Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

An Eye for an Eye Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 18, 2025

The war for control of Hong Kong breaks out in 1990’s “An Eye for an Eye.” Director O Sing-Pui endeavors to bring a little mayhem to the clash, going into overkill mode as gun battles and chases commence in the feature, which isn’t short on furious violence. However, personal relationships, unrequited love, and Triad power plays are favored in the screenplay, with melodrama tending to dominate the viewing experience. “An Eye for an Eye” remains mildly entertaining and always bizarre in its depiction of human and inhuman behavior, but it stays a little too distant from more physical activities, which end up a periodic event in this film. The production is certainly ready to rumble, yet the story’s take on anguished hearts is oddly prioritized, making for an uneven effort.

Tung is the head of the Tsuen Hing Group, which is a Triad organization maintaining control of the city through various underworld businesses. Fung (Joey Wang) is Tung’s daughter, and she’s dating Tat (Wilson Lam), a driven cop assigned to the Anti-Triad Squad, working alongside his partner, Chung, a hot-headed man of action, to bring down organized crime. When Tung is exposed by his enemies and arrested by Tat, Fung is left to deal with the fallout, becoming the head of the Tsuen Hing Group, trying to steer it into legitimate business practices. This doesn’t sit well with others, including Tung’s right-hand man, Cheong (Fong Lung), a top enforcer looking to keep crime going as he secretly prepares a major gun smuggling plan. Tat can’t process Fung’s new life, and Chung struggles to contain his secret attraction to his friend’s lover, putting him in a delicate position as a middleman between the warring partners. Cheong, taking advantage of the chaos, claims ownership of Fung, assuming control of the business while the cops attempt to break up recent developments in Triad strength.

Romantic entanglements, not gangland warfare, serves as the introduction for “An Eye for an Eye.” Fung seems to be enjoying her relationship with Tat, as the pair is mostly unaware that Tung is in charge of Triad activity, which isn’t easy to believe, and the screenplay doesn’t take time to sell the secrecy. Instead, it focuses on Chung, who’s in a relationship with Audrey, a simple girlfriend trying to love her man through soup making, and he rewards her with physical and mental abuse. Chung isn’t a good guy, and he’s fighting to suppress his feelings for Fung, supporting his partner and friend during a supreme test of their connection when Tung is sent to prison. Citywide crime generally takes a backseat in “An Eye for an Eye,” though interesting emotional challenges are encountered in the arrest, which sends Fung into power and Tat into powerlessness, creating room for Chung to live out his dream of getting close to his object of desire.

More devious interests are provided by Cheong, a madman who uses lip balm as a tool of dominance, and he’s looking to take control of the gang. This resurgence in intensity, which spreads out to rival organizations, inspires some action beats in “An Eye for an Eye,” and the production delights in staging vicious gun fights, keeping things ultraviolent and definitely Hong Kong as characters jump around while double-fisting weapons. There are fun blasts of cinematic mayhem in the picture, just not enough of them, finding the writing favoring personal problems and displays of dominance as Cheong takes control of Fung through sexual assault and blackmail, which adds a little ugliness to the endeavor.

An Eye for an Eye Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as "newly restored by VS from a studio-supplied master." Vinegar Syndrome works to bring "An Eye for an Eye" to life, maintaining strong color throughout the viewing experience, as the movie often finds visual language through extreme hues, especially with blue filters. Cooler looks at gang attire and urban tours are preserved. Greenery is distinct, and lighting is alert, offering bright primaries. Skin tones are natural. Detail is acceptable, with some sense of skin particulars on a variety of characters. Costuming is decently fibrous. Exteriors reach deep as the action takes to streets and around the city. Interiors in living spaces and offices remain dimensional. Grain is decently resolved. Delineation is satisfactory. Source is in good condition.

An Eye for an Eye Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix works with inherent technical limitations and some elements of age. Dialogue exchanges are intelligible, handling emotional moments with clarity. Score supports as intended, securing a decent appreciation for synth moods. Sound effects are blunt but appreciable.

An Eye for an Eye Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features podcasters Kenneth Brorsson and Phil Gillion.

• Interview (19:58, HD) is a discussion of professional achievements with director O Sing-Pui, who recalls his initial educational efforts, attracting the attention of Tsui Hark, who became a trusted mentor. The interviewee recounts his career growth as a cinematographer, beginning with his work on 1997's "Made in Hong Kong." Talk of "An Eye for an Eye" is reached, as the helmer was interested in making a movie about the Triads, trying to keep the endeavor as authentic as possible while cranking up the action beats. A dissection of violence is offered, putting the production in trouble with the censors, who couldn't find the same visual beauty in highly choreographed aggression, especially during a bloody encounter around gushing fire hydrants. A rather gruesome stunt mishap is recalled, and casting achievements are noted. The conversation closes with an assessment of the film score, which delights the interviewee.

• Interview (6:42, HD) is a conversation with action director Benz Kong, who identifies his job on "An Eye for an Eye" as being in charge of turning director O Sing-Pui's concepts into cinema, overseeing all the stunt work on the feature. Kong breaks down a few sequences from the picture, identifying the labor involved to bring these violent encounters to life. "Extreme and exaggerated" as the working order for "An Eye for an Eye," keeping the interviewee busy as all logic was quickly removed from the effort to make a harder actioner.

• "Hong Kong Cinema in the Late 80s: Between Heroic Bloodshed and Cat-III Thrillers" (14:52, HD) is a video essay by Samm Deighan.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included on this release.

An Eye for an Eye Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Melodrama eventually takes control of "An Eye for an Eye," which grows increasingly ridiculous as it hunts for ways to capture viewer sympathy. Helping the movie are performances, as they mostly make sense of the writing's extremity, finding emotional states nicely communicated. And, again, when action arrives, it adds a lot to the picture, including a climactic battle inside a restaurant that spills into city streets, blending bloodshed with blasting fire hydrants. There's visual heft to the feature, but only when it wants to unleash craziness. The rest of "An Eye for an Eye" isn't quite as powerful, going softer and somewhat sillier with its tangled web of characters and their silent (and sometimes quite loud) moments of anguish. The effort remains engaging, but never as commanding as it could be, offering an unsteady appreciation for complete aggression and deep feelings.