What little story there is to be found in Eye in the Sky is pretty straightforward. Simon Yam stars as Wong, a veteran cop who leads the police department's Surveillance Unit, a precision team that specializes in tracking criminals through spying. The newest member of Wong's team is Ka-Po Ho (Kate Tsui), a rookie cop who is uncertain of her skills, but will prove pivotal in making the case against a gang of criminals led by the cold-blooded Shan (Tony Leung), whose identity remains a mystery to the police. After Shan and his crew pull off a daring heist, he becomes the main target of Wong and the SU, but they don't have much to go on, since they don't know who they are hunting. Slowly but surely, Wong, Ho and the rest of the Surveillance Unit begin to build their case, but Shan is not the average criminal, and he is able to stay one step ahead of the cops.

Fans of the fast-paced, over-the-top action that has come to define much of Hong Kong cinema may be disappointed by Eye in the Sky, which is not much more than a police procedural thriller. The story moves at a quick pace--thanks in part to the editing of David Richardson--and the film maintains a feeling of tension; but it is more like episodes of shows like CSI or The Wire than it is like the films of John Woo or Ringo Lam. In fact, Yau's storytelling seems to be more informed by contemporary American cop shows than anything else, which is not a bad thing.

The cast all give solid performances, especially Yam, but the script never really bothers to flesh out the characters with any depth, making Eye in the Sky a what-you-see-is-what-you-get type of film, rather than some sort of character study like The Conversation. Still, the characters are likeable enough, and the script by director Yau and co-writer Kin Yee Au is effectively entertaining.

The problem with Eye in the Sky is that even though it is a well-made film that entertains from start to finish; it doesn't resonate much after you're done watching it. It is the sort of film that keeps you distracted while you're watching it, but once it is over, you don't give it much thought. And again, this is not a bad thing, but at the same time it does not make for a classic.

Video:
Eye in the Sky is presented in 16 x 9 anamorphic widescreen. The image transfer is clean, with vibrant colors and clean picture.

Audio:
Eye in the Sky is presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital with Cantonese language track and 2.0 Dolby Digital with Mandarin language track. There are optional English language subtitles that are easy to read, and the translation is fairly well done. The sound levels are all consistent throughout, with a good mix.

Bonus Material:
"Making of Eye in the Sky" (23 min.) has less to do with the production of the movie, and instead covers the film at several key festivals. As far as behind the scenes featuettes go, it doesn't really have much to offer in terms of incredible insights into the production process.

Final Thoughts:
If you go in expecting to see an action thriller on par with Hard Boiled, you will be disappointed. But if you are looking for a tightly-paced crime thriller that leans more toward psychological thrills instead of bombastic action, you will be entertained.