Day Watch : Blu-ray Review

The Movie Itself is the sequel to “Night Watch“. Written and Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, and again, adapted from the novel by Sergei Lukyanenko.

Following in tow of the extremely successful “Night Watch”, the sequel picks up with Anton after an undetermined amount of time. Embittered and jaded, having lost his son to the forces of darkness, he tries to maintain his job as a night watchman, and train his new apprentice Svetlana (Mariya Poroshina). He longs for the chance to reconnect with his son, and bring him back to the forces of light, but Anton becomes endangered when he’s named as the key suspect in the murder of a Dark Other.

If the accusation holds true, and the truce was broken, Zavulon (Viktor Verzhbitsky) will retain every right in excising vengeance upon Anton, as well as reigniting the age-old conflict between the Forces of Light and Dark. All of which essentially amounts to the world being destroyed and bathed in darkness.

Where “Night Watch” was a bit muddled, “Day Watch” is an utter mess of a film. Barely contained within it’s all-too-bloated running time are a myriad of plot points, obscure character motivations, confusing sub-plots, and cryptic dialog. As the film progressed, I lost what little interest I had in the resolution of the story, so much so that when the finale took place, I was left shaking my head.

Without giving too much away, it’s the “chalk of fate” that destroys the film’s potential. It is a coveted item by both sides, for with it, you can change your past or future. As you might imagine, given Anton’s past decisions, and how they’ve effected everything that’s come to pass, it’s not hard to guess how this saga will come to a close when/if the chalk is in his hands.

Overall, I was greatly disappointed with the end of the second film. It’s hard not to see it as anything other than a cop-out, especially after having invested time in the long and enigmatic films. It should come as little surprise that I have little interest in seeing the third installment, should it ever be released. Even still, I can’t help but feel as though I’ve missed the point of these films altogether — which is hard for me to admit since I pride myself on my foreign film exposure, and understanding. Are there any fans out there who can help put these films in perspective?