Review of Day Watch (2006) by Jesse O — 04 May 2013

Fans of the original will surely love this follow up, but it is never anything great. Day Watch is good, but leaves a lot be desired. I thought that the film was well constructed with a prominent sense of style, which is a trademark of Bekmambetov's films.

Day Watch in many ways is a better film than Night Watch because it expands on the story established in the first entry. Night Watch was a film that was all over the place with its plot and relied on its visual style to create its entertainment value.

Although similar, this film tones down on heavy special effects and focusing more on storytelling. But that's not saying that effects are not prominent in the film. There are plenty of scenes that have effects and are quite exciting, but the plot is better thought out here and the film is a more focused, more detailed movie.

The performances are good and there are aspects of the film should appeal genre fans. However as a whole, the sequel doesn't break any new ground in terms of vampire lore. I enjoyed the film, but I felt it could have been better and it was on par with the original.

Visually striking, with toned down effects and a good story, Day Watch is a worthwhile follow up to Night Watch. Fans of the first film will most likely enjoy this entry and it boasts some effective action and tense, horrifying scenes that will certainly delight genre fans.

Either way you slice it, these films are only mildly entertaining, and won't be seen as classics of the genre. With that said, this is worth seeing for mindless entertainment value, but if you're looking for a standout feature, you'll sadly be disappointed.