Eye for an Eye 2: Blind Vengeance is a fantastic modern wuxia film that’s an ode to classic Japanese film series like Zatoichi and Lone Wolf and the Cub.
Writer-Director: Bingjia Yang
Genre: Wuxia, Action, Drama, Western
Run Time: 90′
U.S. Release: March 4, 2025.
U.K. Release: TBA
Where to Watch: on Digital, Blu-ray & DVD
Eye for an Eye 2: Blind Vengeance continues the adventures of Cheng Xiazi (Xie Miao), a blind swordsman operating as a bounty hunter. But this time he’s not alone. After saving the young orphan girl Zhang Xiaoyu (Yang Enyou), he reluctantly takes her under his wing. She’s consumed by the need to avenge her little brother. But Lieutenant, a nickname given to the blind swordsman by the little girl, doesn’t want to hear any of it. She’s allowed to stay with him, but he never wants to hear anything about revenge again.
The Lieutenant knows revenge. It’s the business he deals in, being a bounty hunter, so he knows there’s nothing to gain from it. No happiness or personal catharsis, just money from the fervor of others. He doesn’t get personally involved. Until the day he does, of course. We know how this story goes. The cold, lone swordsman learns to open his heart thanks to a lovable sidekick he begrudgingly takes along. Eye for an Eye 2 executes that premise exceptionally well.
It’s reminiscent of older Japanese film series such as the Zatoichi films from the 60s and the Lone Wolf and the Cub films from the 70s. The little girl is absolutely adorable (despite her lust for revenge), and the blind swordsman has the stoic presence to stand out any time he’s on screen. Both Xie Miao and Yang Enyou give fantastic lead performances, which are needed as the film rests mostly on their backs. The film is surprisingly character-focused and accordingly allows for more emotional depth than usual for this kind of genre action fare.
Eye for an Eye 2 frequently makes use of montages. That’s how we’re presented with the blind swordsman as he completes a series of bounties early on. Later we get to see him bond with the little girl in the same manner. There’s a training montage too, of course, in which the little girl learns how to kill while staying undetected. There’s an understanding that we can fast forward through some of these very familiar beats (which is how the film stays at a brisk 90 minutes). And still, all the emotional beats work. Because writer/director Yang Bingjia knows which moments do need the proper time and focus dedicated to them.
But the core of the film is the action, and it’s absolutely exhilarating. We don’t get too many modern wuxia films, so it’s a pleasure to watch them whenever we do. Especially if they’re this well choreographed. An early highlight is a fight between our two protagonists and two murderers disguised as fishermen. The choreography here is incredibly inventive. The blind swordsman is both fighting the assailants and protecting the girl. Repositioning her with his stick in between hits. Meanwhile, the girl helps the blind man with locating his enemies. But they too interact with one another, launching each other forward to create new angles of attack.
The environment is utilized as well. They’re fighting on a boat at the edge of a lake. Floorboards are kicked out and used as weapons. The fishing net is used for protection. And hidden knives allow for unexpected attacks. At one point an adversary falls into the water and uses it to hide until the right moment to lunge at the swordsman. The camera of Zhao Xiaofeng captures all this in very dynamic movements. But without ever losing clarity of the fight. Because Xie Miao is a very capable martial artist in his own right, there’s no overediting or exaggerated shaky cam needed to hide what he’s doing.
For anyone unfamiliar with wuxia films, none of the jumps, lunges, or launches into the air follow any kind of real physics. But that’s what makes wuxia films so beautiful to watch. It’s a very elegant style of fighting. Despite that, Eye for an Eye 2 is also very brutal. Bones are sticking out of arms. Swords are thrust into people’s faces. And in either case, the blood is plenty. It creates an interesting contrast to classic wuxia action.
Eye for an Eye 2 plays with a familiar framework and takes heavy inspiration from classic Chinese and Japanese cinema, but it plays the hits so damn well. While the first film still had some rough patches, this sequel shines with incredibly technical execution. If the stories of Cheng Xiazi, the blind swordsman, become a film series with regular new installments every couple of years, like the classics it was inspired by, I would be there every time.
Eye for an Eye 2: Blind Vengeance – Movie Plot & Recap
Synopsis:
After saving a young orphan girl the blind swordsman begrudgingly takes her under his wing. As the two bond and the blind swordsman shows the little girl the ropes of being a bounty hunter, she plots for revenge.
Pros:
- Outstanding wuxia action choreography
- Dynamic camerawork to highlight the action
- Two very charismatic lead performances
- Great use of montages
- Appropriately fast pacing and a short runtime
Cons:
- Antagonists are cartoonishly evil
- Characters aren’t memorable outside of the two protagonists
Eye for an Eye 2 debuted on Digital, Blu-ray & DVD on March 4, 2025.
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