Directors: Pang Brothers
Stars: Qi Shu, Jesdaporn Pholdee, Eugenia Yuan, Ren Yuan Yuan
Year: 2004
Rating: R
(in Thai, Mandarin and Cantonese w/English subtitles)
The Eye is one of my favorite suspense/horror films ever; it was intriguing, complex, visually jarring, emotionally involving, and made me forever a fan of Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang - also known as the Pang brothers - who directed the film. The sequel, though not bad, is really a sequel in name only; none of the original actors are back for this feature, nor should they be - this story has nothing whatsoever to do with that of the first film, and in fact except for the whole "I see dead people" theme there is nothing to tie the two movies together.
That said, The Eye 2 certainly entertains on its own level, with a decent story, a few twists, and a couple of really cool visual tricks that may have you asking "How'd they do that?" But it's definitely not its predecessor.
Qi Shu stars as Joey, a young Thai woman who opens the film going on an expensive shopping spree, in Hong Kong, for shoes, clothing, handbags ... even a tie for the married boyfriend she's just dumped, whom she even calls from one store, trying against his protests to make sure she has bought him the right color. Under the heavy burden of all her shopping bags, Joey makes it back to her hotel, where she arranges a wake-up call for that night ... before going to her room, where she swallows a huge amount of pills in an obvious suicide attempt, before lying down on the bed to die. Just before passing out, she witnesses a group of people completely surrounding her bed - people she can see right through, as if they were ghosts - before her lack of response to the wake up call has hotel staff coming to her room to rescue her.
In the hospital, it's learned this is not Joey's first attempt at killing herself. Joey learns this time, however, that she's also pregnant by her married ex-lover. It also soon becomes apparent to Joey that she now can see apparitions, or ghosts; in her home, at work, on the streets, nowhere is she safe from the shadowy figures that suddenly loom up before her, and the disturbing images some of the convey ... particularly one female spirit that seems to be stalking both Joey and her baby, terrifying the young woman.
Eventually Joey has to get back with her ex-boyfriend Sam (Jesdaporn Pholdee), in order to figure out what's going on and protect her unborn child - but is in for even more of a shock when she learns that Sam, unknowingly, is the key to the whole thing ... and that what the female spirit wants is something Joey isn't prepared to give.
The film certainly has its moments, but to be enjoyed at all you really can't hold it up to the first film and expect it to shine. Even with that said, for me The Eye 2 was good, but nowhere near great; the plot is muddied and unconvincing on some levels, and the entire film sort of left me (until the ending, which was upbeat overall) with a sad, depressed feeling. Joey comes off a victim for the beginning of the story, and while Qi Shu's performance is affecting and convincing, it's the character of Joey herself that's just a downer; by the time she tries to take some control and find out what's going on, it's almost too little too late.
A bit of a disappointment, considering my love for the first film, but worth a look if you like the Pang Brothers, or Asian horror flicks. Other than that, nothing too special here. **1/2 - Reel Mediocre-Reel Cool
Stars: Qi Shu, Jesdaporn Pholdee, Eugenia Yuan, Ren Yuan Yuan
Year: 2004
Rating: R
(in Thai, Mandarin and Cantonese w/English subtitles)
The Eye is one of my favorite suspense/horror films ever; it was intriguing, complex, visually jarring, emotionally involving, and made me forever a fan of Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang - also known as the Pang brothers - who directed the film. The sequel, though not bad, is really a sequel in name only; none of the original actors are back for this feature, nor should they be - this story has nothing whatsoever to do with that of the first film, and in fact except for the whole "I see dead people" theme there is nothing to tie the two movies together.
That said, The Eye 2 certainly entertains on its own level, with a decent story, a few twists, and a couple of really cool visual tricks that may have you asking "How'd they do that?" But it's definitely not its predecessor.
Qi Shu stars as Joey, a young Thai woman who opens the film going on an expensive shopping spree, in Hong Kong, for shoes, clothing, handbags ... even a tie for the married boyfriend she's just dumped, whom she even calls from one store, trying against his protests to make sure she has bought him the right color. Under the heavy burden of all her shopping bags, Joey makes it back to her hotel, where she arranges a wake-up call for that night ... before going to her room, where she swallows a huge amount of pills in an obvious suicide attempt, before lying down on the bed to die. Just before passing out, she witnesses a group of people completely surrounding her bed - people she can see right through, as if they were ghosts - before her lack of response to the wake up call has hotel staff coming to her room to rescue her.
In the hospital, it's learned this is not Joey's first attempt at killing herself. Joey learns this time, however, that she's also pregnant by her married ex-lover. It also soon becomes apparent to Joey that she now can see apparitions, or ghosts; in her home, at work, on the streets, nowhere is she safe from the shadowy figures that suddenly loom up before her, and the disturbing images some of the convey ... particularly one female spirit that seems to be stalking both Joey and her baby, terrifying the young woman.
Eventually Joey has to get back with her ex-boyfriend Sam (Jesdaporn Pholdee), in order to figure out what's going on and protect her unborn child - but is in for even more of a shock when she learns that Sam, unknowingly, is the key to the whole thing ... and that what the female spirit wants is something Joey isn't prepared to give.
The film certainly has its moments, but to be enjoyed at all you really can't hold it up to the first film and expect it to shine. Even with that said, for me The Eye 2 was good, but nowhere near great; the plot is muddied and unconvincing on some levels, and the entire film sort of left me (until the ending, which was upbeat overall) with a sad, depressed feeling. Joey comes off a victim for the beginning of the story, and while Qi Shu's performance is affecting and convincing, it's the character of Joey herself that's just a downer; by the time she tries to take some control and find out what's going on, it's almost too little too late.
A bit of a disappointment, considering my love for the first film, but worth a look if you like the Pang Brothers, or Asian horror flicks. Other than that, nothing too special here. **1/2 - Reel Mediocre-Reel Cool
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