason.....

A remake that is better than the original ... it rarely happens, but in this case it has!

CAPE FEAR is a very effective film that managed to pull me right in, I enjoyed every single moment of it. It is eery and tense, and you'll want to ensure your door is locked.

Robert De Niro is perfect as the criminal released from jail seeking revenge on his lawyer (who hid information that may have reduced his prison sentence). Jessica Lange plays the wife of the lawyer (nick nolte), and she is impressive as always.

CAPE FEAR is one of my favourite suspense thrillers of all time. Definitely worth owning on DVD.

In "Cape Fear", Marty Scorsese introduces a Fourth of July parade scene rife with sluggish Americana. The scene is slowed down, given morbid music, and depicts patriotic icons with bland expressions, going through the motions while an unenthusiastic crowd masks a black-and-white cancer. It also chooses to make Bob DeNiro a really dangerous Christian who quotes Scripture, speaks in tongues and preaches while he commits his acts of violence. Outside of one episode of "The X Files" in which a sect of Hasidic Jews included some ghost-Jew character who kills in the name of same ancient Hebrew tenet, I cannot recall seeing openly Jewish killers on screen.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM

A bad Martin Scorcese movie if there ever was one, "Cape Fear" starts well enough but soon falls into predictable, convulted, contrived and annoying territory. A morality play about a psycho (played by Robert De Niro) who wants to get revenge over an attourney (Nick Nolte), this movie is derivative and tremendously by-the-numbers. Disappointing, really, given that the director and actors deserved better than a poor script with a very flawed execution. The final half hour on the boat is particularly bad and insulting, delivering an unconvincing resolution. Anyway, "Cape Fear" has one remarkable scene, where De Niro and Juliette Lewis have a weird moment of seduction. Unfortunately, most of the movie is just a tepid and unimaginative thriller like so many others. Bland characters, average direction, uneven pacing, pretentious dialogue and unsurprising/ over-the-top cliffhangers.

Avoid.

Robert De Niro's character Max Cady, the obvious villain is IN FACT the hero of this film. Nick Nolte was a public defender 14 years ago when he got the case of Max Cady -- a very poor illiterate. Nolte decided to play judge and jury. He gave Cady the shaft. Now Cady is out of prison and OUT FOR JUSTICE. It's some of Robert De Niro's best work! Nick Nolte does a great job as the lawyer, Sam Bowden, who did Cady wrong.

The Jessica Lange character, with her sniping remarks, does not really work that well.

This movie contains one of the best scenes in motion-picture history: The confrontation outside the restaurant between Max Cady and Kersek (played by Joe Don Baker). Watch for it!

This movie is simply greta.People on this site bad mouth it for the gore and all that.I've seen the original and it sucks compared to this.De Niro was scary as Max Caddy the tattoed,psyc
otic ex-con,and Nick Nolte was great as the nervous,chain-smoking
attorney.The tatto's on Caddy give him a much more sinister and
serious image.In the original Mitchum was without tats and was
to nice-looking and didn't really scare me.Nolte was always on
edge as Bowden,he was always sweating,smoking,and yelling.Peck
was calm,dry,and smoke-free in the original.Scoresese does not
overdue violence the rape scene,the piano wire scene,and the end
add to the sadisticness and sinisterness of Caddy and you begin
to know what a bad guy he is.Plus De Niro is built and tough and
dihes out and takes alot of pain and also is really slick and jsut sends shivers up my spine.Avoid the original or watch this
one than try the original you will fall asleep in no time or you'll run out and watch this one again.

Even though there are some VERY strong performances here, it doesn't create the tension of the original. Worse, the ending has been changed!!

Stick to the original.

Very few thrillers stand out like Martin Scorsese's "Cape Fear." It's a terrifying ride that frightens us to the very core. It shakes you violently and paints an intense picture of revenge that is taken to a whole different level. This is a dark and brutal film that doesn't let you off easy for a single second.

Attorney Sam Bowden appears to have the perfect life upon simple examination. He has a loving wife and daughter, a very nice home, and a pretty successful and providing career. Things take a drastic turn when Max Cady is released from prison after serving a term of fourteen years. Cady was once represented by Bowden and is now looking for a little payback, as he feels that his former attorney didn't do everything he possibly could to keep him out of prison. Now, Sam must realize the present danger that is before him, as not only is his life in absolute danger--but also his family and everybody else he loves and cares for. The stakes have never been higher.

This is an absolutely disturbing film that pulls no punches. It's a very uneasy movie to watch, and yet it is so well done that it is hard NOT to watch. Robert De Niro is extremely terrifying as the vengeful "Max Cady" who is out and about, looking to settle the score. This is definitely a signature role for De Niro, as this would be one of his many roles that he will be remembered for most. Nick Nolte also gives a remarkable performance that adds a human quality to his character. The movie is well written and is perfectly executed frame by frame. It plays like a Hitchcock film on ecstasy. Martin Scorsese flawlessly directs this horrifying picture and knows what strings to pull to get a reaction from us. Be warned, this is not a movie for those who have weak stomachs or faint hearts.

The DVD does a splendid job when it comes to doing the movie the justice that it deserves. The picture quality is great--it is such a relief that I don't have to deal with the terrible laserdisc version that had the most horrendous picture quality. The sound quality is also great, and you even get the chance to watch it in DTS, if your system carries it. There are some cool extras for DVD fanatics, with extras like featurettes, deleted scenes, production notes, a theatrical trailer and more. Surely, there will be some who will want more for a film of this caliber, but the overall presentation is more than satisfactory.

"Cape Fear" is a relentless thriller that is terrifying and suspenseful. The movie has an excellent cast, a great script, and an extremely talented director behind it all. Again, the movie is very intense and isn't recommended for those who have weak hearts and don't like scenes with graphic and disturbing violence. This is definitely a classic that will always be around in the fine world of cinema. -Michael Crane