Good concept, poorly executed.

A lot of fun.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Very few horror franchises delve into the psyche of the victim's mind with a unique antagonist. The most memorable villain was Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) because of his power to invade peoples' dreams. In this movie, instead of dreams, the danger is created by fear (which is where the title comes from). When fear is present, a spirit called Morty enters the real world. It's an interesting concept, unfortunately, the execution of this movie needs some work for it to really peak in its value of entertainment. There are a few good parts and they will be covered.This plot surfaces when a psychologist Richard (Eddie Bowz) gets a project approved for a fear therapy session up in a remote cabin owned by his parents. Upon getting there they begin to encounter strange events that are far from coincidental. Helping with the creepy factor is the character of Morty - a hand carved wooden mannequin that gives very little comfort. This particular aspect to the film is its strongest point. The suit that the actor plays in has looks of wooden textures and moves rigidly as well. Adding to that is the rickety sound that is used for every movement that Morty makes. It's very convincing that this wooden creature isn't the newest thing around. Perhaps what makes this character the most likable is the fact that he says very little. It creates mystery.The writing by Ron Ford who continues to write today, did an OK job with the concept but everything else needs work. The concept of this creature appearing when fear is in the air is different. Considering that everyone has fears, no one is safe, so that works. However, when it comes to main characters, not one actor ever has scene that means anything more than what is being shown. The motivations behind a few characters are also misguided. One minute a girl is flirting with another man, then later she finds him repulsive - ummm OK. This is just one of a couple. Also, the fact that the casting crew hired a white actor with dreadlocks - just no. In this cast there are a few actors that go on into bigger movies but do not play roles any bigger than this. Surprisingly, Wes Craven has a small part in here. What exactly did he see in this movie? Another mystery.Other than that there's the music, scares / violence and cinematography. Picture wise, it's OK. It's not bad nor is it anything worth the time mentioning. The music by Robert O. Ragland was average too. It would've been even better though if there wasn't insertions of 90s pop music. It seriously dates the film - not to mention those dreadlocks from earlier. Finally, because this is in the horror genre, the film is practically non-scary. There are a number of scenes where the viewer will question to how even the characters on screen did not see the scare coming. How do you not see something through a transparent surface? Also, for what it presents the gore is very low here. It's probably lower in blood than even John Carpenter's Halloween (1978). If you want gore, it's not your film. The concept of fear being brought to a reality is commendable and so is the actual design behind the antagonist. Yet, with writing that is unclear, poor scare tactics and other dated elements, the movie rarely works.

Richard takes a group of his friends up to a secluded cottage to discuss their fears as a part of his university report. He finds an old wooden life-size dummy which is named "Morty". It was in his family for years. Anyways, they decide to tell Morty their fears. Some of their fears include bugs, water, heights, growing old, etc. Eventually, Morty begins to pop up in places scaring the group. And it isn't long before Morty comes to life and begins killing a few of them by using their fears.There are some subplots involved in the movie such as the identity of the campus rapist. We see a woman attacked on campus by an unknown assailant and discover that someone has been raping girls at the college. It is quickly obvious that the rapist is among the group of friends. And we also follow the individual relationships between each of the couples, which are mostly dysfunctional. There is also some weird borderline incest scene which was unnecessary. A lot of it just seemed to over the place. The acting is decent enough to not ruin the movie. And there are some interesting twists regarding some of the character's pasts (especially Richard's), but the film is too all over the place. The Fear never sticks to one plot for long periods of time. We've got this wooden person roaming around, but we are also trying to figure out the identity of the campus rapist. I think The Fear would have been better if it focused more on the creepy wooden dummy Morty. It trailed off too much onto other story lines and failed to provide any scares or frightening moments. Interesting twists, but this did not scare me in the slightest which is what a horror movie should do.4/10

***Three Out of Ten Stars*** A serial killer possesses a Native American wooden statue named Morty, because the serial killer committed suicide and just cant rest! The serial killer's son convinces a bunch of his friends to spend Halloween at his grandparent's estate in the country. Their plan is to complete a ritual on Halloween night that will bring Morty, the wooden statue, to life. All of this to bring peace to the serial killer! It seems the serial killer's son instigated this activity, perhaps because he's a psycho himself? All we do know for sure is that these friends are unaware that the statue is possessed by a serial killer's spirit.What this all has to do with Halloween, I don't know. And that's why I rented the film, because I thought it had something to do with Halloween. The only thing this film has to do with Halloween is that there are some lighted pumpkins in the background, and that the events supposedly take place on Halloween night. That's one of the biggest disappointments here, the film tickets itself as a Halloween scare, but there's no feeling of Halloween whatsoever. The filmmakers clearly tacked their crappy plot onto Halloween to trick people into seeing this debacle. Wow! That's all I can say, is wow! This film is a complete disaster... I gave it every chance but it failed on every level. The only slightly redeeming quality of this film is the cinematography: There is nothing lazy about the cinematography; the shots progress rapidly and are probably the only thing that kept me from falling asleep. Besides rapid shot cuts, there's nothing redeeming in regards to the acting, directing, or plot. The sound and lighting are sufficient, but nothing to write home about.It's really frustrating, because it seems as if the filmmakers had the financial means to produce a somewhat respectable film. The basic idea of a mystical figure stalking and killing people based on their inner most fears is a great idea. Unfortunately, the filmmakers delve into ridiculous relationship sequences and obnoxious youth group gatherings that have no impact on the core story. The serial killer's son's friends have no personalities and are extremely unlikeable. Let me also mention Mitch, the douche bag boyfriend with an obviously fake English accent and the resident Native American who acts as the guardian for the wooden statue Morty for some unbeknownst reason.I could go on and on with the negatives of this film, but why? It's simply horrid. I really don't know what the bottom line plot of this film is? The jump scares don't work. There's no gore. There's NO nudity. There's no graphic violence. What the hell is the point of this film? The climax is non-existent. Morty is supposed to be made of wood but looks like some ham actor in a rubber jump suit. It's really just one asinine film making error after another. Just stay away!

Group of college students go up to a friends wooden cabin for a weekend of romance and fun. However, they fall prey to a wooden dummy that makes there worst fears come true with deadly consequences. Not nowhere near as bad as I expected. This is decently made flick, but never generates much in the way of suspense and terror. It owes more then its fair share to Sphere however.Rated R; Rape, Sexual Situations, Violence and Profanity.