Apple TV Review: Why 'Cape Fear' is Predictable yet Fun

Courtesy of Apple TV

Cape Fear is the highly anticipated television remake of the same movies from 1962 and 1991. This time Javier Bardem takes the role as the cunning and manipulative Max Cady. Previous adaptions had Robert Mitchum and Robert De Niro as Cady but this time Bardem takes on the role and adds his own flair to the character. Amy Adams plays the lawyer who defended Max and Patrick Wilson plays the prosecutor who put Max in jail. With this being a mini series, there is more story elements involved than the previous films. Does it live up to the hype?

Javier Bardem is fantastic as Max Cady. Anyone with a pulse knew that Cady would kill this role. Bardem is no stranger to playing sadistic and manipulative villains. One of his most famous roles was in No Country for Old Men as Anton Chigurh. That role put him on the map in American cinema and made him a huge star. This time Bardem is more charming in his role as Cady. His ability to manipulate the Bowden family is great to watch. Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson play power couple lawyers who ultimately put Max in jail. Anna (Amy Adams) is constantly worried about her family's safety after Max is released from jail. At first, they think she's crazy but as time goes on they fear she might be right.

Cape Fear suffers from one thing. The show is predictable. Everything you think is going to happen probably happens. As I was watching the show, I predicted so many events that happened before it did. That's not to toot my own horn, it's to say that Cape Fear is a show that is easy to read. You know what is going to happen before it even happens. That could be because of the previous two adaptations or it could just be the show's poor excuse for unpredictability.

Even though it is predictable, Cape Fear is a fun show to watch. The performances make up for the show's predictability especially Javier Bardem. It's awesome to feel an actor's presence while watching a show. Bardem's presence lights up this dark show. His charm and manipulation tactics almost have you rooting for him even though you know how evil and sadistic he truly is. The show does a good job of almost making you feel bad for him. The cinematography in the show is great as well especially during the violent scenes. The show pulls no punches in showing gory violence. The creators made a great choice doing this because this type of violence should be shown in a show like this. Amy Adams does a good job in her role as Anna but that Southern accent she does is rough in some scenes. Still Adams brings huge credibility to the role and elevates everyone around her. The best scenes in the show are between her and Bardem. It's like watching Muhammad Ali vs Mike Tyson.

One thing that could be better is the need for jump scares or false scares in most of the show. In most scenes, you'll hear the music get tense and signal that something thrilling or scary is about to happen. I would like to see more acted scenes between the characters where the acting is the real tension, not music or jump scares. Still, Cape Fear is a show that people can watch and be entertained. Even though you'll know what's going to happen, it does a great job of making you want to watch more.

What do you think of Cape Fear? Leave a comment!