Night Watch (DVD)

...only, not the DVD. Night Watch is a bizarre action/sci-fi movie from Russia, of all places. Kind of a mix-up of The Matrix, Underworld and Blade, it's got production values to rival the biggest new Hollywood releases, and was a phenomenal success in its home country, as well as a kind of sleeper hit elsewhere. Its central story tells of an ancient war between the forces of good and evil. On one side we have the Night Watch, who protect the light ...
...Anton, is part of the Night Watch. The film starts with his discovery that he is an Other, complete with a special gift and a taste for blood (it seems all these Others drink blood - I'm presuming that means they're vampires). It then moves on 12 years to present day Moscow, and he is paired up with a woman called Olga, who occasionally turns into an owl, in order to fight this woman from the Day Watch, or something. I'm going to stop the plot summary ...

l-m-n-o-p 25.03.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Night Watch (DVD)

...his ex's unborn child, the Night Watch, the protectors of the Light (with their opposite numbers the Day Watch being protectors of the Dark), burst in on the scene. The film then comes up to date with the present day, some 12 years later, and Anton has joined the Night Watch and is investigating some Dark vampires that are tracking an innocent young boy. Within the boundaries of the Truce between the Light and Dark killing another 'Other' is prohibited, ...
...can Anton save the young innocent without breaking the Truce and risking his Watch being severely reprimanded? The film leads on to the main theme that runs throughout the films and the books alike, and that is the 'prophecy'. It tells of a Great Other who will break the equilibrium the Truce holds over the Watches, and so will tip the balance of power one side or the other, depending on which side they happen to choose. And when the largest Vortex ...

Darko3B 01.07.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Night Watch (DVD)

...it anyway. Review. Night Watch, or Nochnoy Dozor, a Russian fantasy thriller, burrows into you, nestling inside you as you watch rapt with attention. Your eyes not wanting to leave the screen as you ponder every fact you can glean about what is occurring in front of you. Starting with a battle scene in 1342 between The Warriors of Light and The Warriors of Darkness that leads to a stalemate, and an agreement, Night Watch creates a world where ...
...forces of Good and The Night Watch policing the forces of Evil each awaiting the arrival of the great other, the one prophesised to break the stalemate and bring victory to whichever side they decide to join, and making sure that neither side breaks the agreement and keeps the status quo. Jumping forward to a modern day Russia that is a dark, dreary place, the only light seemingly coming from failing streetlights and lamps, we see a nerdy looking ...

Ailran 16.10.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Night Watch (DVD)

NIGHT WATCH is a much anticipated, dark, and dizzyingly stylised fantasy film from Russia. It tells of how there was once a great war between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. Once they discovered they were equally matched, both sides formed a truce and to this day still coexist somewhat peacefully in the world. To make sure the balance would not be broken the forces of light set up the Night Watch, a group of supernatural powered beings, ...
...of line with their terms. NIGHT WATCH is actually the first part of a trilogy from director Timur Bekmambetov and focuses mainly of the clique of the title, and their battle to keep the dark at bay. Not that NIGHT WATCH actually has time to focus, this is a frantically paced and multi-layered tale that never even really takes time explain many of the manic visuals it throws at the audience on a regular basis. By the films conclusion you will no ...

moxon123 25.02.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Night Watch (DVD)

...hit Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Night Watch (aka Nochnoy Dozor) is a fantastic low budget depiction of the classic ancient battle between Good and Evil. Most films that choose to use the Good vs Evil theme usually follow a predictable story ending with Good defeating Evil victorious, but Night Watch leaves you tense with anticipation as the credits roll and you find yourself eager for the next film as the fate of the two sides is left hanging in the ...
...law enforcements' known as the Night Watch (Good), who roam the streets of present day Moscow in order to control and contain the evil that threatens to break the ancient truce. There is also the Day Watch (Evil), who follow the same rules of the truce as the Night Watch, but work to contain the acts of the Night Watch. However, this first film focuses on the NIght Watch and the protagonist of the Night Watch, named Anton. The truce also allows new ...

prettylittleroswellian 10.07.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Night Watch (DVD)

...how the world of the Night Watch works and how one decision can inform another. The aesthetic of cool is ripped-off wholesale from "The Matrix", making the most of long coats and sunglasses, but somewhat undermined by the Russian penchant for woolly pullies. Aside from the smorgasbord of styles and pilfered stylistic tics, what really marks this out as a contemporary film is the nosebleed editing. But I guess if you don't dwell on things for too ...
...style or plotting. Even the American taste for referencing popular culture appears, courtesy of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" reruns. There are some aspects of the film that feel more original, including the assistant Anton acquires who turns from an owl into a woman. Stylistically, there are intriguing moments where flickbook animation and computer games are used for exposition. It is an ambitious project and one that coasts along on sheer enthusiasm ...

afy9mab 03.03.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Night Watch (DVD)

Night Watch. *********** ~Introduction~ Set in Moscow and based on a book by author Sergei Lukyaneko, Night Watch is the first of a trilogy. It concerns supernatural beings who can enter the "Twilight", a shadowy world that is on a parallel existence to our own, each being or "Other" owes their allegiance either to the Dark or the Light". ~The Movie~ The film begins in the year 1342, with a battle scene between the armies of Light and Dark which ...
...Just to clarify, The Night Watch are the protectors of the Light, whilst the Day Watch are obviously protectors of the Dark. There is great animosity between them and Anton is a member of the Night Watch. Anton is a kind of policeman for the Night Watch and tries to keep the fragile truce in tact whilst others bend it as much as possible for their own ends. Then there is, the "prophecy" which tells of a great "Other" who will break the Truce between ...

Maximus-Qualitus 21.09.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Night Watch (DVD)

Night Watch proves that big budget movies can be made outside of America and not in English yet still be great pieces of work. Night Watch is the first part in a trilogy set in Russia. It follows the story of Anton as he joins the forces of the Night Watch, the protectors of the light, a group of 'Others', people with special or supernatural abilities, that work to keep the forces of good and evil in check. Working against them are the Day Watch ...
...we get subtitles. In Night Watch, the subtitles are woven into the movie, rather than just being printed on the top. As a result, you see words dispersing like blood in water when there is a scene at a swimming pool, or they will appear as though typed on a computer during similarly themed scenes. This is a really clever touch and rather then being a distraction, actually helps a lot with following the subtitles. The special effects in the movie ...

awaykitcom 10.11.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Night Watch (DVD)

Night Watch. ======== The film is based around a prophecy. A prophecy of balance and that one day there will be 'one' who tips the balance and then the light or the dark will rule the earth protectors of the light fight against followers of the dark in order for control. They are supernatural beings who can enter the twilight and draw their power from there. Anton is a member of the nightwatch and it is he who will be the main character of this film. ...
...soon all hell on earth is breaking loose. Anton proves to have more power than anyone thought. The ending is as expected considering this is the first of a trilogy The special effects are very good and the plot never slackens right from the battle scenes set in 1342 right up until, well... the ending, no reveals sorry. the dialogue is in Russian with subtitles which does detract from the overall enjoyment. Apart from that this is a decent movie and ...

MaldivesHoliday 05.02.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Night Watch (DVD)

I had never heard of this story until I saw the trailer for this film at the cinema. I dont think the trailer painted a particularly good picture of the film but I went to see it anyway. One of the things that you dont realise from the ad is that its subtitled throughout. I didnt have an issue with this, it was still easy to follow the plot and keep up with the dialogue but I know that many people are put off a film by subtitles. The basic idea ...
...and Dark Warriors were fighting and when they realised that they were equally matched they came to an agreement - they kind of agreed to disagree. Obviously neither trusted the other to behave so they agreed that the Dark Warriors would keep an eye on thje Warriors of Light through the day and vice versa. Cut to (fairly) modern day Russia and the policing of the agreement and what happens when someone from either of the sides steps over the line. ...

SarkeBeeley 22.10.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Night Watch (DVD)