Rating: 
Summary: Classic Horror
Review: Robert De Niro's best performance is his terrifying portrayal of vicious psycho Max Cady, hell-bent on vengeance on his lawyer, Sam Bowden (played by Nick Nolte) who didn't defend him as well as he should of during a rape case. De Niro is clearly playing the part with as much relish as possible. His Southern accent, chilling laugh, Biblical tattoos, and the violent actions he brings to screen make him one of the most memorable villains in cinema. Not only that, but he is a believable one too, not too over-the-top. He's insane near the end, yes, but he is realistic. Nick Nolte gives a fairly good performance to Sam Bowden, Jessica Lange is good as Leigh, and Juliette Lewis gives a remarkable performance as Danielle Bowden, the emotionally-tortured teenage daughter of Sam and Leigh. The way the film uses seduction and betrayal as major themes is a key element. Director Martin Scorsese gives this film a classic horror feeling, paying special homage to the 1962 original by having Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck, and Martin Balsam (all in the original) play cameo roles in this box-office remake. Not to mention, Scorsese wisely chose the same eerie score from the original film. This is a wonderful film, and it is horrifying. There is some graphic violence that is quite disturbing (particularly the scene in which Cady mutilates a woman in her apartment), but if that doesn't bother you, than you'll love this film. If you enjoy clever, intellectual psychological thrillers with LOTS of suspense, you'll love "Cape Fear".
Rating:
Summary: If you love tough movies that don't flinch...
Review: ...then you'll find much to love about Martin Scorsese's remake of film noir classic CAPE FEAR. There are some superb performances here, from a clearly-enjoying-himself Robert De Niro, whose terrifying portrayal of Max Cady remains a career high point, to Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis (in her breakout performance), Illeana Douglas, Joe Don Baker (having fun in every scene), Sen. Fred Thompson, and the wonderful trio of Robert Mitchum, Martin Balsam and Gregory Peck (all of whom appeared in the 1962 original). But beyond great acting, Scorsese assembled some of the greatest talents of 20th century moviemaking to aid him on this picture. Rather than try to top Bernard Herrman's original score (and who could? it's one of the scariest pieces of movie music in history!), Scorsese asked the great Elmer Bernstein to adapt and embellish, and the result is brilliant. His cinematographer is the legendary British director Freddie Francis, who helmed so many blood-curdling Hammer horror flicks in the Sixties and Seventies, and more recently known for his gorgeous cinematography on David Lynch's THE ELEPHANT MAN and THE STRAIGHT STORY. And as usual, Scorsese employs Thelma Schoonmaker (the "editor's editor") with him in post-production, telling the story flawlessly. Working from a ghoulish, morbidly funny script from Wesley Strick, Scorsese turns CAPE FEAR into a widescreen, Technicolor-hued tribute to early '60s melodramas, but adds a much darker sense of danger and suspense. De Niro's wronged convict comes after Nolte's family with a righteously Biblical cause of revenge and retribution, and proceeds to tear what little semblance of civility the family had for each other into shreds. CAPE FEAR is not a feel-good picture by any means, but it certainly is a wild ride, and a visceral experience provided by masters of the form. Recommended for fans of Alfred Hitchcock, Sergio Leone, and Sam Peckinpah.
Rating:
Summary: great movie
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: MAX CADY is the HERO
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: "Come out, come out wherever you are!"
Review: This movie is yet another powerhouse brought to movie-lovers by none other than director Marty Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro. YAY!!! I love these guys!! The film is about a newly released con named Max Cady(De Niro) who ventures out into the world he's been out of for 14 years with one mission in mind: to make his ex-lawyer, Sam Bowden(Nick Nolte) and his family pay. Ya see, our fearless, law-obiding lawyer here purposely withheld evidence during Cady's trial that would've set him free. Sam broke the law to remove a rapist from society. Cady went in the bighouse just an illiterate man from Atlanta, but came out a sociopathic avenging angel complete with Biblical expressions tattooed on his skin. He also learned to read and read everything from philosophy to law books. He plans his reckoning the day of his release. Sam, unbeknownst to Cady's release, is dealing with dilemmas of his own. He still lives with the guilt of Cady's trial along with suspicions of unfaithful actions from his wife, Leigh.(Jessica Lange)He also must contend with the fact that his teenage, MTV-oriented daughter, Danielle (Juliette Lewis) was recently expelled from school for smoking marijuana. As you can see, the Bowden family is anything BUT functional. So it's that withering stability that provides more fuel to Max's scorching fire. Max deals with each member of the Bowden family individually. He confronts Sam, promising that he's gonna learn about loss. He has a moment with Leigh when she retrieves her mail, and then tries to manipulate Danielle in her school's drama pit. Max even roughs up Sam's "mistress," Lori. All of these encounters come together in one last stormy show-down on Cape Fear. De Niro is very show-y in this film with his elaborate tattoos, Southern accent, long hair and muscular body. It's a twist of the old cliche that evil is always grotesque. That's hardly so for De Niro's characterization of Maximillian Cady. His actions ARE grotesque and disturbing, but not his appeal. He's attractive man...who just happens to be evil.He's just fun to watch, from beginning to end. Marty couldn't have found anyone else to do it better. Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, and Juliette Lewis give awesome performances, too. I applauded Juliette Lewis the most though. She really carried her own weight for this film. Gotta give her a lotta kudos for that...especially for the 9-minute drama-pit sequence. Whoa! Martin Scorsese's direction and Thelma Schoonmaker's fantastic editing make this movie even more worthwhile. It's genius!
Rating:
Summary: Very frightening film
Review: I saw this film when it first came out in the movies years ago, and I can honestly say it scared me. I loved the camera angles Martin Scorese used; they were very effective. Robert DeNiro is great as the ex-con hell-bent on revenge against his defense lawyer (Nick Nolte) who deliberately lost the case so his client could pay for his shocking crimes. The ex-con harasses the lawyer and his family continuously until he starts attacking and/or killing people that are close to the family, and then the lawyer is forced into a confrontation with the criminal on a houseboat. Juliette Lewis' performance as the troubled teenage daughter is great too. Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, who both played the main characters in the original 1962 film, also appear in this remake. The musical score was the very same as the Bernard Hermann arrangement in the original, and it is chilling...glad that they didn't change a thing with the music. If you like suspense, you will like this. As a previous reviewer said, this movie is not for children. It's very bloody and graphic...so wait until the kids are asleep and pop it in the VCR.
Rating: 
Summary: Fear This...Cause It`s That Bad
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A Scorsese Shocker, Tense and Suspenseful!
Review: Although not as good as Scorsese's other films, but that was to be expected. The material was just not as personal or as good. But still, this is a memorable shocker with a powerhouse performance by DeNiro. DeNiro creates a truly scary character that is even more frightening because he is a normal 'person', no supernatural elements or superhuman strength, just an ex convict who is out to get him. DeNiro mastered a truly over the top accent that, at times, seems a bit like Robert Mitchum's homicidal preacher from 'Night Of The Hunter', by the way, Mitchum starred in the original 1962 'Cape Fear' playing DeNiro's role. DeNiro delivers an intense, breathtaking portrait of evil creating a complex character that ends up stealing the movie. Scorsese's visual flare runs rampant creating a tense atmosphere that is both dazzling to behold and unnervingly intense. Nick Nolte and Jessica Lange are both great as the uneven married couple. But it is Juliette Lewis who, apart from DeNiro, delivers a truly impressive performance. She creates an unforgettable portrait of adolescent innocence. The scenes with DeNiro and Lewis in the school basement are a magnificent exercise on subtle manipulation by DeNiro, those few scenes are so well made it's scary. The part where DeNiro sticks his thumb in Lewis mouth was pure DeNiro, made up on the spot. Scorsese went for the excessively violent action-packed ending near the end, which can be viewed either as a mistake or as a good choice. The ending is suspenseful and nicely staged during an apocalyptic rainstorm. While some may argue that the 1962 version was better, this one is certainly a close second. Extras: both Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, who appeared in the first film, appear in cameos. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 7!
Rating:
Summary: GOTTA WATCH OUT FOR ALL THOSE CHRISTIAN MURDERERS
Review: 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
Rating:
Summary: Fear This...Cause It`s That Bad
Review: 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.
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