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Night Watch , 2004

Russian, English

Russia

Rating:6.5
Plot

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.

Details
Language: Russian, English
Country: Russia
Release date: 8 July 2004
Runtime: 114 min
Cast and Crew
Vladimir Menshov

as Geser

Konstantin Khabensky

as Anton Gorodetsky

Photos
Night Watch (2004)
Night Watch (2004)
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Clips
Night Watch: Trailer(0: 0)
Night Watch: Trailer(0: 0)
Critics Reviews
San Francisco Chronicle

A wildly entertaining fantasy thriller that propels Russian cinema into the 21st century.

The New Yorker

With its somersaulting trucks, drafts of quaffable blood, and skies full of digitized ravens, Bekmambetov's movie has every intention of whacking "The Matrix" at its own game.

Users Reviews

I don't get it. It seems like it's really, really bad. There are very few special effects. Those that I saw don't even stand up to the non disaster Will Smith movies. Did I see the wrong movie? Did I see some kind of bootlegged copy? Is the moon...

I'm surprised and in shock. I had seen Wanted, which shares the same director as this film, and while I enjoyed it I was not blown away or dazzled by it. Going into seeing this I had so-so expectations. It blew me away. Excellent effects, great and...

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