Legacy of Fear (2006)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

***SPOILERS*** Lifetime Network serial murder flick that spans 30 years and includes more then a dozen victims. It all starts in 1977 when this psycho dubbed the PBS Killer went on a rampage murdering some half dozen people that ended with the brutal murder of Mrs. Linda Joyce, Jean Nicola, in what is now called, not back then in 1977, a home invasion. In his haste the BPS killer left alive Linda's 10 year old daughter Jeanne, Teri Polo, whom he promised to finish off in a future date. It was Jeanne's father detective Don Joyce, Stephen Spender, who spent that next few years trying to hunt down his wife's killer only ending up insane and later in frustration blowing his brains out. He's considered by many to have been the BPS 'last victim.It's now 30 years later and he's at it again the BPS Killer is back and murdering persons the very same way he did back then in 1977. The only difference now is that Jeanne is now all grown up and a hot shot lady detective in the local police force. It's Not only that she's the only hot on his trail but who can also identify him. What Jeanne doesn't quite realize is that his grand plan is to finish her off like he told her he would some 30 years ago. And all his latest killings is to lure her into the trap that he set for her without her knowing about it. And even more surprising is that the killer has planned that for years getting close to Jeanne before she suspects who he is.The BPS Killer is not at all that difficult to spot even if he changed his appearance over the years when he went from a person in his 20's or 30's to someone eligible,or so it seems, to collect a social security check. It's just that he got a lot more brazen and stupider over the years making him far more identifiable and ineffective because of it. He does make an attempt to murder Jeanne at the end of the movie but he's so full of himself in how indestructible he is as well as smart that he screwed himself up instead. Just when he had Jeanne where he wanted her his big mouth , in bragging how smart and clever he is, betrayed him by giving Jeanne the chance , by dropping his guard, to finally finish him off before he could put his evil and crazy plans for her into effect!

I've seen worse, but I've definitely seen Lifetime do better with its movies. It seems like so many recent LMN flicks suffer from unoriginal, filler plots. Legacy of Fear is no different, and it's a shame. You have a cast of good actors and you give them crap dialog and silly scenes, and it makes it all the more boring to watch. Oh well. There are a few redeeming moments in the flick, particularly the fight scene **potential spoiler** between the detective and serial killer, it's just, well, amusing... in an otherwise try-so-hard-to-take-me-serious movie. It's what I like to call a 'nothing but a paycheck' film. But like I said, I've seen much worse. It's a step above watching Survivor.

True Story: I stumbled on the movie early this morning, missing the first 35 minutes or so, and still figured out who the killer was within the first 2 minutes, and I'm not that smart. Crappy T.V. movie that follows typical cheesy serial killer formula. Pretty cop with a nice life, studies kick boxing, as a child involved in serial killer attack who killed mother, killer comes back 30 years later, and blah blah blah. My brain is too numb after watching this crap to try and sort out each of the rehashed segments. How does Teri Polo agree to make a stinker like this? I am always puzzled how the decision was made. Did she read the script first before agreeing? Does she read the script cuddled up in her nice house with a glass of wine thinking that this could be the next Silence of the Lambs? Was she nuts? This is a filler movie, the kind that only appears at 3 a.m. on the dish. Forget this one, and watch the infomercial on juicers instead.

First off, I love Lifetime movies, but this is a true stinker.First, Teri Polo's character was totally unlikeable. The writers went too for trying to show her drive to catch the killer.She fought with her boss, co-workers, and her best friend constantly. If a detective had spoken to their boss the way she did ,she would be fired! Also,to go into a wooded area in the middle of the night with no backup? That would be a fire-able offense right there. With backup they might have saved the girl. They should have shown a little bit of vulnerability in Polo's character. Secondly, the killer's character was not fleshed out enough. Yes, he was the son of the first killer, but please give us some info on his childhood and life. Thirdly, what happened to the first killer, how did die,why did he stop killing,etc.? The writers dropped the ball on this one.