Night Watch (2006)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

You won't be disappointed!

Very disappointing...

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

You haven't seen any Russian movies if you think they're chasing "Hollywood" with it's cinematography & as for the dislike for US, perhaps you should watch all the movies Hollywood makes where the villain is always supposed to be Russian and yet the actor is American and doesn't bother to learn any Russian words for the scenes where he's supposed to speak in Russian. I'd say the dislike is pretty mutual.I find it funny that there's always the one American that has to comment how we're copying "Hollywood" etc etc. Especially when the review right underneath him recommends the viewers to watch this if they're sick and tired of Hollywood crap. LOL. Someone didn't understand the movie very well perhaps. I didn't mind this movie at all, it was pretty entertaining to watch and I love Khabenskiy. He's a talented actor & I enjoy most of his movies.

There's certainly no shortage of vampire flicks out there, so the challenge is upon filmmakers to distinguish theirs from the rest of the vampire stew. "Nightwatch" definitely distinguishes itself, if for no other reason than it is Russian. But even beyond that it does introduce some original ideas.Historically, the vampire tale has been a clearcut battle of good vs. evil: evil of course being the bloodthirsty freaks with fangs and good usually being the supple-necked victims and those who defend them. Nightwatch certainly begins that way with an opening narrative showing us, literally, the armies of good fighting armies of evil. But in a subtle way, from the opening shots the director injects scenes that make us question "what makes good good? what makes evil evil? What is the difference?" For my money, that's what this film brings to the table. Like the more recent Clint Eastwood films (beginning with "The Unforgiven" all the way through the WWII films "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Iwo Jima") we are challenged to objectively define who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. The answer isn't as clearcut as the old Westerns would make you think."Nightwatch" is mostly a high-powered action film mixed with a bit of a detective story and a few nicely placed slower moments. But I think its real power lies in the theme of good vs. evil. I haven't yet seen the sequel "Daywatch", but based on how "Nightwatch" sets the stage, I bet it will be even better.I enjoyed "Nightwatch" and will probably watch it again to pick up on more that I may have missed. My criticisms are similar to what other reviewers have said. It seems rushed at times, there are a lot of very quick cuts like you might see in music videos, and I would have loved to see it dwell on some shots a little longer. But perhaps the whole idea behind the quick cuts is to disorient & unsettle the viewer, just as the theme may disorient & unsettle you about your definitions of good and evil.A few plot elements seemed hastily tied up at the end, but maybe the dialogue translations into English didn't properly convey what the characters were saying. I definitely found myself wishing I understood Russian. Oh wellski.I would compare this film to "Underworld" but with more frenzied action scenes and more subdued chillout scenes. Parts of it, particularly the flashbacks to ancient times, reminded me of the classic "Highlander" films. The dark, claustrophobic feel reminded me of the interesting Russian ghost story "Moscow Zero". This is a film worth seeing.

Night Watch seems to be one of those love it or hate it films, and it is easy to see why. For this viewer, it has a fair bit to redeem it but has too many flaws as well to make it good enough, very similar pros and cons for 2007's Wolfhound actually. Night Watch is an excellently made film, the scenery is sumptuous with a dark edge as well, the CGI is well-defined and used appropriately and most of the photography is skilfully done. The music score is terrific as well, it has some beautiful parts, some stirring parts and some haunting parts, and these are used in a way that is effective for each scene and doesn't across as repetitive or jarring. The acting is also quite good, Konstantin Khabensky's lead performance in particular is great and the supporting do a good job in making the most of what they have. The script is a mix here, some of it is literate and thoughtful but there are too many other instances where it sounds awkward and underwritten. Most of the photography is fine, but that is not the case with the action sequences where it is very claustrophobic-feeling and too much like watching a hurriedly-edited music video. The action doesn't really have as much drive or tension as it ought to, it's performed competently but rather stodgily choreographed. The characters are sketched very thinly, we know what types of characters they are but often that's pretty much it. The story is the biggest problem with Night Watch, a good idea but the storytelling is far too rushed and confused with too many things left unexplained or underdeveloped. If the pace had slowed down, things would have been more comprehensible, less choppy and better developed. While the ending is also a let down, it was here where Night Watch felt the most rushed and it felt unfinished and anti-climatic too. Overall, a mixed bag here and this is coming from a Russian fantasy fanatic who hasn't read the book(and you don't necessarily have had to to either like or dislike the film) and judged Night Watch on its own terms. 5/10 Bethany Cox

This film, as well as its sequel, is a masterpiece like no other in the genre. Now to make one thing clear, once and for all, I haven't read the books by now. But for as far as I heard they stayed pretty close to the books.Unlike most films nowadays that include vampires, this film actually has some very interesting characters. And that's the strength of both films. No matter if good or evil, side or main character, they are all so well developed and played.I'm used to see dark films like this. The Batman movies, classic 80s splatter and horror movies, ... I like my film atmosphere dark and dirty. This isn't Gotham City, it's not the Blade Runner L.A., it's not (Ba)Sin City, ... it's Moskau. A very very dark and dirty Moskau and all I can say is, WOW. I wanna go to Moskau and see if it's really such a dark city.I will not spoil the story in anyway, but let me say it like this, there's no film I know so far that has a similar storyline.So what are you still waiting? Get it and watch it. You won't waste your money.