Sick Product of a Sick System

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Blistering performances.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

I saw this in the theater when it first came out. So that might be the reason I love it so much. It was an amazing theater experience. I ended up purchasing this film, the sequel (Day Watch: which is just as good as Night Watch), & the novels. I would suggest watching Night Watch & Day Watch together. They are really perfect as one whole story. I am a huge horror/fantasy/sci-fi fan boy.......This is a stellar movie regardless of my preference, but having love for this genre really does elevate the material. Great story, great cast, & beautifully made. Even to this day, the look & feel of the film is on point. Please Enjoy!! I highly recommend this with the sequel Day Watch.............

Timur Bekmambetov's 'Nochnoy Dozor' (a.k.a. 'Nightwatch') is one of Russia's most expensive and highest grossing films. For a film that mostly relies on special effects, this sci-fi fantasy comprises fresh ideas. However, as enjoyable as it is, it's full of holes. In many places, the story loses focus and seem to delve towards areas without going far enough to explore them properly. The story lines are kind of muddled which is the result of Bekmambetov trying to say too much in too little time. The director does confirm that the second movie (it's part of a trilogy) will develop the stories introduced here. 'Nochnoy Dozor' is also lacking in humour but at the same time some sequences are unintentionally funny. Moreover, the climax felt weird (even melodramatic to an extent).Bekmambetov's direction is quite stylish and the film has plenty of energy. There's some fine cinematography. The special effects aren't always first rate but they help in creating atmosphere which is why it works very well as an atmospheric feature. In addition, the soundtrack and sound design are very good.The actors are all competent. Lead actor Konstantin Khabensky does an adequate job. I would have liked to see more of hottie Zhanna Friske.Flawed it may be, but 'Nochnoy Dozor' is quite a cool film and I've enjoyed it a whole lot more than most of these recent Hollywood blockbusters.

Now the Russians are infected with the sophomoric, puerile "Wow! Wouldn't it be just so cool to be a vampire or something?" virus. Heaven help us! I too once had such aspirations--WHEN I IS WAS 10 OR 12! But apparently there are still droves of lame- brained geeks out there who think this crap is really interesting. It's really tragic that these lame-os have such empty lives that they continue to be enamored by the prospect of being found to be an "Other." Or a "Hero" or a vampire or a werewolf or some other stupid creature that no one was ever supposed to want to emulate. But, lo, and behold! We have spawned a generation of dip-wads who never get tired of stories that are all about being somehow more special than the rest of us. They are immortal. They are powerful. They are mysterious. They are sexually desirable. They are evil, but they are really just misunderstood and want to be good. In short, they are everything that these dip-wads are not and never will be. They will keep on fantasizing about this lame garbage until they gasp their last, pitiable mortal breath in some hospice after living their pathetic, wasted lives. GOOD RIDDANCE! Listen up! You aren't supposed to want to BE a vampire, anymore than you're supposed to want to BE Ted Bundie, John Gacy, or Jeffery Dahmer! You're supposed to hate them and be afraid of them--those are normal responses and attitudes. These creatures are the enemies of society and humanity, they are not endangered species, victims of disease, genetics, or social inequality. And they certainly are not desirable sex partners! HOW SICK! PULEEZE! NO MORE GOOD VAMPIRES OR WEREWOLVES! NO MORE EVOLVING UNDEAD ZOMBIES! NO MORE SYMPATHETIC, MISUNDERSTOOD MONSTERS! BLAH! And if I hear one more "scientific" explanation of vampirism or lycanthropy I'm just gonna puke! When will everyone wake up and realize that the only entertaining element in these myths is that they DEFY such rationalizations. When you make a vampire or a werewolf a scientific phenomena, it takes all the terror out of it. All that's left is to study it as an oddity, motivated by some sick fascination, admiration, or desire for emulation. I don't watch horror movies because I want to be sexually aroused by the creature, I watch them to be scared! I don't watch horror movies because I'd like to be some sort of super-normal creature, but because such creatures are insidious, destructive, and downright evil. I don't want a horror movie to explain monsters to me medically, socially, or scientifically, I want to be confronted with something that defies all the smug, arrogant, and presumptuous deification of science that obsesses our numbed society and takes all the fun and mystery out of storytelling. Hey, girl! Don't answer that blood-sucker's booty call! Ward him off with your crucifix, splash holy water in his face, pound a stake through his heart, cut off his head, stuff his mouth with garlic, and throw what's left out into the noonday sun; cuz dat ain't yo' boy-frien', dats a demon-controlled rotting corpse! HOOAH!

I was expecting something quite magical, but this film turned out to be surprisingly down-to-earth and gritty.The main character is a reluctant hero, and not a pretty face either. He works with a group of people who fight the forces of evil with their special powers, yes, but also with things like trucks and computers. They are like a secret police force. The film reminded me more of a police or detective drama than a fantasy film. The scary parts were more like standard police-take-down violence scenes, which didn't really appeal to me.I suspect I'll appreciate it more if I see it again, without the hindrance of my expectations preventing me from appreciating it properly. It seems to be a well-rounded fantasy, with complexity and an elaborate background. And it's a cinematic presentation of Russia (Moscow) that is certainly very fresh, not one I've ever seen before.