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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1027 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-01-28
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: Russian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 131 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The dizzying supernatural Russian epic started in Night Watch continues with Day Watch, in which once again the battle between the forces of Light (the Night Watch) and Dark (the Day Watch) threatens to crack open the world as we know it. The plot centers around Anton (Russian superstar Konstantin Khabensky), an Other (one of many beings with varied supernatural powers) whose son, Yegor, has joined the Day Watch, who are grooming him to be their superpowerful savior. Anton's protégé, Svetlana, also has high-capacity power, and if Yegor and Svetlana come into conflict, the resulting devastation could shatter everything. The key to success seems to lie with the Chalk of Fate, a simple piece of chalk that can rewrite reality.

Day Watch is full of plotholes and underdeveloped story points (at one point, to keep him safe, Anton's consciousness is switched into the body of his Night Watch colleague Olga--but mere moments later the Day Watch knows what's happened, before any suspense could be mined from it; as a result, this promising plot twist seems only to exist to allow for some girl-on-girl action), but it's forgivable. As with the first film, Day Watch bubbles over with its wildly imaginative world, its ravishing style, and its fantastic visual effects. If a Hollywood blockbuster had half as much creativity, it would be praised to the skies and be the hit of the year. Don't let the subtitles put you off (particularly since even the subtitles reflect the movie's wit and imagination)--Day Watch is a cinematic feast that any movie fan should devour. --Bret Fetzer

Synopsis
This sequel to the Russian film NIGHT WATCH centres on an epic battle between forces of good and evil. An uneasy truce has kept the armies at bay for centuries, but that peace is about to end, and it will pit vampires, psychics, and witches against one another. Both factions, the Day Watch and the Night Watch, have beings of extraordinary power called 'Great Others', and if these two people meet, a supernatural war will begin. Anton Gorodetsky (Konstantin Khabensky) finds himself torn between his son, the dark side's Great Other, and the woman he loves, the champion for the Light Others. DAY WATCH (DNEVNOI DOZOR) explodes in the mind-bending space between THE MATRIX and UNDERWORLD. The Russian film boasts the same visual verve as THE MATRIX, and it's just as revolutionary. Director Timur Bekmambetov is operating on a completely different level of creativity than most of his peers, fashioning a unique world and jaw-dropping set pieces. The fate of the universe hangs in the balance, but DAY WATCH doesn't take itself too seriously. From humour in the subtitles themselves to jokes at the expense of the Russian bureaucracy, there's a lot of fun to be had at the dawn of the apocalypse. Bekmambetov ups the ante with this sequel, improving on the original in every way. DAY WATCH may clock in at an epic 140 minutes, but it's a tight film filled with action and style.

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Customer Reviews

An insult to the books
I bought this DVD expecting that similar plot liberties would have been take as in Night Watch - i.e. not completely true to the books, but still enjoyable.
No such luck. Apart from the CGI sequences there is nothing to recommend this film - the plot is incoherent, dialog sub B movie and the contrived 'happy' ending tow-curlingly bad. When I reached the sequence at the party I had to fast forward just to have any chance of getting myself to the end.
Please forget this DVD and buy the complex and rewarding novels instead.

You are all a bit confused with this subtitle issue
There are 3 versions of Nightwatch on DVD.
1 (cover: face with birds) is the original in Russian with COOL English subtitles that fade away and Add to the films enjoyment (I believe that this is the one that Ajeigh would watch) And is definitely the best and deserves 5 Stars.
If you watched Nightwatch recently on Channel 4, this is the one.

2 (cover: Black and White/Blue with title across the middle on Red background) is a dubbed version which is absolutely dreadful because of the dubbing.

3 is the 'sunglasses cover' "English for the hearing impaired" subtitles with continual information like [THUNDER RUMBLES], [INAUDIBLE DIALOG] and [YELLING]. Great if you're deaf or hearing impaired but not for the rest of us.

So I would recommend that everyone watch the version of Day Watch which has the guy in the green jumper on the cover, but it is currently only available in REGION 1 from the US!

Would you agree Ajeigh?

Awesome
Far more interesting & entertaining than 99% of the pap out there. Genuinely original & charming.