Day Watch

2006 Director Timur Bekmambetov

This is Bekmambetov's second and last installment of the ill fated trilogy.

Day Watch opens in the 14th century, when a Mongol warrior, acquires the "The Chalk of Destiny," that can be used to guide the course of history. Cut to today, the Day Watch and the Night Watch are ongoing. Two Warriors of Light, Anton and Svetlana, develop feelings for one another as they patrol the Night Watch together. As the story progresses, the pair must respond to a distress call from an octogenarian victim of a vampire attack committed by Anton's 12-year-old son. Anton must suddenly wrestle with two conflicting desires; the need to protect his offspring by destroying incriminating evidence, and his own desire to remain loyal to the Night Watch.

Several interesting concepts are explored notably body swapping and that there is no such thing as complete impartiality. This is a sequel worthy of the original. I hope that the concluding installment Twilight Watch is resurrected by the same director. Like Night Watch this film merits several viewings.,

Night Watch

2004 Director Timur Bekmambetov

This is the first installment in a trilogy of two by Bekmambetov. The concluding installment, Twilight or Dusk Watch, was, unfortunately, shelved. I hope the project is taken back up before Hollywood makes a poor American imitation.

In 1342, the Warriors of Light and the Warriors of Darkness, realising that a final battle will only result in both being annihilated, declare an uneasy truce under which each side will form a law enforcement team to monitor the other side's activities. The Warriors of Light, who enforce the powers of good, patrol the Night Watch, while the Warriors of Darkness, who openly embrace evil, patrol the Day Watch. Each watch group also contains "Others," mortals with supernatural powers from both sides that include vampires, shapeshifters, witches, and the like. Prophecy suggests that one day, a Great One will surface and permanently extinguish the threat of an apocalyptic war between the two sides by upsetting the balance, lending greater power to either good or evil and thus determining the future of mankind forever.

Unless you understand Russian reasonably well you will have to pay a great deal of attention to the tone while reading the subtitles or you will miss much of the underlying irony and pathos in the film. Darkly shot with great action sequences and some very inventive special effects this is a very enjoyable film. More is gained by repeat viewings.