Movie:
Eye for an Eye, originally released theatrically in 1996, was directed by John Schlesinger. Schlesinger also directed Midnight Cowboy, Marathon Man, Next Best Thing, and Pacific Heights. The film stars: Sally Field (Karen McCann), Ed Harris (Mack McCann), Kiefer Sutherland (Robert Doob), Joe Mantegna (Sergeant Denillo), and Beverly D'Angelo (Dolly).

Karen McCann's life is shattered when she hears her eldest daughter raped and killed over the phone. With the evidence found at the scene, the police find and arrest Robert Doob for her murder. At trial, however, he is set free on a legal technicality, as the prosecution did not share evidence with the defense. Karen, stricken with rage and disbelief over the judicial system that failed her, begins following Doob. After Doob kills another woman and is released, Karen sets in motion a plan to make him finally pay for his crimes.

Eye for an Eye is a mixed bag of a film with few positives and a lot of negatives. Most of the characters, Doob in particular, are extremely one-sided, where the good are pure and the bad are entirely evil. The film also relies on emotional clichés to make an impact and manipulates the audience, especially with the ending. The film further attempts to justify vigilantism, with ways it can be rationalized and the legal consequences escaped. However, I did think Sally Field and Ed Harris did a great job as parents struggling to cope with the loss of a child, though Field's performance was, at times, over the top.

Picture:
Eye for an Eye is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The transfer is remarkably clean, with no marks or scratches and only a few specks. Colors throughout the film are natural, with accurate flesh tones and rich blacks.

Sound:
Eye for an Eye is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 in English, Dolby 2.0 Surround in English, and Dolby 2.0 Surround in French. The front speakers showcase most of the action and display some directionality in the effects. The rear surrounds are rarely employed, though there are a few instances of rear-front surrounds. Dialogue throughout the film was clean and easy to understand. English captions are also included.

Extras:
No extras.

Summary:
Eye for an Eye is certainly not a terrific film, though remains watchable due to the performances of the leads. Paramount's DVD has remarkable picture and sound quality, but no extras and a rather high MSRP. Rent it.