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| The Eye |
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| Actors: Angelica Lee, Lawrence Chou, Chutcha Rujinanon, Yut Lai So, Candy Lo |
| Directors: Oxide Pang Chun, Danny Pang |
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Studio: Lionsgate |
| DVD release: 21 Oct. 2003 |
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Runtime: 98 minutes (1 disc) |
| Format: Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC |
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The Eye (aka Jian gui) stars the beautiful Angelica Lee as Mun, a girl who has been blind since childhood. As an adult, she receives a cornea transplant and begins to see strange things. At first dismissed as her adjusting to sight, we soon realize she is seeing dead people. When she convinces Dr. Wah (Lawrence Chou) that she indeed sees the dead, the movie shifts to the challenge to find the cornea donor in Thailand and settle her torment.
Even though I enjoyed this film, I can see why some would find it boring. If you're looking for a blood and guts visceral horror - this isn't it. If anything, this is more of a drama, which could be why some have praised it so much. The premise is derivative, but that doesn't mean it's bad. In fact, on a dramatic level the story is very enjoyable. There is nothing new under the sun, just new interpretations, so it can't be knocked on the grounds of it being too similar to The Sixth Sense .
The only really scary scenes that worked for me were the one in the calligraphy classroom and the one featuring the man in the elevator. That's not nearly enough for me, let alone a hardcore horror fan. So it gets a C visuals and a B+ for a solid and believable storyline. What it lacks in spooks and boos, it makes up with an unsettling, eerie mood. Though not anywhere near as enthralling as The Ring , it has the potential to be a better-than-average film, but it just didn't move me enough. It's something special when a film effectively combines the right casting, acting and score to elevate a story beyond its premise. This didn't have that special chemistry. It's much better found on one's own. With low expectations, you will be richly rewarded. But if this has been hyped to you as the horror holy grail, you will find it average at best. The DVD comes complete with trailer, TV spot and making of documentary. This is a solid effort and worthy of at least a rental for those with the temperament to read subtitles.
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