A highly promising curtain-raiser to an ambitious trilogy.
Night Watch (2005)
Rated: 15
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Theatrical Release: 07-10-2005
Synopsis: The first part of a trilogy, NIGHT WATCH is an old-fashioned good vs. evil parable that relies on some thoroughly modern special effects to ensnare its audience. Set in present-day Moscow, the movie begins with a quick skip back through the centuries to inform us how a delicate truce was struck... The first part of a trilogy, NIGHT WATCH is an old-fashioned good vs. evil parable that relies on some thoroughly modern special effects to ensnare its audience. Set in present-day Moscow, the movie begins with a quick skip back through the centuries to inform us how a delicate truce was struck between the forces of Light and Dark. These forces still exist in Moscow, with both sides keeping a close eye on each other as they attempt to disguise themselves from the earth's mere mortals. NIGHT WATCH's central character is Anton Gorodetsky (Konstantin Khabensky), who is defined as an "Other" by the legions of Light and Dark. Anton and his cohorts live as vampires, and await the arrival of a virgin who will announce the resumption of hostilities between the forces of Light and Dark; as the film progresses, it becomes apparent that an epic battle is just around the corner. One of the biggest films of all time in its native Russia, director Timur Bekmambetov's NIGHT WATCH positions itself somewhere in between THE MATRIX and BLADE in the pantheon of CGI-fueled sci-fi flicks. Although the plot is mind-boggling and occasionally verges on the incomprehensible, Bekmambetov is presumably using this first part of the trilogy to lure viewers into his wild cinematic world. Impressively, Bekmambetov's film was shot on a tiny budget, but it belies its meager origins. Even the English subtitles are integrated into several scenes, with words zipping across the screen and melting into the action as a heavy-metal soundtrack thumps away. Knowing he is set to film two sequels, Bekmambetov leaves his audience hanging as NIGHT WATCH nears its climax, with his second installment (DAY WATCH) promising further FX-laden feuding, and, in an intriguing twist, an English-language climax to the trilogy with DUSK WATCH. [More]
Genre: Foreign Films
Starring: Vladimir Menshov, Konstantin Khabensky, Valery Zolotukhin, Maria Poroshina, Galina Tunina
Screenwriter: Sergei Lukyanenko, Timur Bekmambetov, Laeta Kalogridis
Producer: Konstantin Ernst, Anatoly Maximov
Composer: Yuri Poteyenko
DVD Info
Release:
Apr 3, 2008
DVD Features:
- Keep Case
- Dual Side - Dual Layer
Audio:
- Dolby Digital Surround - Spanish, French
Additional Release Material:
- Disc 1/Side A: NIGHT WATCH - English; Widescreen
- Widescreen - 2.35
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Additional Release Material:
- Additional Footage - "Inside Look: THE OMEN"
- Alternate Scenes - Extended Ending With Optional Commentary
- Featurettes - "Night Watch Trilogy"
- Trailers - Bonus Trailers
- Disc 1/Side B: NIGHT WATCH - Russian; Widescreen
- Single Side - Single Layer
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - Russian
- Subtitles - English, Spanish, French - Optional
- Audio Commentary - 1. Timur Bekmambetov - Director (With Subtitles)
- 2. Sergei Lukianenko - Source Writer (With Subtitles)
Reviews
Twisted, mysterious, bold and compelling, this is a raging cyclone of a movie, sucking up elements from the likes of Blade and The Matrix and whirling them into something new.
An ambitious, flawed and ultimately frustrating fantasy/horror movie from Russia.
Incredibly, the movie was made for just £2m but, thanks to the brilliant special effects, manages to be visually dazzling and totally gripping.
Ambitious Russian epic, with terrific special effects and cool characters, even if the plot gets a little confusing at times.
A bracingly vivid sense of style and character ... bewildering, abrasive, jarring and surprisingly emotional.
... director Timur Bekmambetov makes excellent use of CGI to portray the paranormal events but avoids the silly martial arts extravagance of the UNDERWORLD movies.
uses fantasy, horror and gobsmacking special effects to explore the greyer areas of contemporary life.
I liked it, and if your tastes run as occasionally goofy as my own, you probably will too.
The entire production seems intent on creating a mood and trapping the audience in it until the very last frame is shown, and for a fantasy film, that's how it should be done.
The film is fascinating - albeit sluggish - until the final reel. At that point, the vampire-hunter hero makes a crucial decision at odds with everything we know about his character.
Intriguing enough to build hope that the trilogy's next two parts can make this a reverse Matrix saga: A series that becomes more clear and compelling as it goes forward.
The resulting concoction will likely baffle anyone who isn't already a fantasy/horror aficionado, but those viewers who enjoy one of these genres will get a kick out of the universe Bekmambetov has created here.
...doesn't translate as much more than a formulaic, if promising, genre tale that's often difficult to follow yet equally hard to dismiss.
A huge hit in Russia, this horror movie is a testament to how desperate for entertainment they must be over there.
Pops with visual momentum -- so much that by the end it's chaotic, and finally just insane.
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