Not much to see here.

“The Eye”

Lionsgate Films

Directed by David Moreau and Xavier Palud

Starring Jessica Alba, Alessandro Nivola, Parker Posey, Fernanda Romero and Rade Serbedzija

Rated PG-13

1 ½ Stars        

Asian horror films were all the rage just a few years ago, but things change; cinematic trends fall out of favor as jaded audiences seek new ways to get their scary thrills. Pity the poor filmmakers who are just now getting around to releasing an Americanized remake of the Pang Brother’s 2002 Hong Kong fright flick, “The Eye.” Optioned by Tom Cruise and starring Jessica Alba, this must have seemed like a sure thing just six years ago, but as I said, things change…

“The Eye” tells the story of Sydney Wells (Alba), a concert violinist, blind since the age of five, who is given a second chance at sight with a corneal transplant. She is thrilled to be able to see once again, that is until the supernatural world starts to intrude on her newfound sight. Her new eyes allow her to see dead people and the things that collect them off after they’ve died. Friends fear that Sydney might be going a bit crazy, which leads to a desperate quest to track down the donor’s family and learn the dark secret behind Sydney’s new eyes.

“The Eye” does deserve credit for an hour’s worth of creepy atmosphere and an intriguing-enough story. The problem is that as the film winds to its conclusion, the filmmakers feel the need to over-explain what’s happening, which makes for a rather spectacular letdown. Let’s face it, sometimes a bit of mystery can go a long way in keeping an audience on the edge of their seats. Explain it all in black and white and the audience disengages, leaving the whole story as one big implausible mess.

The other problem is that Jessica Alba just isn’t strong enough to hold a film on her own. Sure, she’s drop dead gorgeous and likeable enough, but she just can’t pull off the acting required by the script of “The Eye.” Somewhat surprisingly, her co-stars Parker Posey and Alessandro Nivola turn in wooden performances as well. All the creepy production design in the world can’t cover up a cast of lifeless actors.

So while “The Eye” does deserve points for an atmospheric first hour, it’s undone by bad acting and a pedestrian ending. Most problematic is the fact that J-Horror films just don’t seem new and cool any longer and Jessica Alba simply doesn’t have enough big screen ability to rise above the film’s other notable faults. “The Eye” certainly isn’t a complete bomb, but there’s just not that much worth seeing here.