An uneasy truce has existed between the forces of Light (the Night Watch) and Darkness (the Day Watch) for several hundred years. But an ancient prophecy foretells of the birth of an immortal being who will upset this delicate balance and tip the scales in favor of one side and set off an apocalyptic power struggle.

CRITIQUE

There’s been quite a bit of buzz surrounding director Timur Bekmambetov’s Night Watch for the past couple of years; although the movie doesn’t quite live up to the hype, I’m happy to say that this Russian horror-fantasy (who knew such a thing even existed?) is still a damn entertaining movie. Sure, the basic plot--the struggle between Good and Evil--is as old as old can be, but the movie has enough style, energy, and ingenuous trappings to make up for its more familiar elements.

Night Watch is the first part of a trilogy (the second movie, Day Watch, has already been released in Russia and the third installment is currently in production), so much of its running time is given over to world-building. The process of creating a fantasy world is much easier to pull off using the written world, but Bekambetov and co-writer Sergei Lukanenko, on whose novels the movies are based, do a good job of introducing and establishing the otherworldly elements (including such reliable stand-bys as vampires, witches, wizards, and shape-changers). The movie opens with a large battle between the forces of Light and Darkness, during which the nature of the truce between the factions is revealed. The story then jumps forward to 1992, the time shortly before the birth of the child whose power both sides desire. There is yet another leap forward, this time to present day, and we see this young boy as he first hears the siren’s call of his abilities. It’s a lot of information to absorb in a compressed amount of time, but the movie presents it clearly and concisely. And despite the large amount of exposition necessary to get the story off the ground, the pacing never lags; the movie moves along at a steady clip, never becoming boring or repetitive.

Bekambetov does make a couple of missteps along the way. A few seconds of unnecessary video game action are inserted into the movie at a couple of points; I don’t know what the point of this footage is (hopefully it will pay off later), but it almost derails the movie when it pops up (it also recalls similar moments from House of the Dead, and that’s certainly not a good thing). The resolution of one subplot near the end is a something of a letdown, especially when you consider how much buildup it receives (again, I’m hoping this will lead to something in the next two movies). The climax features a plot hole so big you could sail an aircraft carrier through it. And there’s far too much use of bullet time, but I can understand why Bekambetov goes for broke with the effect; as he states in his audio commentary, this is the first big budget fantasy-horror flick in the history of Russian cinema, so it’s little wonder he occasionally overindulges in technological gimmickry.

Quibbles aside, Night Watch is a welcome addition to the genre. I’m eagerly anticipating the final two chapters.

THE VIDEO

The 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer is nigh-on perfect, with excellent color saturation, black levels, and shadow detail. Grain and edge enhancement never become a problem, and the source elements used to create the transfer were obviously in impeccable condition.

THE AUDIO

The original Russian 5.1 Dolby Digital track is crystal clear, with excellent channel separation and bass activity, but surround action is a bit too subdued. The same basic mix was apparently employed for the English 5.1 track, which features surprisingly good dubbing and translation work. French and Spanish Dolby Surround tracks are also included, as are English, French, and Spanish subtitles.

Two quick notes on the subtitles: If you choose to listen to the Russian track, do not select the English subtitles from the menu, as this will actually turn on the English closed captions; the English subs are forced on the Russian track, so there’s no need to turn them on. Also, the subtitles for this movie are the most unique I’ve ever seen. They actually become a part of the action, interacting with the characters, disappearing and reappearing, and even morphing into pools of blood or wisps of smoke. It might sound odd, but it actually enhances the viewing experience.

THE EXTRAS

Up first is an audio commentary from Co-Writer/Director Timur Bekmambetov, who does a pretty job detailing the film’s production. Timur speaks in heavily accented English, but the commentary does feature optional subtitles.

You also get an audio commentary from Co-Writer Sergei Lukyanenko, author of the original novel. As can be expected, Lukyanenko focuses primarily on the challenges of translating his work to the big screen. This commentary is in Russian with optional English, French, or Spanish subtitles.

Also included is an extended ending with optional commentary by Timur Bekmambetov. It’s easy to see why this ending was scrapped, although it does provide some interesting hints as to what’s to come in the next installment.

Night Watch Trilogy (3 minutes) provides a brief glimpse at the storylines of the remaining films in the trilogy.

There are also trailers for four other Fox releases.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Although it’s far from perfect, Night Watch is still an immensely entertaining film and a promising start to the trilogy.