DVD
Review | The Eye
Written by: Kage
Alan
It's odd how some films are made and end up being far
better than they might
have been planned or have any right to be. We tend to call these
"happy
mistakes" since it's easier to be pessimistic than optimistic
about what's
playing in our local multiplexes. As for foreign films, we know
we're going
to be in for something good if they ever actually reach our shore or
Hollywood plans a remake. As with "The Ring",
audiences in North America
will be forced to sit through a Hollywood version of "The
Eye" before being
able to view what will most likely be a superior original.
Mun (Angelica Lee) has been blind since she was two-years-old.
It's only
through technological advances that an operation at age 20 will
restore her
sight. Unfortunately, there is little information known about
her donor and
Mun must learn how to reuse a sense that many around her have had all
of
their lives. While she tries to understand the objects that take
shape
around her, there is also a sense of unease because there are things
she
begins to see or thinks she sees that defy logic.
When an elderly woman in the hospital rises from her bed and is
accompanied
out of the room by a shadow only to be announced as dead in the
morning (the
woman, not the shadow), Mun attempts to investigate the oddity as best
she
can. Since there is no way to understand yet if what she sees
represents any
real danger to her, she keeps the incident to herself. The
strange
occurrences continue once she's released from the hospital and
eventually
drive her to seek help from her psychotherapist, Dr. Wah (Lawrence
Chou). At
first skeptical, Dr. Wah soon begins to realize that there is more
going on
than anybody realizes and that Mun's sight came at a price and with a
mystery.
It's difficult not to give away some of the many twists and turns in
"The
Eye", but the film will keep audiences guessing while also
scaring them in
some very unsettling ways. This isn't a horror film per se, but
there are
some horrific moments in it. While many will be reminded of
"The Sixth
Sense", "The Eye" has enough going for it not to be
accused of ripping the
other film off. Actually, "The Eye" manages to make
"The Sixth Sense" feel
like a Disney movie at times and the end is reminiscent of "The
Mothman
Prophesies", though on a much deadlier scale.
Panorama Entertainment has released "The Eye" in a fairly
solid looking
Widescreen transfer. There are a bit more flecks and specs than
I would have
imagined since this was made in 2002 but colors are sharp and the
special
effects blend in well. As for audio, the original Chinese
language track is
solid and the film boasts an extremely haunting and effective score
that
doesn't overdo the jolts as much as it might have. The English
subtitles are
a little dicey at times, but aren't overly problematic. On the
subject of
extras, there are three trailers, none of which are for this film, and
that's
all.
This is the second disc my friend Jerry sent me from Hong Kong for
Christmas
this year and it's a good thing for him he doesn't live closer.
After
popping it in just before bed, I needed to call somebody just because
I was
incredibly freaked out after finishing it. "The Eye"
is one of those movies
where viewers absolutely MUST find out how it ends before they can
have any
peace of mind, let alone try to go to sleep. Thank you, Jerry. I
owe you
one! Fortunately, "The Eye" is on a multi-region DVD,
so folks in North
America and elsewhere will be able to enjoy it with no difficulty from
their
players. This film is definitely worth checking out.
Film Rating:
B+
DVD Special Features: N/A
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