 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Eye
- Review Date: June 2, 2008
- PG-13
- Genre: Horror
- 2008
Common Sense Media says
Jessica Alba sees dead people in blah horror film.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this creepy horror film (which stars teen favorite Jessica Alba) features many suspenseful scenes full of ghosts, dead people, and shadows; these sequences are made scarier by the way the camera emulates Sydney's blurry vision. Violence includes explosions and fires in which people are burned. A brief scene shows Alba in the shower from the shoulders up, with her arm covering her breasts; another angle shows her crouched figure through a blurry door. Language is unusually mild for a PG-13 film.
What's the story?
Blind since childhood, concert violinist Sydney (Jessica Alba) gets a cornea transplant and promptly begins seeing the same fearsome visions (warnings of deaths, visits from ghosts, etc.) that troubled the donor. Feeling abandoned by her loving but rarely available sister (Parker Posey) and increasingly unable to differentiate between her nightmarish visions and new glimpses of a daunting material world, Sydney seeks help from her therapist, Paul (Alessandro Nivola), and her conductor/mentor, Simon (Rade Serbedzija). Neither man is helpful, so Sydney sets off on her own, researching possible causes and then seeking the donor, who turns out to be a young Mexican woman named Ana (Fernanda Romero). Eventually, Sydney heads to Mexico with Paul; their efforts lead to a resolution, but not without costs.
Is it any good?
Yet another remake of a popular Asian horror film (2002's Gin gwai), THE EYE is long on smart camerawork, short on intelligent dialogue, and finally undone by a finale that's more hectic than ironic. After the action moves to Mexico, the film lurches from a particular type of spooky flick (shadows and blurs, fear of the unknown) into something more banal: a cautionary tale about crossing the border. The self-involved, privileged Sydney pays scant attention to the violence and poverty that make up life in the pueblo, convinced that her salvation, her reclamation of her life, is the most important thing.
The film's visual tricks are plainly indebted to the Hong Kong original, full of effectively distorted figures and shadowed hallways. But once the line is clearly drawn between subjective and objective worlds, the film pretty much collapses.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the many U.S. remakes of Asian horror movies. How do these moody, strange films translate for American audiences? Why do you think their focus on spirits and hauntings is so popular? How do you think the remakes are similar to and different from the originals? Families can also discuss why Sydney might "miss" her blindness, even without the ghostly visitations?
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AGE
Rated appropriately
A 13 year old reasonably should be able to handle the violence and suspense. I screamed a few times due to being startled.
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AGE
dumb
dumb..........I don't get it very much....she gets new eyes from a dead girl and the dead girl sees ghosts so therefore the new girl sees ghosts through her new eyes
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AGE
okay for my age and all 13 year olds
i saw the eye at the movies i like it but it was kinda scary but still a good movie!
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AGE
scary for young viewers
i loved the movie! it wasnt gorey but used the element of suprise! also i love ghost stories! i think it would scare younger kids.
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AGE
LOVE IT!!
I absolutly LOVE this move. I would say this is one of Jessica Alba's best movies.
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AGE
This was a good movie but it wasn't scary, it was just jumpy in spots. Though it wasn't scary a lot of the imagery can be frightening from fire to a kid jumping off a building. Probably for ages 12+
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AGE
Proof watch if violence is your concern
If your kids enjoy scary movies then this is the one for them. There is no sex and as for nudity, you get to see the top of Jessica Alba's butt crack and thats it. For language, it has one use of the word "Sh*t" If violence is your concern, you might want to proof watch this one because there are many violent scenes. One of which has a girl hanging herself.
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AGE
Scary-licious!!!
I think this movie is a good choice for jumping out of your socks (Or seat?)
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AGE
A perfect Friday night Movie
This movie will scare you and frighten you with suspence. Its better to watch it with someone erlse to fully enjoy you rove interests screams and holding on to you.
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AGE
This movie is really good! It is not as scary as you would expect, and it is a great suspenceful movie! I would recomend it to everyone ages 12+!
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| Studio: | Lionsgate |
| Directors: | David Moreau, Xavier Palud |
| Cast: | Alessandro Nivola, Jessica Alba, Parker Posey |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Run time: | 97 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | February 1, 2008 |
| DVD release date: | June 2, 2008 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | violence/terror and disturbing content. |
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