Baek's leads eventually point to a white collar criminal who has organised a team of ex-cons to carry out his precise plans. But Baek is surprised to learn of the esteem he is held in by his target and the real intentions he has for the detective. Soon the men from either side of the law need to combine to bring down a common foe, a Korean kingpin who has tangled with Baek in the past yet continues to evade imprisonment.

Similar in execution to 'Running Out Of Time' - not to mention a number of other cop flicks, 'Eye For An Eye' hardly offers stunning originality. The cat-and-mouse thriller has been married to the police procedural film since the invention of celluloid and we've all developed cinematic gout from endless pairings of mercurial detectives with their kindred spirits on the other side of the law. Yet 'Eye For An Eye' is testament to how a glossy, slickly handled work can foxtrot over endless cliches.

Any story that is so centred on the battle of wits between two perspicacious protagonists is entirely at the mercy of their performances and how skilfully their characters inhabit the narrative. 'Eye For An Eye' can be thankful for its two flawed heroes and the enjoyment sustained from judging who has the upper hand and at what point. This even translates to the final act where the pair co-operate to take on the story's real aggressor. Han Suk-Kyu as the self-assured Baek is undoubtedly the pivot of the whole film and he dominates every scene he is in with a menacing glint in his eye and an obsessive determination that recalls 'Dirty Harry'. The way this maverick anti-hero saunters into investigations and reacts to the game he has found himself sucked into is beautifully realised by the two men behind the camera. This would be a far less diverting feature without Han Suk-Kyu participation.

'Eye For An Eye' has its fair share of twists and turns to compensate for the lack of hard-edged action. There's also a undeniable pleasure in seeing how a motley crew of robbers can pull off their tasks right under the noses of the law enforcers who are closely watching, then having to use the same wiles to keep one step ahead of the true villain of the piece. It may not be refreshing, it may not be especially exciting, yet 'Eye For an Eye' has a few aces up its sleeve - these are enough to recommend it to a wider audience.

Eye for an Eye tells the story of Baek (Han Suk-Kyu), a hard-boiled police captain who wants to retire because he is tired of the judicial system letting the criminals he catches go. However, he decides to investigate a armored car robbery case after learning one of the culprits impersonated him on the job. The culprit in question is Ahn (Cha Seung-Won), a genius who then leads his crew to steal a large gold shipment. When Baek learns that both the armored car and gold belonged to a crooked businessman that he has failed to put away for good, Ahn's motives become more clear, and the case becomes much more complicated.

While, even after introducting some twists, Eye for an Eye's story isn't all that special, Kwak Kyung-Taek's style elevates it above the realm of the average. He uses a Tarantino-esque storytelling method that is flashback-heavy. Many times, this can end up with convoluted and confusing results, but Kwak handles things with enough restraint to keep the flashbacks interesting without overwhelming the viewer. Eye for an Eye also has a nice mise-en-scene that is somewhat reminiscent of the films of Johnnie To. Again, Kwak knows the audience well enough to throw in just the right amount of visual "treats" without making the movie come off as a ninety-minute music video.

Combined with some solid acting from the leads -- Han Suk-Kyu is especially good as the conflicted Baek -- and a few taut (and at times very violent) action sequences, Eye for an Eye should fit the bill for anyone looking for a hip and smart crime thriller. It's not the most original film in the world, and it's most likely not going to make you a fan of Asian cinema if you aren't already. But for fans of this sort of movie, Eye for an Eye is one of the most solid entries in the genre in some time.

Capt. Baek Sung-chan (Suk-kyu Han) is all set to retire from the police force to go in business with his friend exterminating bugs. The bugs don’t get out once you catch them and once you kill them they stay dead. An armored car heist brings him back in. The armored car company was owned by the captain’s nemesis who he has been trying to bust for years but never had enough evidence. A cat and mouse game begins with the person behind the robbery, Anh (Seung-won Cha). Anh isn’t as straightforward as the Captain. His motives are somewhat mysterious until the Baek Sung chan puts the pieces of the puzzle together. Anh has created a very intricate plan to exact revenge against the captain’s nemesis and has purposely put him in the middle.

EYE FOR AN EYE is an above average thriller but leaves the viewer a little unsatisfied at the end. Han Suk-kyu plays the part of the captain great and much of the film time is spent on him. The viewer doesn’t get to know Ang (Seung-won Cga) the same way. Much time is spent on Ang’s crew without really seeing too much of him. By the end of the film you know what Ang is all about but you wind up wishing the movie was from his point of view. With all the twists and turns, Ang is exactly what he looks like.

On a scale of 1-10, I would give this a 7. The acting is very good and the characters are portrayed very realistically.