Rating: 
Summary: Let's go to CAPE FEAR
Review: As far as I am concerned Martin Scorsese's version of CAPE FEAR is almost definitely better than the B-movie original. Well, the new movie does glorify its genre roots. Scorsese did confess his fondness for thriller material and had always wanted to make a studio flick. So here it is, a big budget thriller with one-liners and big action finale with a touch of moral shading. Some of the gleeful "fun" in the macabre may put off those who admired past Scorsese work but there is no doubt this is one impressively mounted Hollywood genre movie.
The DVD sports a new transfer and it looks downright amazing in its clarity, contrast, sharpness, and color balance. The DTS track may not be TWISTER or SAVING PRIVATE RYAN-like demo materials but the Hermann Bernstein-inspired score out of my Marantz/Mission setup sounds incredible: power, clarity, and detail in spades. The new 1-hour plus documentary goes deep into the making of the movie and all the key creative people are there to share their thoughts (looks like some of these are used in past EPKs). The many anecdotes & reminiscences especially on the Juliette Lewis seduction scene are well worth the wait.
Rating: 
Summary: Psychologically chilling, but the ending is underachieved.
Review: "Cape Fear" has two different complexes: one is that of a smart, spine-tingling psychological thriller, and the other is that of a revenge thriller. Martin Scorsese's remaking of the 1962 classic captures some of the previous film's essential mind game elements, while adding its own mix of violence that is kept to a minimum until being released in a frenzy in the finale. All of this works surprisingly well, but after the film ends, it has a certain sense of underachievement hanging over its head. The film stars Robert De Niro as ex-con Max Cady, just released from prison, out for a taste of revenge against his former attorney, Sam Bowden, played by Nick Nolte. Bowden has his own family troubles to begin with: he is having an affair behind his wife Leigh's back, and his daughter Danielle is going through the perilous years of teenage woes. He becomes increasingly uneasy when Cady begins appearing out of nowhere to confront him with psychological games, and fears that he may harm his family. It's parts like these that make actors great, and each one relishes their part like no other film I've seen. Robert De Niro takes twisted to a whole new level, portraying Cady as a smart yet cagey psychopath. There are times when his presence is enough to chill you to the bone. Nolte's performance is equally intense, especially later in the film, when he begins to cave in on himself trying to rid himself of Cady. Cady does not make is very easy for Bowden, though. He brutalizes the woman Bowden is having the affair with, poisons the family dog and later returns to return the collar, denying his involvement in the animal's death. Turning to the law, Bowden is stunned to learn that nothing can be done because of the lack of no physical evidence, and, in turn, decides to take matters into his own hands to protect his family. Martin Scorsese gives his film a sense of style parallel to that of Hitchcock, from the high-strung soundtrack to fancy camera angles and shots. There are times when the camera is fixed in a still position, while at others it moves steadily, non-stop. Some scenes in which one actor is close to the camera, while the other is seen off to the side, give the movie an unconventional feel, calling us back to the days of thrillers long ago. Scorsese is a true director, and his attention to story and style are unmatched by many. The mind games that Cady plays on the Bowden family are cold and mysterious, the perfect mix of intelligence and insanity. His attack on Bowden's mistress causes a stir between he and Leigh, but the real tingler is a very effective scene that takes place in a school auditorium as Cady begins to dig into the mind of Danielle, preying on her teenage rebellion against her parents in an attempt to win her over. His plan is completely insane in its purpose, but utterly intellectual in its careful planning. It's only a shame that this wonderful assault on the psyche is almost ruined by an ending that is standard, run-of-the-mill concluding material that leaves us little surprise. It takes a well-known path in which the people we guess will die do die, leaving those we wish would die alive. There is no shock or stunned amazement, no look of disbelief on our faces, because nothing is different. This adds to the movie's feeling of underachievement, as it had so many things going for it. Instead of ending the film the way we have already guessed, it may have been more intriguing to see Cady use his mind tricks to further his revenge, until he exacts the ultimate revenge on Bowden by landing him in jail for attempted murder. This would be a perfect crowning to his plan, while giving us an ending that is truly original. Still, "Cape Fear" has quite a few good things going for it. The style and substance work well together, as do the separate angles of the story and the wonderful cast, who play their parts to the extreme. The ending may fall short of the material, but the uneasy feeling I got in my chair must account for something, and that is the undeniable sense of suspense and dread, inspired by a psychological war that is effectively chilling.
Rating: 
Summary: How Can You Compare this to the Original?
Review: On its own, this film is alright. It has some good things, but its not fantastic. When compared to the origina 1962 version, its a different story. Its horribe! Part of the artistic vlue of the original was the difference in class between Sam and Max. In this version, Nick Nolte character is just as low and dirty and the real villain. People seem to think that more is better, but this has to much explicitness. This is an enjoyable film, but anyone who is too stupid to watch th original and compare them is just missing out on a great piece of cinematic masterpiece!
Rating:
Summary: Not Scorsese's best, but still brilliantly laid out & acted.
Review: Martin Scorsese's slick remake of the 1961 classic Cape Fear may not have the style of that one, but when Scorsese has his style in hand, why carp? Cape Fear this time (still same story, but some minor adjustments) has Robert De Niro in tip-top shape as a ex-convict just right out of prison after 14 years, who after being self educated decides to seek out his lawyer who did him wrong by sending him to prison (Nick Nolte plays a good streesed out family man) and make his and his familie's lives living hell. That's the basic plot and it sets up a lot of good excitement and thrills from the cast- Scorsese uses every one, and also lets improvisation steal some of the best scenes (the scene in the theater between Lewis and DeNiro for example). The climactic ship scene is one of Scorsese's best scenes. Not a total 5 star movie from Scorsese like the esceptional Raging Bull or Taxi Driver and certainly not the best film ever GoodFellas, but definately worth a look, especially Scorsese fans who will see a lot of his trademarks. Massively entertaining as well. Gregory Peck, who starred in the original Cape Fear, has a cameo as a lawyer.
Rating:
Summary: I am Robert DeNiro
Review: I prefer this version to the previous one. However, I am biased, because, in fact, I am Bob DeNiro!
Rating: 
Summary: Dissapointing for Robert De Niro
Review: Cape Fear is alright, but is dissapointing for a De Niro film. I didn't like the way we know who the killer is throughout the movie but it gives you an interesting aspect towards how things could really turn out. The final scenes at Cape Fear are awesome though, and it was about time SOMETHING exciting happened, it was pretty slow before these scenes.
Rating:
Summary: A spectacular remake
Review: Robert DeNiro is great as Max Cady. He is a great villian. His performance was over the top. I expected based on the 1962 version more from Nick Nolte. Julliete Lewis was great as the young daughter that Max torments and finds in the school.
Rating:
Summary: so-so scorsese
Review: Martin Scorsese is one of the finest directors currently working in the world, but Cape Fear is one of his lesser successes. This unnecessary remake of the 1961 Robert Mitchum vehicle, starring Robert de Niro in the role of Max Cadey and Nick Nolte as the lawyer whose family he harrasses, is so lacking in subtlety the best way to read it is as a joke about the excesses of modern cinema. De Niro is certainly sending himself up, with an over-the-top, nearly Gothic performance Max Shreck (Nosferatu) would have been proud of. The movie has its plus points of course (it is a Scorsese after all) but seeing as its primary strength is Bernard Herrmann's magnificent score, also used in the first version, there is not an awful lot to recommend Scorsese's Cape Fear over the original. I would recommend this film only to the Scorsese completist - there is much in terms of cinematography which is good - or to someone with an interest in exploring the differences between a contemporary movie's way of telling a story and the mannerisms of one from a slightly earlier era. In other words, either watch the first one or watch both.
Rating:
Summary: Scorsese at his best.
Review: This film is simply excellent. Re making an already excellent film is difficult but Martin Scorsese improves on the Gregory Peck/ Robert Mitchum original. De Niro is both scary and at the same time hilarious as villian Max Cady and Nick Nolte adds a darker edge to Gregory Pecks original performance. A film everyone (of legal age of course) should see and a must for De Niro fans.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing
Review: I bought this movie the other day at Suncoast because I am a big fan of Robert De Niro and I had never seen it. I watched it later that night, and I found it to be very good, but also very, very disturbing. It is about this convict that has just been released from prison after 15 years, and he decides to take revenge on his lawyer that put him there. He starts stalking the lawyer (played by Nick Nolte) and his teenage daugter and wife. This version of the movie is quite different from the original in many ways. In the original, the family were so happy together. They were like the friggin' Brady Bunch. In Martin Scorsese's new version, they are very close to being torn apart. Sam (the lawyer) is fooling around with another woman, and his wife suspects something is going on. Dannielle (their daughter) is well aware that her parents are having problems and often locks herself in her room, cuts up the television and calls a friend to get away from her parents constant fighting. The family is in trouble throughout the whole movie. Also, in the original, Max Cady's attacks are not shown, just implied. In this version, however, we witness each one of them in graphic, horrifying detail. There are alot of changes, but I guess the director felt that it made the story more realistic. THIS IS NOT A MOVIE FOR CHILDREN OR PRE-TEENS AT ALL! Overall, it was a good movie, but it is definitly not for everyone, especially the squemish.
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