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This is a formula movie, make no mistake. It is an action-adventure, with a mystery, so I won't spill the plot. It begins with the same male hero we see in all movies made after 1940, a man so vicious and mean that the movie's idea is to turn your thinking around about the guy. And after the first few minutes you think "There is no way this guy could ever be anything but a punk", and they "getcha"! A very wonderful turnabout. The character in the movie is the key, and the screen writing, directing, and acting are superb. It maybe the only movie that you ever see that changes your mind about a character from the start, and maybe the best example of a movie which does so. What is extraordinary is that this movie has never resurfaced, and never got the credit it deserved. The end is one of the best Hollywood endings ever since "Charade".

It's aged well. I hadn't seen it in 30 years but thoroughly enjoyed this movie. A very youthful Ben Kingsley and Suzie Kendal support Barry Newman in one of his best known roles.

Good story by Alastair Maclean and screenplay is well crafted to give a satisfying 90 minutes entertainment.

FEAR IS THE KEY is an unusual and somewhat low key thriller of the 1970s. It's based on a novel by Alistair MacLean that I should imagine few people have heard of, and it stars Barry Newman of VANISHING POINT fame. I was surprised to find out that this is a UK production because you wouldn't be able to tell from watching it. The fact that it was a flop on release means that I'd never heard of it before I saw it showing on TV.

The film begins with an electrifying opening, full of twists, sudden violence, and high speed action. Then we get a lengthy, well-shot car chase clearly included to capitalise on Newman's reputation as a 'car chase' actor, before the movie settles into a rather bogged-down, if not confusing, storyline. However, there seem to be sudden eruptions of violence around every corner, so it's never less than watchable.

Eventually, though, it all makes sense, leading to a climax with an interesting setting. Newman is an acceptable hero but I was particularly excited to see Euro-starlet Suzy Kendall's (THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE) appearance. The by rote villain duties are provided by John Vernon, but the real standout is an incredibly youthful Ben Kingsley - yes, complete with his own head of hair - as a henchman. By the end of its running time, FEAR IS THE KEY has offered up plentiful action, some convoluted plotting, and just a few decent twists, and I thought it passed the time well for what it is.

This is one of those movies with a mammoth "I did not see that coming" moment. The set up for this startling revelation is quite convincing, and Barry Newman's motivation for revenge is overwhelmingly strong. Unheralded character actor, Dolph Sweet, steals every scene he is part of. Ben Kingsley with hair takes some adjusting to, but his acting is solid. Unfortunately John Vernon was not convincing as the head bad guy, perhaps because I can't get by thinking of him as Dean Wormer in "Animal House". The movie itself is extremely uneven, with a grabber opening, followed by a prolonged car chase that seems like it was yanked right out of a "Smokey and the Bandit" movie. The actual plot is murky and difficult to follow, but is pulled together quite well in the showdown conclusion. Recommended for the unusual twisted plot and some solid performances. - MERK

Now, I know that action/adventure movies based on Alistair MacLean novels usually require a large portion of suspension of disbelief, but "Fear is the Key" is extra far-fetched! A grieving man stages an entire criminal career, including a spectacularly violent escape from the court room with murder and hostage-taking, only so that he can infiltrate as a salvage expert into a gangster squad that wants to retrieve a valuable loot from a sunken airplane. Don't worry if it sounds too convoluted or incomprehensible, as the film is easy to follow and very entertaining.

There are three main reasons why "Fear is the Key" is a class above the vast majority of contemporary adventure/mystery thrillers. #1: the chase. A film that features a nearly 20-minutes-long car chase with, behind the wheel, Barry Newman, the same cult-movie stunt driver as in the legendary "Vanishing Point"? Yes, please! Excellent Louisianan filming locations, too. #2: the cast. The aforementioned Barry Newman is cool, as always, but particularly the bad guys impress. Sure, he's typecast, but nobody depicts a loathsome villain like John Vernon does. The film also stars a young Ben Kingsley, and he's truly awesome as a silent but deadly menacing hired killer. #3: the climax. I guarantee that "Fear is the Key" has one of the most intense, captivating and edge-of-the-seat suspenseful endings you'll ever see.

I was browsing the commentary track on the DVD release of Soderbergh's movie *The Limey* where he and screenwriter Lem Dobbs are talking about Barry Newman and movies with cool chases... Lem Dobbs just so happens to mention his fondness for "Fear is the Key" and it's cool car chase sequence, etc., Once I hear the words "movie" and "cool car chase" in the same sentence my interest automatically goes through the roof... as there is nothing better I like than a movie with a cool car chase in it. I ask all my friends if they've heard of the movie and no one, and I mean NO ONE I know has ever even heard of the movie. When I was at Tarantino's 4th Annual Film Fest I asked him about the movie and he hadn't even seen it (though he just had gotten a print of it). So here for this huge period of time was this movie I had been building up and dying to see...

Well at last I finally got to see it (as I found a place that was legit and sold copies of it) and was not let down in the slightest though I will say the last 5 minutes of the movie has one of the most original and intense endings I've ever seen. The movie is worth watching for seeing a tour de force performance by Barry Newman, the very very gorgeous Suzy Kendall (whom was also in Torso), and a pre-Gandhi Ben Kingsley (with hair), a very electrifying and long car chase that is one of the coolest car chases I've ever seen in a movie, and the last 5 minutes which just sucks you in and makes you forget your watching a movie... I mean the ending just literally has you on the edge of your seat. This movie is also a must for any Alistair Maclaine fans since it was based on Alistairs novel of the same title.

The movie starts out slowly and your not quite sure where it is going to go. It drifts along for the first couple of minutes and then *BAM* it takes off like a bat out of hell and never slows down until the credits roll at the end. It is one of those few action/adventure movies where you aren't quite sure what is going to happen next, which way it will twist, nor are you really sure of the intentions or alliances that any of the characters... it just literally takes you on a wild ride of adventure and intrigue.

The car chase sequence which goes on for quite some time (like around 10 minutes or so) is just one of the all time coolest car chases you will see in a movie. I mean it's not on the level of the French Connection, or Bullitt, or the all out craziness of The Master Touch... but it is cool in it's own unique way of sorta of throwing out the usual movie rules cliche that you can only have a car chase on a road. In this movie if a car is coming down the road right at Barry Newman... he doesn't try to hit it dead on or try to out maneuver it on the actual road... he is like forget that and takes off into the woods, forest or beach or whatever is around him... you get the sense he'd take his car through a supermarket or a iceberg if he had to. Which makes the scene electrifying with movie coolness.

I would talk about the ending more but... sigh... it just is so unique and surprising... it would be a huge injustice to say anything other than it was my favorite part of the movie and I'm surprise a James Bond film hasn't ripped it off yet.

Barry Newman shines John Talbot and puts on a tour de force type of performance that is so friggin good and cool! You rarely ever get such a cool acting performance in a action/adventure type movie... yet Barry Newman here shows why he was one of the best and coolest actors of the 70's and even today!

I will say I just loved loved Suzy Kendall in this movie. Of course she is just gorgeous but I mean she made the most of her role, whereas with other actresses they could have just completely walked through the role with blandness with zero effort. I had previous seen Suzy in the movie Torso so I was already a big fan of her work.

Alistair Maclaine who wrote the novel to which the movie is based on is known for full throttle engaging novels full of adventure that once they get into gear they grab a hold of you until the very end. You can chalk this one as another one of Alistair's novels that was made into a great movie (Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra, Where Eagles Dare, are some of the other and more well known).

So I am very thankful now to Lem Dobbs who inspired me to see this fine flick and hopefully now I can spread that onto others now to see this forgotten but great movie.

Reading other reviews, I'm wondering if I've watched the same film. For me, 'Fear is the Key' is bitty, confusing and illogical. Even as a product of its 1972 origin, it's a very poor offering. I have trouble believing that the novel on which it's based isn't rather better.

The action is frequently ridiculous, the lengthy car chase being one of the more implausible elements, while the characters are wooden, the dialogue banal and the direction seriously weak, with too much style and too little substance. The plot itself is obscure and the 'twist' is obvious from very early on. Only at the very end is there anything that approximates to tension or suspense or, indeed, a scene that lasts for any length of time with reasonable dialogue.

John Vernon plays a the archetypal villain, but hardly seems enthused by his role, Barry Newman the hero who is on a mission and tackling a whole gang of crooks single-handed. Suzy Kendall provides the female interest, doing very little while looking terrified most of the time she's on screen, which isn't much.

Altogether it adds up to a pretty dreadful film. It's one I would not bother watching again and rather regret the time wasted in watching it at all. There are far better films of similar type from the same era and I'm far from surprised that this one has been largely forgotten.

Fine actioner based on Alistair MacLean's novel holds a few surprises for those lucky enough to catch this underrated gem. An unorthodox and at times bitty script is held together by an amiable cast including a young Ben Kingsley (debuting with a full head of hair) surprisingly in his only film before his Oscar winning performance of 'Ghandi' ten years later.

The screenplay is a crafty one, with Barry Newman ploughing through the first half of the film seemingly out of control and playing a role hauntingly similar to his one in 'Vanishing Point' but this time in a Ford Gran Torino, keeping the viewer guessing what's going to happen next and why. After a slightly boggy, espionage filled middle act the film coolly builds to a dramatic nail-biting finale and it is only here in the film's dying moments do you actually discover the truth. Though the ending may not quite reach some viewers expectations, it does wrap things up succinctly, making the thrills on the way (including a fine car chase that bursts from a courthouse breakout) all the more worthwhile.

I must have read every Alistair MacLean novel growing up so I'm sure I've read this one in the distant past though I don't recall anything about it nor do I think I ever saw this movie before. I know Barry Newman from his last-minute-lawyer Petrocelli TV role later in the decade but he's possibly better here as John Talbot, a man on a mission although, while the mission is indicated only cryptically at the beginning, it becomes crystal clear by the end.

Until it does, the film narrative leaves criss-crossing dust-trails as to his motives and in so doing seems to conform to other early 70's adventure movies with a violent courtroom escape, lengthy car chase and the hostage-taking of a pretty girl but once the reveal is made as to what his intentions are, the plot plays out to a surprisingly taut, claustrophobic finish and not the crash-bang-wallop affair you might have expected after the all-action beginning.

For a British B-movie, the production values are surprisingly high as witness the scenes inside the bathysphere, during the storm and of course the ten minute plus car chase. Newman turns in a terse, committed performance and there's good support from main villain John Vernon, his main henchman, a young Ben Kingsley on his film debut and Dolph Sweet as an ex-cop private detective who gets caught in the slipstream of events. Suzy Kendall mostly plays the role she and Susan George almost played by rote around this time although she does show some moxy coming to Newman's aid in a fight scene.

As for the direction, I appreciated the subversion of the traditional adventure movie plotting of the time by starting the action loudly and finishing it all quietly but effectively. Roy "Get Carter" Budd also delivers a background score which does all that an early 70's soundtrack needs to do.

All in all a watchable and entertaining thriller with more than one twist in the tale.

For those of us old enough to have read Alaistair MacLeans original book, the film is too short to cram everything in, leaving only the basics, with the final showdown all too brief. John Vernon did look out of place to present us with his usually convincing "bad guy" which is a pity for someone whose screen presence was always powerful. The car sequence chase is pretty good and we also have a younger Ben Kingsley as well as Suzy Kendall. Tony Anholts brief appearances are never explained so you have to work it out!. Worth watching, but get the book for something far more gritty

Drawn from Alistair McLean's book of the same name this is a solid thriller that twists and turns nicely throughout. Barry Newman is good as Talbot, the character who finds himself drawn into shady dealings. While the mobsters are adequate (including an early appearance by Ben Kingsley!).

The twist are good but if you've read the book it really takes away from the movie as there is not a whole lot else to hold the interest. However the twists keep you guessing what people's motives are almost up till the end - having said that it's not in the league of Se7en or Usual Suspects so don't expect too much.

The ending is a strange anti-climax to the film, I won't give it away but it is rather muted considering the plot up till that point.

Overall a good story but let down by a lack of any real extended tension and a disappointing conclusion. Turn off the TV and go and read the book - it's much better!

This is a film that seems predictable in the beginning with its lengthy car chase, shifts gears for some unanticipated twists that make it seem like it's going to get kinda bonkers, but then all comes together in down the stretch, making for a pretty satisfying film. The on-location footage in Louisiana is certainly a plus, bringing a sense of realism to counterbalance the wild story.

I have to say, there is only so much (ahem) mileage I can get out of a car chase scene, but if vintage 70's type action like that is your thing, you'll probably like the chase near the beginning, which is over 13 minutes long and goes over all sorts of Louisiana terrain. Never mind that the length of the chase makes little sense given what we find out later. Regardless, if that sounds boring, stick around, as what follows has some nice bits of intrigue and drama, particularly at the end.

The film has a solid cast for a lower budget effort, featuring Barry Newman of Vanishing Point fame, regular bad guy from the 70's John Vernon, a truly fine performance from Dolph Sweet, and Ben Kingsley in his very first film. Kingsley would not appear in another movie for a decade, when he hit the big-time playing Gandhi, which is quite a contrast. Suzy Kendall is unfortunately a weak link, in part because her character isn't given a lot to do, and in part because her performance is somewhat tepid.

Overall, really solid as a B type movie, and a lot of fun, so much so that I almost considered a slightly higher rating.

In this rather convoluted tale of revenge of a deep sea diver for the death of his family, we find Barry Newman (instead of box office big names like Steve McQueen, James Coburn, or Charles Bronson) setting up the killers of his family.

The Ladds (Alan and Jr.) did a very good job of spending money on good production values rather than big marquee names at the time. I bought a number of Star Wars #1 comics from Ladd Jr. Just a few years later. He was very professional. Ben Kingsley makes a rather wooden early appearance as a hood in the film. I found the set-up of the film to be a bit unbelievable, but if one buys into it, the movie is fairly entertaining.

We're shown right at the start that talbot is part of some team on a mission. We're not sure just what's going on, but he seems to be one of the good guys. When he's picked up on a minor charge in a back-water town, he knows it won't end well, so he goes on the run. And brings a local girl along with him (suzy kendall). Her job is to shriek any time talbot runs a roadblock or takes a turn too fast. And she turns out to be the daughter of a very rich oil man. You'll also recognize john vernon. He was dean wormer in animal house! It's pretty good! When the bad guys force talbot to work on a project, he tries to find some way to subvert the work before they decide they don't need him. It's good! Some great twists and turns. But did the bad guys really need to wear suits as the sub glides above the ocean floor, at some huge depth? Directed by michael tuchner. The only other film of his i've seen is "villain", from the year before, which is also pretty good! Suzy kendall was also gillian, in "to sir with love" ! A couple years after this film, our lead barry newman will get his own series "petrocelli", for two seasons. Keep an eye out for 29 year old ben kingsley... as .. royale, one of the thugs. Why do they never show this on the talkin picture box??

Lean and mean action-thriller. Potent cast with John Vernon and Ben Kingsley as the heavies, along with Suzy Kendall and Barry Newman as the man on a mission. A real personal one too. The first 45 mins are exhilarating with some all-out car chase sequences accompanied by a racy big band score, but once the plot takes over expect the usual confounded twists and turns of a Alistair MacLean adaptation, but sadly this is also when the momentum slows down. I found it to be far more exciting when it was going for simple thrills because of how well pulled off they were instead of the elaborate plot shifts. Still it remained unpredictable in how it would play out and engrossing thanks to the performances.

This is one of my favourite movies of the 70's and in my opinion , very underrated. I certainly think it has the best car chase , ie; when the car is dented , it remains so in the next shot , not back to showroom condition ! ( the one in Bullitt is perhaps the coolest , but how many times does McQueen pass that green Beetle ! ) along with the great Roy Budd soundtrack. Barry Newman is great in the lead role , and although the plot is a bit far-fetched in places, it is great entertainment and has a good twist at the end , but I do think the underwater scenes looked a bit like the bottom of a goldfish pond ! One of those great movies nobody has heard of ! This is available on DVD in Scandinavian countries so grab a copy.

WOW! I watched this adaptation of an Alistair MacLean novel tonight and it is fantastic. Barry Newman stars as John Talbot, a drifter who ends up getting into it with the local police in a parish in Louisiana. He gets hauled before a judge but breaks out of the courtroom, taking oil heiress Sarah Ruthven (Suzy Kendall) hostage in the process. What happens after that is gonna remain a secret for the element of surprise.

This is a slammin' action film in reverse. The first half hour is comprised of an amazing car chase that is right up there with the likes of THE FRENCH CONNECTION. Seriously, this is one of the greatest (and unheralded) car chases of all-time (courtesy of VANISHING POINT's stunt coordinator Cary Loftin). After that, the film settles down to tell Talbot's complex story. Newman, also fresh off that other car chase epic VANISHING POINT, is quite good as the mysterious Talbot. Supporting turns include John Vernon (I wonder if he a good guy), Dolph Sweet and a weaselly looking guy in his film debut named Ben Kingsley. The stellar score is supplied by Roy Budd (GET CARTER).

The main problem here seems to be a very mediocre director, then Barry Newman and Suzy Kendall are both really mediocre in it (and it looks like they would have benefited from a tyrannical director with a much stronger grip on his story). At no point does it look better than your average TV detective episode from the turn of the 1970s.

Oh yes, there is a 20-min. Long car chase. Which makes no sense story-wise, reality-wise or technically-wise: what can you show for 20min that doesn't feel like a boring chase OR jumping the shark?

The plot is meh because you're either kept in the dark of routine action in a 70s B-movie, or heavily let in on what is actually going on.

Eventually it looks cheap and desperately unconvincing. John Vernon and Ben Kingsley can only offer a glimpse of real charismatic characters, and Roy Budd's score is mangled in between the beginning and end credits.