Intensity (1997)

Expected more

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

(SPOILER WARNING!) I really love Dean Koontz' books, yet I somehow must've missed this book because I don't remember reading it. But I was excited to see the movie available via Comcast OnDemand. The movie was frustrating and disappointing. Typical horror movie plot where the lead character is a complete moron and does everything a sane person wouldn't. And of course every possible thing that could go wrong DOES.Hmmm... some psycho just killed everyone in the house. Instead of hiding somewhere, let me follow the guy around and peer through windows and bushes at him. Then I'll sneak on the RV and go along for the ride. She has plenty of opportunities to escape, call the authorities, get away and yet she doesn't. A few more annoyances: -Typical clueless police and innocent bystanders, typical lead character who can't just SPIT OUT what the problem is and get the authorities involved. -I love how the kindly old detective pulls up at the scene of the "accident" and finds the lady dead behind the wheel. He just nods softly and says "Poor old (Missus so-and-so) and her beat-up ol' Chevy" and then gets in the police sedan and DRIVES OFF! LEAVES A DEAD BODY HANGING OUT OF A CAR! (and then gets a "slap on the wrist" later) Oh, and the reason this lady died in the first place is because her car stalled in front of the killer and couldn't be restarted. Darn the luck. (How original) -I also love how the detective told the lead character they probably couldn't get information on the RV because that would have to come from Portland?? and what with the holiday and all.. Because you KNOW law enforcement shuts down for weekends and holidays. Gonna have to wait on that partial VIN until next Monday, I reckon' -The leading lady is already severely emotionally disturbed from her own childhood and gets constant flashbacks, but thinks that she can take on this killer with no prior experience and no weapons, no cell phone, no tools. She spends half of the movie ducking in and out of the killers RV. -There's about 45 minutes of footage JUST of her struggling and moaning while restrained with chains and handcuffs in two different scenes.I could go on for hours. I was just really disappointed. Instead of being a scary movie and taking you by surprise, it was an endless parade of typical horror movie scenes that all consisted of the lead character being an idiot and trying to single-handedly save the day since law enforcement is no help, there are no phones anywhere, no civilization.... You spend the whole movie yelling at the screen "NO! What are you DOING!! Get the heck OUT OF THERE and RUN!!" ugh...

if it is edited for TV you will not get the full effect. Overall, this is a suspenseful, believable book and story, and the movie succeeds because of John C.McGinley, and Molly Parker. McGinley is excellent as the killer, and is also quite believable; he doesn't overplay the part;and his mannerisms and expressions are always memorable; (I first saw him in "Wall Street", with Charlie Sheen,(1987) and he was quite funny.I do see that several reviews from other countries were not as favorable; since I am in America, you must realize that we are lucky when a talented, non-box-office actor is given a decent role; Hollywood usually miscasts the films, and uses someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger (yawn) Molly Parker's character, Chyna, has had a difficult past, which we glimpse through flashbacks. These scenarios give insight as to why she chooses to pursue the killer, and her bond with the child victim, Ariel.I will not divulge the ending, except to say this movie is definitely worth buying the DVD, and also reading Dean Koontz' book.

This movie was excellent, in my opinion. I am an avid reader of Dean Koontz and Stephen King novels and Intensity did a pretty good job of following the book. My only gripe about it is that I can't find it on DVD anywhere. I can't even find a videotape of it. I think that's because it was a made-for-TV-movie. Still, there have been many other made-for-TV-movies that have become available on DVD or video. Why not this one? I got my wife to start reading Dean Koontz some time ago. I promised her that when she got done reading the book that we would watch the movie. Unfortunately, I can't even find the movie on television anymore. This movie shows a really good example of an average person (Chyna Sheperd) overcoming her own fears with courage and a desire to make things right. Edglar Vess is just plain creepy and twisted!

I've only see John McGinley in comedic roles like "Scrubs" so I was awed at the excellent acting job he did in this movie. I missed the 1st 30 minutes when it aired recently on cable but apparently it is not shown very often. I found it extremely "intense". The heroine Chyna was a little annoying like shutting the door of the RV when she sneaked into it from the woods after the bad guy had left it open and leaving a nice trail of footprints right to the back room; checking to make sure the gun had bullets; throwing herself down a flight of stairs while chained to a chair (she could have killed herself and then what good would she do to poor little Ariel), etc. I was actually yelling at her from the couch because she seemed to do some really stupid things. And could somebody please tell me what the significance of the white wolf was? Since I missed the first 30 minutes I thought perhaps it mentioned something about the wolf which seemed to give her courage. To the viewer who asked where John McGinley got the cop car and uniform, I was under the impression that he WAS a cop. Maybe that is just my impression. All in all despite some stupid heroine stunts, the movie keeps you on your toes. I actually couldn't sleep that night hours after watching the movie. I don't watch a lot of suspense shows but this is a winner.