I have not seen the original Cape Fear, so therefore cannot compare the two films, but from what I saw of this one, it is surely to be the most violent one. The film has a criminal getting released from prison and going after the lawyer who screwed him over. But he also deals with the man's wife and daughter, weaving his way into their lives and making it known he's out for a little vengeance. The potential is all here -- a great director, a nice cast, and a good story to begin with, but the film simply can't manage to rise above anything other than slightly above average. For starters, the film opens very well, jumping right into the tale of this obsessed madman, but towards the end the scares wind down into silliness and predictability. After the great first act, the end is a huge letdown. Another tired horror movie cliche showdown between good and evil. You know the film is leading up to this, and are hoping the director will shock you by throwing in some surprises to throw you off. But he never does. What this film does have going for it are great actors -- especially Juliette Lewis -- and a director who handles the material the best he can, judging by what he has. Great camera angles, tense close-ups...he does fine. But the script manages to be nothing more than a Fatal Attraction/Dead Calm/Basic Instinct clone. For the most part, this film is better than those in the sense that it works more on a psychological level. But the methods used to get there are all the same old tricks. Many scenes are too long and overly drawn out, while others fall helplessly into conventions and stereotypes. The film itself is too long as well. In the end this adds up to nothing more than an average psycho-thriller with the exception of good acting and direction. Watch if you dare.
