Review of Day Watch (2006) by Derek A — 07 Dec 2008

"Why does the wind blow? It wipes the tracks where we have passed. So that no one can tell, whether we still exist.".

Timur Bekmambetov's Day Watch is the sequel to the big-budget Russian hit film Night Watch. The sequel picks up the storyline one year later from the original . The forces of Light and Dark are engaged in a civil war as each side attempts to control a device that will tilt the balance and destroy the other side completely. Stuck in the middle is Anton, a Light Agent (played by Konstantin Khabensky) whose son is a Dark Agent and whose love interest is a fellow Light Other.

Bekmamtebov's brilliant visual flare is affluent in this Russian gem. It's bigger, louder, and more colorful than it's predecessor. The success of the first film is immediately seen by the increase in visual effects. The aforementioned success really opened up the budget for Bekmamtebov to blow up at least 10 huge buildings in this film!

The acting was top-notch, especially by Khabensky and the young actor who played his son Yegor (Aleksei Chadov). The plot is fun, and if you're a fan of sci fi then it is easy to submerge yourself in the storyline.

However, one of my few complaints is that it's not an upgrade from the original. Ultimately, any goal of a sequel is to give the audience something new or better. Yet, all this film serves to do is continue the storyline. The only differentiation that can be seen between the two films is the number of buildings that are blown up.

The only other real complaint was that it was a bit long-winded. Coming in at about 30 minutes longer than the original with no real character depth added, this film tended to get a bit confusing and a bit boring in the middle. Long films like this tend to take themselves too seriously, and this one should not have been that long.

What really saves this film is the climax. Day Watch has one of the most eye-popping, visually-satisfying conclusions to a sci fi film I have seen in recent years. It ties everything together, it destroys Moscow, and it was just damn cool to watch. It was a memorable Armageddon battle that concluded the series perfectly.

Don't expect too much more than what you saw in the first film. But if you enjoyed the original, then you will love Day Watch.

"Imperfections are hidden in darkness, Yegor. And people always have their imperfections. ".