Der Feind in den eigenen Reihen

The mid-1990s were HBO's heyday as Clintonesque liberals and they took it upon themselves to present this sort of viewpoint in nearly all of their productions. This one is no exception.

It's saved by the fact that it's a tremendously literate story from the great screenwriter Rod Serling, and it has Forrest Whitaker in top form. The typical HBO heavy-handed preachiness is kept to a minimum here and the intrigue is maximized, of course with some rather tough to fathom plot maneuvers concerning the Soviets, in this case as allies of a sort.

It's not as fine a film as the original Seven Days in May, but it's not a waste either and it's always good to see Whitaker in his usual good form with Sam Waterston doing more subtly nuanced acting than he's allowed to do on Law & Order.

If humankind ever evolved to the point where godlike feats were remotely possible, we'd be in big trouble, but the first order of business would no doubt be to go back to the garden of Eden and remake everything. Not that it needed remaking. Just for the challenge. And the paycheck.

I am not usually so sassy about remakes -- actors have got to eat, agents have to make deals, the maw that is cable TV needs to be fed -- but this one gets under my craw.

The original wasn't merely good, it wasn't merely great, it was perfect, it was so good that the original A-B rolls should have been sent directly to a film museum instead of merely being stored. The original had some of the best performance on record from three of the best actors of all time - I am talking Lancaster, Douglas and March. And writing by Serling. I mean, it does not get any better than that.

But try telling THAT to the clowns behind this production. In fairness it is not all bad. Whitaker has achieved in his career what some like to call "journeyman" status, he can take almost any role and make it real. Waterston was a delight to watch then, still is now. And Dana Delaney, well, let's just say that the high watermark of her career might just be her Lois Lane voice, and leave it at that.

But here is thing, and this should be a cautionary tale for other producers whose reach exceeds their grasp. Even before you started production on THE ENEMY WITHIN, the odds, the probabilities, the Sigmas, of making this equal to or better than the original were slim and none. And Slim had just left the building.

So kind viewer you have a clear choice. Watch this for passable entertainment.

Or track down the original for the film experience of a lifetime.

Up to you.

I have seen the original Seven Days in May no fewer than 15 times. I know, I need to get a life. However, the original cast of Lancaster, Douglas, March, Gardner, Houseman, Duggan, etc. was pure magic. The tension was palpable,and the chemistry was awesome.

That being said, The Enemy Within was a light, or lite, version of the original. Could there be more of a mis-casting than putting poor old Jason Robards as the Joint Chiefs Chairman. He looked like he had oatmeal drooling on his bib. Don't get me wrong, he was a very fine actor, and perhaps he could have pulled it off when he was twenty or thirty years younger.

The rest of the cast with the exception of the sultry Dana Delaney was weak. The plot was John Kerryesque nuanced. The ending was farcical.

I enjoy the idea of remaking fine older movies. Perhaps George Clooney can pull it off, as he did with the remake of Failsafe. However, The Enemy Within comes across as a poor man version of a classic thriller.

I loved Seven Days in May, and I loved this remake, as well.

Despite his girth, Forest Whitaker did a wonderful job.

The Enemy Within is a well-done remake of one of my favorite films Seven Days In May. While of course not as good as the 1964 classic this film still packs quite a punch despite being too briskly paced and lacking Rod Serling's script.

Forest Witiker does well as Colonel Cassey though he is a little hard to watch at times. Sam Waterston does well as the Southern President and its a shame we don't see more of him. Dana Delaney really doesn't add much to the film but she plays a necessary role in the film. And of Jason Robards does well as the villain of the film as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General R. Pendleton Lloyd.

While there are numerous subplots removed and some added (though the Russians weren't really needed in this film) the film still manages to be true to the classic's plot. The script manages to convey a sense of urgency in the story and the revelations are revealed in a nice manor. The film has a little bit of action in it and these scenes are mostly unnecessary but they don't hurt the film very much.

Overall The Enemy Within is a better then average made for TV movie. As I wrote this film is not in the same caliber as the original film, it still manages to present a frightening and all-too possible scenario. A nice little suspense film to pass your time with and it's nothing more and nothing less then that.