Day Watch (2007)

guest review by Phineas Gopher

Also known as Dnevnoy Dozor
The follow-up to 2004’s Night Watch, based on a popular trilogy of modern Russian novels, is even more convoluted, involving secret societies of paranormally gifted beings – vampires, witches, and shape-shifters - existing in a shaky truce between good and evil. Think X-Men meets The Matrix. Once again filmed by visionary director Timur Bekmambetov, Day Watch continues the story with a budget that looks to be higher and visuals that are better than ever. Out of context the plot is silly, with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance over a piece of mystical chalk. But that really is beside the point. The film is like a comic book brought to life, with all the smoothed-over logic and emphasis on danger and destiny that implies. If the movie were any less explosive visually, this could be a problem. But the narrative rides a steady stream of wildly creative special effects like it was a new sports car, and the screenwriters serve up enough curious ideas—like body-swapping and deadly yo-yos—to keep it all interesting. The film is overlong at a 132 minutes, but the last act moves quickly enough for this to be forgivable.

7 out of 10.

Note: One other aspect I enjoyed was the unique approach to subtitles, carried over from Night Watch. The titles are incorporated more completely than in most other foreign films. They shake when someone is angry, shatter when something breaks; they are an organic part of the scenery that adds an almost constant touch of whimsy, and calls to mind the endearing playfulness of Amelie. How many action films can say that?