Eye for an Eye 2: Blind Vengeance is the newest martial arts, action release from Well Go USA coming out of China. The film is a well made period piece with a common, but well executed martial arts theme. The title "Eye for an Eye" leaves no doubt that the movie is founded in a foundational premise of revenge in this film, like its predecessor.
Xie Miao stars, once again, in the leading role and the, seemingly heartless, blind bounty hunter who becomes personally involved in avenging the death of an innocent child and refusing a child in his charge. In addition to the predecessor to this film, he previously starred in, and did an admirable job in, 2022's Ip Man: The Awakening.
Yang Enyou, as the orphaned child, does a good job supporting Xie Mia in this one. It is there relationship that elevates this film to a higher level. The child actor's talents are considerable. Furthermore, our familiarity with the lead character, and his quiet, austere, veneer, makes the child's attempts to create a bond more enjoyable. There is an element of "Miyagi-Danielson" here, without trading off the successful American franchise.
The Direction and cinematography in the movie are very laudably done. The movie has a sharp visual element and the martial arts fighting, sword, and action choreography are executed in the manner of a much more highly budgeted film. There are some very good fights throughout this one. The fact that the filmmakers were able to elevate the fighting over its prequel is a bold statement, as the fights there were also very good.
It is rare that a sequel surpasses the original. Eye for an Eye 2: Blind Vengeance does that in my opinion. It elevates the characters , fight choreography, and story from the first into a better film. That is not typical.
For those that have not seen the original- do not despair; you can watch this film as a stand alone and still really enjoy it. You will not be lost.
While this film was made for the Domestic Chinese market, its martial arts action themes and fighting lend itself to a worldwide audience.
The film is in Mandarin with English Subtitles.
