An Eye for an Eye (1981)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Steve Carver

Writers:

James Bruner (writer)
William Gray (writer)

Release Date:

14 August 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Chuck Norris doesn't need a weapon... he is a weapon !

Plot:

Sean Kane is forced to resign from the San Francisco Police Department's Narcotics Division when he goes berserk after his partner is murdered...

Plot Keywords:

Police | Undercover | Drugs | Informant | Subway

Cast

Chuck Norris	...	Sean Kane
Christopher Lee	...	Morgan Canfield
Richard Roundtree	...	Capt. Stevens
Matt Clark	...	Tom McCoy
Mako	...	James Chan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jeffrey Bannister	...	Man on Walkie-Talkie
Robert Behling	...	Coroner
Joe Bellan	...	A.J.
Rosalind Chao	...	Linda Chan
Michael B. Christy	...	Reporter
Maggie Cooper	...	Heather Sullivan
Tim Culbertson	...	Policeman
Dorothy Dells	...	Cab Driver
Joe De Nicola	...	Parlor Manager
Nancy Fish	...	Reporter
Daniel Forrest	...	VW Driver
J.E. Freeman	...	Tow Truck Dude
Edsel Fung	...	Proprietor
Dov Gottesfeld	...	Doctor
Sam Hiona	...	Ambler
Kelly Jo Horton	...	Background Artist
Terry Kiser	...	Dave Pierce
Joe Lerer	...	Reporter
Douglas Meyers	...	SWAT Commander
Gary T. New	...	Reporter
Earl Nichols	...	Officer Ed
Mel Novak	...	Montoya
Stuart Pankin	...	Nicky LaBelle
Don Pike	...	Watcher
Rick Prieto	...	Stark
Professor Toru Tanaka	...	The Professor
Harry Wong	...	Shop Owner

Directed by
Steve Carver

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
James Bruner		writer
William Gray		writer

Produced by
Frank Capra Jr.	....	producer

Original Music by
William Goldstein

Cinematography by
Roger Shearman

Film Editing by
Anthony Redman

Casting by
Cathy Henderson

Production Design by
Sandy Veneziano

Art Direction by
Vance Lorenzini

Production Management
Lee Rafner	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yoram Ben-Ami	....	assistant director
Donald P. Borchers	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Frank Jones	....	sound re-recording mixer
Duncan McEwan	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Stunts
Greg Anderson	....	stunts
John Barrett	....	stunts
Kenny Bates	....	stunts
Darwin Benjamin	....	stunts
Rocky Capella	....	stunts
Tony Cecere	....	stunts
Jay De Pland	....	stunts
Gary Edelen	....	stunts
Ron Ellis	....	stunts
Joe Farago	....	stunts
Gary Fung	....	stunts
Du Wein Heide	....	stunts
Lorna Hoagland	....	stunts
Glen Hoyen	....	stunts
Steve Hulin	....	stunts
Mike Johnson	....	stunts
Matt Johnston	....	stunts
Alan Marcus	....	stunts
Larry Morales	....	stunts
Aaron Norris	....	stunt coordinator
Aaron Norris	....	stunts
Richard Norton	....	stunts
Benjamin J. Perry	....	stunts
Don Pike	....	stunts
Rick Prieto	....	stunts
Mark Riccardi	....	stunts
John Schumann	....	stunts
Charlie Skeen	....	stunts
Kerry Yo Nakagawa	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
William Maley	....	gaffer
Michael D. Weldon	....	first assistant camera

Other crew
Frank Capra III	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Adams Apple Film Company
• South Street Films
• Wescom Barber International

Distributors

• AVCO Embassy Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

106 min | Germany:97 min (25 fps) (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Norway:(Banned) (1981-2003) (cinema release) | Norway:16 (video premiere) (1984)

Filming Locations:

2417 Franklin Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Adams Apple Film Company

Goofs:

Continuity: During the Triad assault on James Chan's house, Sean Kane attacks a Triad terrorist who knocks an ornamental box off a desk as he falls. When Kane runs for the door, the box is back on the desk again.

Quotes:

James Chan: [knocking a bad guy out with a handy desk telephone] The warrior uses whatever is closest to hand.

"They killed my partner-now I'll get revenge!"

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs

San Francisco Police Officer Sean Kane (Chuck Norris) is on a stakeout with his partner to bust some heroin traffickers.A shoot out later ensues and his partner is killed which sets him on a course for revenge.

"I have so much hate in me" his widow wails to Norris at his funeral."And so much anger.I want these people to feel what I'm feeling."Believe you me,love,not half as much as he does."They're not going to get away with this."Oooooooh,you'd better believe it.

The plot is really as simple,unimaginative and formulaic as that.But,hey,this is not a problem.You want Shakespeare,you can always go to the theatre.

What shoots An Eye for an Eye in the foot is what a decidedly dull affair it ironically ends up being for something so undemanding,with thrilling action sequences few and far between and a running time that's about ten minutes too long.

The supporting cast is surprisingly lively,with Richard 'Shaft' Roundtree as Norris's typically sore-headed captain and none other than Christopher 'Dracula' Lee,as another reviewer already stated,terribly wasted as the main bad guy.On the smaller end of the scale,we have Professor Toru Tanaka as one of the main heavies,although his main purpose is really just to lumber around and grunt a lot as is his standard specialty in every movie he's ever been in and Mako in an uneven role as Norris's sidekick.

An Eye for an Eye is a film that sets out to accomplish a simple task but falls rather short of it's mark.However,it has a pleasant soundtrack and when the action sequences do roll by,they can be rather impressive.Also,if nothing else,it proves Chuck is no sell out,as he claims nowaday to have used a Total Gym for 23 years,and in one of the early scenes in his apartment,we see him using what appears to be one.**