Cape Fear (1991) User Reviews

No Escaping Fear...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 6 October 2022]

Sent to jail for a crime he did commit, a newly released felon has some pain he's to inflict, on the lawyer that defended him, who gave him many years, for the scars of his internment that he carries and he wears, stalking his prey without cover or disguise, the family of Sam Bowden see their world start to capsize, a vengeance full of hate, a psychopath intent, many years of brewing, chewing, digest and ferment.

Robert De Nero delivers a tremendous performance as Max Cady who leaves you under no illusion of the torture he intends to inflict, psychological and physical, on the family of the man responsible for his incarceration. Nick Nolte plays Nick Nolte, not quite as elegantly as Gregory Peck.

'Counselor, could you be there?'

[johnny-08 · 7/10 · 31 July 2008]

Last night on TV there was "Casino" and today "Cape Fear" so I decided to take a look again at those two Scorsese movies. What I remembered from first viewing of "Cape Fear", about 8 years ago, is that that was one scary movie. I was only a kid back then, but even after all these years I felt again that this movie gives great doze of fear. Mostly it is because of brilliant portrayal coming from Robert De Niro (Max Cady is definitely not kind of guy who you wanna meet) and great Martin Scorsese ability to 'manufacture' terrifying scenes (for example when Nolte is hiding behind trash cans and when De Niro says: 'Counselor, could you be there?' - that one reminded me of Walter Hill's "The Warriors" and Luther in the same movie). Scorsese + De Niro (his all time favorite) never fails to deliver when they have as good script as this. Here, there is relationship between lawyers and clients, parents and children; also law in America is comprehended, where are holes in system, what can or cannot man do to protect his family and so on. I also read some of the comments that compare this one with the original and spits on this movie. To those people I say that this is an Oscar winning picture for some remakes I have seen in my life. If Mitchum and Peck (stars from the original) gave their blessing why can't you? So, I advise you to take a look at this Scorsese picture because it's scary, with Hitchcock elements and great acting coming from all actors involved. This is a great horror/thriller!!!

Great Actors / Well Made / Flawed Script

[harrishcraig · 6/10 · 21 October 2020]

The film is overlong and fails to build suspense. The game of cat and mouse never turns the tables and watching the same cat play with a mouse becomes monotonous very quickly. The thrills of this thriller are pedestrian and this great role for Robert De Niro overwhelms the film as a whole. The story is not coherent and lacks credibility necessary to truly bring terror or suspense to a viewer.. I do recommend this film as the role is a great one for De Niro but the film itself is a puzzle of mediocrity. I read that the script had 24 drafts and this may be part of the problem. Obviousness. Hollywood crap.

Try The Silent Partner with Eliot Gould and Christopher Plummer for a great example of thrilling cat and mouse.

Intense

[bat-5 · 3 May 1999]

Scorsese inherited this project from Steven Spielberg when the two swapped films. Spielberg got Schindler's List and Scorsese got Cape Fear. It would've been interesting to see how it would've turned out the other way around. As it turns out, Cape Fear is a film that follows Scorsese's usual themes, mainly guilt. Nick Nolte suffers from it, and Robert DeNiro helps to amplify the guilt. He attacks Nolte indirectly, letting Nolte inflict the most damaging on himself. In order to fight this loon, Nolte has to sink to his level, which is what DeNiro's Max Cady wanted. Scorsese's use of the camera is fluid and always moving. Those slow zooms on Cady, the whip cuts from one scene to another and the whole end sequence is a doozy. Bernard Herrman's great score is pumped through your speakers in Dolby sound and gives the film, a proper level of menace. Watch this instead of "The Fan." You won't be disappointed.

Don't Give A Psycho A Grudge

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 14 May 2008]

Even though Robert DeNiro was nominated for Best Actor for this Martin Scorsese directed remake of Cape Fear, my heart is still with the original. The multi-tattooed voluminous DeNiro is far less menacing than Robert Mitchum was in the original.

One thing Scorsese did was change the billing to reflect the importance of the characters. Mitchum was billed second to Gregory Peck, the upright attorney who Mitchum threatened and stalked along with Peck's family. Then again Peck was producing the original Cape Fear so of course he was first billed.

Part of the problem was that with some 20 to 30 minutes additional running time Scorsese used it to make his characters a bit more complex. DeNiro was a real basket case as Max Cady in this one whereas Robert Mitchum was just plain no good.

Nick Nolte plays attorney Sam Bowden and he's also far more complex and not such a good guy. In the original film Peck was an attorney, but he was a witness in the trial that convicted Cady of rape. Here he was Cady's attorney and he tanked the case because Cady was such a psycho he deserved to be behind bars. Cady in fact does have a grudge of sorts against him. And it's not good to get a psycho mad at you.

Also Peck and his whole family which consisted of Polly Bergen and Lori Martin back in the original was your basic all American white bread family. Their very wholesomeness made the scope of Mitchum stalking them all the more frightening.

Nolte and Jessica Lange have marital problems and their daughter Juliette Lewis is not Mary Poppins. Not that they deserved what DeNiro was going to do to them, but it does blunt the impact of the scope of his evil.

Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, and Martin Balsam from the original cast all played supporting parts here. But while the film that Scorsese did is a good one, their presence made me all the more hunger for the original.

Not Scorcese's best, but pretty good!

[exterminator_99 · 9/10 · 12 September 2000]

Martin Scorcese's filmography as director is one of the most accomplished in modern film history. While Cape Fear can't even hold a candle next to "Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull" and "Goodfellas", it is still a fabulous remake of the 1962 noir classic and it keeps the viewer on the edge right through until the closing credits.

Robert De Niro (in yet another brilliant teaming with Scorcese behind the camera) plays Max Cady, a psychopathic rapist who was sent to jail 14 years earlier for such crimes. He leaves prison with vengeance. Not for his victims or his prosecutor, but his defence councillor, Sam J. Bowden, played by Nick Nolte. It seems Bowden did not defend Cady to the best of his ability. Cady knows this and wants some payback.

Cady's initial return into Bowden's life could not have come at a worse time. Bowden has been forced to move his family to Florida after his infidelities threatened his marriage and career. His wife is distrustful and worst of all, Bowden is on the verge of beginning another affair with a female workmate. Added to that, his daughter is at the difficult age of 15.

Almost by ozmosis, Cady understands these problems in the Bowden household and acts on them. He begins terrorising Bowden and his whole family, taking it from one extreme to the next.

What makes Cape Fear such a good film is the rapidly increasing sense of claustrophobia. Scorcese makes a point of using almost only close up shots towards the end of the film. It is a great touch that makes the viewer that much more scared as the film goes on.

Along with that, Robert De Niro is superb as Cady. Only occasionally does the role slip into parody. Mostly he is expertly evil.

Nick Nolte is good if not great, the same for Jessica Lange as Leigh Bowden. It seems as if they were void of any great lines in this film, which is unfortunate given their immense talent. Julliette Lewis is absolutely brilliant as the young daughter, Danielle. She slips effortlessly between curious sexual awakenings, rebellious teen and straight thinking woman. Add in small roles for Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck (the leads of the 1962 version) and you have a great ensemble cast.

So not the best Scorcese film ever, but some tight editing, great camerawork, a haunting theme and devilishly over-the-top acting help make this a frighteningly fun movie to watch. Strongly recommended.

A case of slicker and bigger not meaning better, but not a remake to be denounced

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 15 January 2017]

Not one of Martin Scorsese's best films by a long shot (though he has also done worse). This said, as said in my review for 'Hugo', even when Scorsese was not at his best the films in question were still better than the worst films of most. This is also coming from a director who when at his best, like with 'Goodfellas', 'Raging Bull' and 'Taxi Driver' for examples, gave some of the best films out there.

'Cape Fear' is a remake of the 1962 film with Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. While the remake may be slicker visually (the earlier film is still very well made instead, but Scorsese's film is gorgeously audacious) and be bigger and more expansive in its themes and character complexities, there is a vast personal preference for the more atmospheric, creepier and more eerie earlier film, one that didn't need excessive violence, gore or profanity to deliver the shocks, with an ending that was a masterclass in sexual tension and quivering fear and Mitchum unforgettably burning into the memory as how to haunt one's nightmares wile doing it in a much more subtle way.

This is in no way denouncing Scorsese's film though. It is not as good (often very good though with major problems, while the 1962 film to me is a near-masterpiece let down only by the female characters not being as interesting) and perhaps not necessary. However, compared to how a lot of remakes have fared, which has seen abominations like the remakes for 'Psycho' and 'The Wicker Man' that should never have been made in the first place, it isn't halfway bad and hardly an amateur project.

Where Scorsese does score over the 1962 film is in two things. One is the more expanded upon relationship between Cady and Danielle, which is genuinely disturbing and effectively makes the skin crawl as ought, it also further added to what was an already sadistic human monster (or shall we say psychopath?) like Cady. Even more so of an improvement is the portrayal of the Bowden family, instead of being humble and neatly black and white like it could have been (not knocking the 1962 film here) each member were portrayed as flawed characters with strengths and vulnerabilities, and much more of a family falling apart at the seams.

Visually, 'Cape Fear' looks fantastic, the use of cinematic techniques not only dazzling in technical beauty but also adding a lot to the horror-like atmosphere rather than distracting. That is not surprising considering that it is the work of the great Freddie Francis, achieving great success with the likes of Amicus and Hammer. The film cleverly utilises Bernard Hermann's wonderful score from the 1962 film, arranged and conducted by Elmer Bernstein, there was the worry as to whether it would sound melodramatic, exaggerated and anachronistic in this particular film when it worked so brilliantly in the 1962 film, but it actually succeeded in giving the film a real eeriness and dramatic thrust and tension.

A good deal of 'Cape Fear' is hugely entertaining. The first half in particular is rich in dreaded suspense and genuine entertainment. There are too scenes that chill the blood, like the scene between Cady and Lori and that between him and Kersek. Scorsese directs adeptly, often with a visual mastery, a knack of suspense and compelling character interaction.

Robert De Niro's performance has been praised for being terrifying but also criticised for being over the top to the point of being a cartoon, both valid opinions. To me, while there is a much bigger preference for the creepier but more understated Mitchum and there are times where De Niro does fall into overdone parody, it is a very powerful and often scary performance in a fascinating, chilling and larger than life role, apart from the unstoppable Terminator-like traits in place bordering on the cartoonish. Nick Nolte does a very good job, bringing intensity and empathy to a morally ambiguous character that is written as much more than a heroic sort of role.

Juliette Lewis' performance has also polarised viewers, again to me she was compelling in her rebellious attitude and sexual curiosity but also in the ability to think straight. Joe Don Baker is the standout in support and a casting highlight, a very strong performance. Having Peck and Mitchum (and Martin Balsam) in cameo roles the anti-thesis of their 1962 'Cape Fear' characters was a masterstroke.

However, was not crazy about Jessica Lange, a very good actress. She didn't have an easy character to play, one with not a lot to do and one who seems to be in permanent shock and terror, but Lange both overdoes it and phones it in to the point that the character is annoying. While absorbing most of the time, especially in the first and second acts, a few of the Cady character building scenes did drag and go on for too long, 20-25 minutes trimming may have made things better.

More problematic was that the thicker the story got the more excessive it got too. Especially suffering is the ridiculously unintentionally funny and illogical scene where Kersek's body is found and an ending that is ludicrously overblown and missing the suspense, sexual tension and quivering fear (plus that masterly improvisation touch with the egg) conveyed so unforgettably in the 1962 film. The violence did disturb a good deal, but at numerous times it didn't feel necessary, sometimes less-is-more and more atmosphere is better, and felt over-the-top, cartoony and more at place in a graphic cartoon or something.

All in all, inferior but still surprisingly well done despite being a long way from perfect. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Another classic in the bag for Scorsese and De Niro.

[Chuck-149 · 9/10 · 7 September 1999]

I haven't seen the original "Cape fear" with Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck yet, but it's got to be pretty good to be better than this one. Although the end is somewhat a little farfetched, the rest of the movie is absolutely riveting. De Niro got a very well-deserved nomination for his role as crazy Max Cady but fell on a bad year because it was pretty hard to beat Hopkin's performance in "The silence of the lambs".

After 14 years in jail, Max Cady is released and goes back to New Essex to seek revenge on Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte), his attorney at the public defendor's office back then when he was convicted. Now, I can't tell you why he seeks revenge on Bowden without spoiling the plot of the movie. However, I can tell you that De Niro is excellent and that Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis, and surprisingly enough, Joe Don Baker, are very good as well. The final scene at Cape fear is incredibly tense. Although a little gory for one or two scenes, "Cape fear" is well worth a watch.

Entertaining But Rather Flawed And Slightly Dated

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 19 February 2008]

When it was released in 1991 GMTV film reviewer Paul Gambacini described Scorsese's CAPE FEAR as " being ham directed " . This is yet more evidence that if you want to be a film reviewer it's not what you know , it's who you know . CAPE FEAR isn't a film that suffers from " ham directing " , it's a film that is rather formalist and suffers from what David Bordwell describes as " intensified continuity " . If you're unfamiliar with the term then please look it up and Scorsese wasn't the only American director using the technique because many other directors especially Oliver Stone were doing exactly the same thing in the early 1990s . If Scorsese is to be criticised for doing this then the entire American film industry is equally guilty

If there is a problem with intensified continuity it's that most directors quickly abandoned it with the exception of Oliver Stone which meant he was destined to cinematic obscurity . Watching these type of films in 2007 means they appear rather dated , similar in some ways to watching films from the mid 1980s where you realise the most important aspect is the soundtrack

CAPE FEAR is a fairly entertaining movie but can't be described as a Scorsese masterpiece . DeNiro gives a rather OTT performance as Max Cady , so much so that you find yourself thinking of him as a comic book monster rather than as a real life character . Interestingly enough Scorsese is a director who can be described as misogynistic but by far the two best performances are by Lang and Lewis

The one problem I have with the movie is that it mainly ignores the inadequacy of the law when it comes to stalking . Check the scene where Bowden explains to Lt Elgart that Cady hasn't " been trespassing exactly - Well what exactly ? " . The film would have worked much better and would undoubtedly have been much more credible if this angle had been developed more , but credibility has been sacrificed for entertainment and whilst not a heavy criticism it does make for a flawed movie

A disturbing and intense thriller

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 9/10 · 26 January 2005]

You've pretty much read it in my comments, I am a huge fan of M.S. and R.D. But honestly, I watched "Cape Fear" because I bought "The Simpsons" 5th season on DVD, and I had no idea that the Sideshow Bob episode where he tries to kill Bart was based on this movie. So, I knew I had to rent this movie if it was good enough to parody on "The Simpsons". And it was very disturbing to watch. Robert DeNiro is one of my favorite actors, and he completely freaked me out in this film. Especially the scene between him and Juliette Lewis. Even though in some ways this film is done a little over the top, it all adds together very well. I was very impressed with this film and would recommend it to Martin Scorsesse fans of course. Even though I wouldn't say this was his best work, it is one of his best thrillers though.

9/10

Cape Fear

[auuwws · 7/10 · 15 February 2021]

No medium horror was not terrifying, but it was interesting, most of the characters in the movie prepared by Robert De Niro's character were medium or bad, the story of the film was intense at first, but after a period of watching I lost my interest in his story, I became waiting for the end of the film, the acting was not excellent prepared by Robert D. Nero, who is according to me, is the best actor in the cinema, my rating is 6.9

The Great Un-American Classic!

[Dan1863Sickles · 9/10 · 30 April 2005]

This brutal, violent and suspenseful thriller combines a scorching performance by Robert Deniro, sumptuous location photography, and a powerful script that raises disturbing questions about religion, sex, and class distinctions in our so-called classless society.

At first glance Max Cady seems to be just another creep, a rapist and convict out to torment and humiliate a nice, upper-middle class family. "He's an ex-con," yuppie lawyer Sam Bowden smugly says, with fatuous self-satisfaction. But gradually it becomes apparent that things are not what they seem. The wholesome, "superior" middle class family is rotten with corruption, while the vicious, "psychotic" ex-con is a man of extraordinary courage, intelligence, and spiritual strength. Even his most horrible acts of violence are connected to the corrupt and self-serving behavior of his "betters." What makes this movie work so well is that director Martin Scorsese breaks away from his usual mean streets milieu. If Max Cady had been an Italian wise guy, the movie would have made excuses for him. The outcome would have been predictable. But here the great director remains an impartial observer of criminal behavior, rather than a sentimental apologist for ethnic violence. (As in GANGS OF NEW YORK.) Max Cady is pure evil, but he speaks the truth about the evil of allowing class distinctions to flourish in a so-called "democracy." When it came out, this movie was reviled by critics, especially by effete yuppies like Terence Rafferty at GQ and VANITY FAIR. Most of them whined about the violence, but it was painfully clear that what really disturbed them was the possibility that an ugly ex-con really could be smarter, tougher, and more virtuous than a spoiled yuppie lawyer.

Shocking!!!

Strong story

[grahamsj3 · 7/10 · 8 January 2005]

This is a very disturbing film. It deals with the human psyche and how it can be used as a weapon. Robert DeNiro is totally brilliant (isn't he usually?) in this psychological thriller. Also starring Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis, this is a film that will keep you on the edge of your seat. DeNiro is a man who has just been released from prison after being convicted of rape and Nolte is the man who was his Public Defender and who may have withheld some evidence that could have resulted in DeNiro's acquittal. As you may imagine, DeNiro's character is not very happy with Nolte's character. Nolte's wife, superbly played by Jessica Lange and his daughter, excellently done by Juliette Lewis, are also terrorized. I found this film to be disturbing because it deals with a mentally unbalanced person using psychological attacks to bring down a sane family. It is both believable and scary. There is little actual violence, but it isn't needed. There's plenty of suspense. I liked this film very much. You will too.

Ridiculously cartoon-like

[mrouhiain · 3/10 · 19 March 2012]

This is one remake we could very well have lived without. When I watched the original Cape Fear for the first time, it was in a way one of the scariest movies I had ever seen. I was a teenage girl at the time and it was quite a shocking experience to feel attracted to the masculine magnetism of Robert Mitchum as Max Cady while knowing his character was a dangerous violent rapist. It got me thinking whether I would be smart and strong enough not to play with fire if I came face to face with somebody oozing the same kind of overwhelming sexiness as Robert Mitchum in this movie, even if I felt at the same time the hidden menace emanating from him, like from Mitchum's Max Cady in every scene. I didn't know the answer to that question and it scared the hell out of me.

The original was scary, because it brought the menace so close psychologically. You didn't know where Max Cady was going to show up, in the big chase scene you didn't know for sure whether it was really Cady or just somebody harmless after the girl and you didn't know whether he was going to find his way to the family in their hideaway and how he'd find them.

The remake on the other hand was bad from the start. The first scene with overly tattooed and crazy-eyed Robert De Niro training in his cell already got me thinking that the movie was going to go from bad to worse. De Niro's Max Cady was a one-dimensional overly obviously crazy and dangerous guy with little or no sex appeal. He was so over the top stereotyped cartoon bad guy that it was laughable, not menacing. And what's with the hanging under the car scene? Can a scene be any more unnecessary than that? A huge part of the scariness of scary movies is that you don't know how and where the monster will appear. And Scorsese tells us exactly how the bogeyman gets to the hideaway. The mistake of telling how the bad guy gets to the hideaway could still have been excusable if the movie makers hadn't chosen such an unrealistic way of transportation for Max Cady. I mean, hanging under the car for several miles? Are you kidding me? Did Scorsese really expect the viewers to buy into the concept?

Nick Nolte and his family were all unlikeable people, so I found myself wondering why I should sympathize with those people. I'm not a big fan of Juliette Lewis anyway and with her voluntary flirting with the unattractive De Niro and her dysfunctional family relationships it was difficult to believe that her father would be willing to go to extremes to protect her. No, it felt like it wasn't about protecting the family, it was a pissing contest between Nolte and De Niro, about which guy was the toughest and baddest. Nolte cared less about keeping his daughter and wife safe from a violent rapist than he cared about one-upping De Niro by making sure he wouldn't get to mess with what was Nolte's.

All in all, a movie not worth all the hype it got when released.

"Counselor, Come Out! Come Out! Wherever You Are!"

[BaronBl00d · 10 April 2001]

Robert De Niro is one of those actors that just melts into a role. His performance as rapist, convict, and all-around not-a-very-nice fellow Max Cady is certainly one of his most memorable performances for its stamina, strength, and excessiveness. The film by Martin Scorsece is a remake of the classic film starring Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck. Although Scorsece keeps the spirit of the film intact, he does make some very modern changes. He changes the role of Sam Bowden and family from one of harmony to dysfunction. No character is the epitome of a universal good, but rather flawed(very flawed) goodness. Nick Nolte does a fine job as Bowden and Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis both give deep, emotional performances. The film is really a sea of emotion...most of that emotion being fear. Scorsece adds some arty touches with the camera, but it is his gritty style that really dominates the film's impact. Scorsece also is ever the protector of film as he gives cameos to Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, and Martin Balsam(all in the original film). The other acting standout goes to Joe Don Baker as a hired private investigator. But make no mistake....this is De Niro's film all the way. He has some of the best lines as he harasses the Bowden family, terrorizes the Bowden family, and strips the Bowden family of all civility, pretense, and dignity. This film is definitely a keeper!

Cape Fear

[snoducky · 7/10 · 5 September 2023]

A slightly more than decent film. Not a bad plot alongside great acting and actors. This film is interesting because it truly shows how someone can get into another's head, to an extent of constant thought about that person and constant fear of that being. In the end the movie does get a bit repetitive with Robert De Niro sometimes reminding me of the Terminator with his skilful tactics and plans. It's also interesting to see how environments shape people, in this case the jail made Max logical, intelligent, strong and stealthy. Max's character shows how intimidation can effect the human brain, trigger panic and stupidity.

Overall a solid film.

Robert DeNiro truly gives this movie its element of fear

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 24 May 2005]

To me, it's amazing that there's actually a place in North Carolina called Cape Fear, but it provides the perfect setting for this movie. Several years after attorney Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) defended convicted rapist Max Cady (Robert DeNiro), Cady gets out of jail and decides that Bowden didn't do a good job defending him. After Sam and Max meet each other a few times, Max starts getting crazier and crazier. After he tries to enter Sam's house, Sam and his family go into hiding at Cape Fear. Then, the terror really begins.

Martin Scorsese brought a unique intensity to movies like "Mean Streets" and "Taxi Driver", but this is something completely different. Whereas his earlier movies simply made you identify with the characters, "Cape Fear" makes you both identify with the characters and find them unpleasant. Not only Max Cady, but also the Bowdens. They are never the "ideal American family", but Cady's threats against them make them get progressively nastier in their attitudes towards each other and to other people.

I think that it's safe to say that after watching "Cape Fear", you will never look at any person the same way again.

Released ex-con blames an advocate for his prison and schemes an insidious vendetta on his family

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 4 March 2012]

Gripping and extraordinary psycho-thriller with an unforgettable Robert De Niro who suffers incarceration and seeks revenge as a nasty criminal and believably creepy . This thriller has a clear reminiscent to previous remake based on John MacDonald's novel titled ¨The executioners¨ and adding riveting psychological layers . It concerns on Max Cady (Robert De Niro, also producer , role formerly performed by Robert Mitchum) a psycho ex-convict excellently played by De Niro , who released from jail after fourteen years accuses a Southern lawyer , a magnificent Nick Nolte, for his several years imprisoned and plans a malevolent vengeance ,vowing make a living hell for his wife (Jessica Lange , anterior role by Polly Bergen) and daughter (Juliette Lewis , previously performed by Lori Martin). Nolte is helped by the chief Inspector (the politician Fred Dalton Thompson , formerly interpreted by Martin Balsam) and he hires an astute detective (Joe Don Baker , role of Telly Savalas) to watch him . Meanwhile, Max Cady/De Niro plays to cat and mouse with his family which is increasingly menaced .

This exciting film with interesting screenplay by Wesley Strick contains psychological characterization , grisly triller , tense situations and is pretty entertaining , though overlong . It's brilliant , atmospheric and slickly developed , almost a masterpiece . Phenomenal and artistic main titles by Saul Bass , Hitchcock's usual . Lavishly produced by the great Steven Spielberg and Barbara De Fina , Scorsese's ordinary producer . Awesome performance from De Niro as a self-educated wacko with ominous purports , though sometimes hands the role overblown and overacting way . Major asset are the continuous suspense and marvelous acting though at the ending becomes into an unbelievable terror film . Casting is frankly awesome with exceptional performances, especially by Nolte as a wily advocate at law , Jessica Lange as suffering wife and Joe Don Baker as a tough eye-private . Brief star cameos by Gregory Peck , Robert Mitchum and Martin Balsam who starred the classical version (1962) by J. Lee Thompson and screenplay by James R. Webb , still daring for his time . Musical score by Elmer Berstein based on the soundtrack composed by the master Bernard Herrmann with a similar style from Hitchcock music films . Sensational and colorful cinematography in Panavision by the excellent and veteran British cameraman Freddie Francis . The motion picture is splendidly directed by Martin Scorsese , one of the best contemporary filmmakers . It's a must see for Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte fans. The film is one of the best thrillers from the 90s in spite of being a remake . Rating : Better than average, well worth watching .

One of the better thrillers of the 90's

[Idocamstuf · 9/10 · 9 December 2004]

I have wanted to see this movie for quite some time, and I finally saw it, and I thought that it was great. I am a huge Martin Scorsese fan, and I would have to say this is one of his most true to life films, even though its not his best film. The acting is great,and so is the music. The film will send shivers through your body. This is also one of DeNiro's most underrated performances and deserved more attention at the time of its release. Its also great to see some of the actors from the original version show up in cameo roles. If you like horror films and thrillers, you will most likely enjoy this. ***1/2 out of ****. A recommended viewing.

Average flick

[Leungzy · 6/10 · 22 November 2021]

I thought this movie was average enough. The only things that stood out to me and that were memorable was the soundtrack's theme song and De Niro showing off his acting range. He plays his character very well.

Other than that, I probably wouldn't be in a rush to watch this movie again in the future as sometimes the story was a bit far fetched.

De Niro at his very best.

[stefg01 · 10/10 · 4 October 2001]

Cape Fear is one of those movies,people go to the cinema for.This cast is really terrific with a very good performance of Nick Nolte,who has always been a solid actor.But what made this film so thrilling is Robert De Niro.He really scares you to death.With some other movies you'll sit at the edge of your seat,but Cape Fear is from a higher level.If you don't watch out,you will just fall off or even worse,get a heart attack!

Pretty good remake.

[poolandrews · 6/10 · 3 June 2008]

Cape Fear starts as psycho Max Cady (Robert De Niro) is released from prison after serving fourteen years for sexual battery, while inside Max studied the law & found out that his defense lawyer Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) withheld critical evidence which might have cleared him. Unhappy at losing fourteen years of his life unnecessarily Max sets out to get even, he rapes one of Sam's co-workers, he harasses him at every opportunity yet remains within the confines of the law & Max threatens Sam's family including poisoning their dog. Sam has nowhere left to turn, the police can't do anything & he fears for his own & his family's lives...

Directed by Martin Scorsese this is a remake of the original Cape Fear (1962) & while I admit I have never seen the original I thought this was a decent enough film. The script by Wesley Strick was based on the novel 'The Executioners' by John D. MacDonald & is a psychological thriller that is maybe a touch long at over two hours but entertains, has a good solid story, good character's & an edgy feel to it throughout. A lot of the film is spent showing how clever Cady is, how he can use the limits of the law to harass & threaten the Bowden family knowing the law can't touch him, it tires to point out the inadequacies of the law & that intent isn't taken into consideration. Then it tries to say that taking the law into your own hands is the only option, which of course it isn't but you can't really blame the Bowden's. Then the climax is a big Hollywood action set-piece on a boat that is out of control during a fierce storm. The film works well enough, it comes together nicely, the character's & dialogue are fine & it's reasonably logical. A good if unspectacular thriller that probably goes on for twenty odd minutes too long.

Apparently Steven Spielberg was set to direct this but never & ended up as an executive producer on it. The film looks nice enough, there are lots of close-ups & some strange camera angles which give the film a bit of style. The violence isn't too graphic, there's some fights, a rape where Cady bites a chunk out of his victims cheek & there's some blood splatter as well. Director Scorsese apparently wanted Harrison Ford to play Bowden but I guess he didn't want to do it while the likes of Drew Barrymore & Reese Witherspoon both auditioned for the role of Danielle.

With a supposed budget of about $35,000,000 this has good production values although some of the model shots of the boat at the end aren't that impressive. The acting is good, Robert De Niro is just watchable no matter what he is in while Nolte puts in a good performance too. Three cast members who appeared in the 1962 original, Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum & Martin Balsam all have small roles in this remake.

Cape Fear is a good solid psycho thriller remake that maybe goes on for a bit too long & outstays it's welcome but is worth watching all the same.

Another great movie from Scorsese and DeNiro...

[Jyri · 8/10 · 18 November 1998]

...and the best movie Nick Nolte will ever be in.

Probably would have been better had it not been for the loose Hitchcock references...

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 7/10 · 19 February 2005]

I have never read the original book of this movie, nor have I seen the '62 version. I found myself watching this movie for a second time, and not quite sure why I did see it again. It might have been for the actors in it, or the Hitchcock-like style of it, but most likely, it was just because I remembered that Juliette Lewis is in it... and she's every bit as talented as she was in later films. Truth be told, the movie just isn't really that impressive. The direction is sub-par for Scorsese, the acting is below common expectations for Nolte and De Niro and the pacing is dire. The directorial style shows inspiration from the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. Normally I would immediately say that this is a good thing, but Scorsese misuses the suspense-building elements that Hitchcock used to great effect in his films... and thereby ruins a lot of needed intensity. A good bit of the music(if not all of it) is also inspired of Hitchcock... this isn't all bad, but there are scenes where it seems completely out of place. The movie has some good scenes, but they are few and far between. I barely paid attention to the film on my second viewing... that says something about how meandering, overlong and slow it is. Just when you think it's about to end, it goes on. And on. And on. The narration is somewhat flat, despite Lewis' talent. The acting isn't particularly impressive, compared to what De Niro(who should be restrained, physically, if necessary, from ever attempting a Southern accent again) and Nolte has done in the past. The direction isn't anything special for Scorsese. All in all, this is OK for a thriller, but not something you'll want to watch more than once. I recommend this to fans of Scorsese, De Niro, Nolte and, to a lesser extent, Lewis. Big fans of Hitchcock should probably avoid this, though. I won't say that Scorsese taints his overall body of work... but it's close. 7/10

Scorsese on Elm Street....

[mcfly-31 · 4/10 · 6 June 2009]

I think we all begin a lot of reviews with, "This could've made a GREAT movie." A demented ex-con freshly sprung, a tidy suburban family his target. Revenge, retribution, manipulation. Marty's usual laying on of the Karo syrup. But unfortunately somewhere in Universal's high-rise a memorandum came down: everyone ham it up.

Nolte only speaks with eyebrows raised, Lange bitches her way through cigarettes, Lewis "Ohmagod's!" her way though her scenes, and Bobby D...well, he's on a whole other magic carpet. Affecting some sort of Cajun/Huckleberry Hound accent hybrid, he chomps fat cigars and cackles at random atrocities such as "Problem Child". And I want you to imagine the accent mentioned above. Now imagine it spouting brain-clanging religious rhetoric at top volume like he swallowed six bibles, and you have De Niro's schtick here. Most distracting of all, though, is his most OVERDONE use of the "De Niro face" he's so lampooned for. Eyes squinting, forehead crinkled, lips curled. Crimany, Bob, you looked like Plastic Man.

The story apparently began off-screen 14 years earlier, when Nolte was unable to spare De Niro time in the bighouse for various assaults. Upon release, he feels Nolte's misrep of him back then warrants the terrorizing of he and his kin. And we're supposed to give De Niro's character a slight pass because Nolte withheld information that might've shortened his sentence. De Niro being one of these criminals who, despite being guilty of unspeakable acts, feels his lack of freedom justifies continuing such acts on the outside. Mmm-kay.

He goes after Notle's near-mistress (in a scene some may want to turn away from), his wife, his daughter, the family dog, ya know. Which is one of the shortcomings of Wesley Strick's screenplay: utter predictability. As each of De Niro's harassments becomes more gruesome, you can pretty much call the rest of the action before it happens. Strick isn't to be totally discredited, as he manages a few compelling dialogue-driven moments (De Niro and Lewis' seedy exchange in an empty theater is the film's best scene), but mostly it's all over-cranked. Scorsese's cartoonish photographic approach comes off as forced, not to mention the HORRIBLY outdated re-worked Bernard Hermann score (I kept waiting for the Wolf Man to show up with a genetically enlarged tarantula).

Thus we arrive at the comedic portion of the flick. Unintentionally comedic, that is. You know those scenes where something graphically horrific is happening, but you can't help but snicker out of sight of others? You'll do it here. Nolte and Lange squawking about infidelity, De Niro's thumb-flirting, he cross-dressing, and a kitchen slip on a certain substance that has to be seen to believed. And Bob's infernal, incessant, CONSTANT, mind-damaging, no-end-in sight blowhard ramblings of all the "philosophy" he disovered in prison. I wanted him killed to shut him up more than to save this annoying family.

I always hate to borrow thoughts from other reviewers, but here it's necessary. This really *is* Scorsese's version of Freddy Krueger. The manner in which De Niro relishes, speaks, stalks, withstands pain, right down to his one-liners, is vintage Freddy. Upon being scalded by a pot of thrown water: "You trying' to offer sumpin' hot?" Please. And that's just one example.

Unless you were a fan of the original 1962 flick and want a thrill out of seeing Balsam, Peck, and Mitchum nearly 30 years later (or want a serious head-shaking film experience), avoid a trip to the Cape.