Day Watch is the sequel to Night Watch. Sadly, however, it’s not as good as Night Watch. It’s still a good flick, however.
The acting is good, the effects are excellent, and the plot moves along nicely. Where it fails, IMHO, is that the plot is easy to figure out. When an element is introduced, you know what’s going to happen next. There is also a disappointing lack of Olga’s boobies in this film, in fact, there are no boobies in the film at all.
Still, parts of the film are a pretty wild ride. Especially when Alisa drives her RX-8 up the side of a building. Those of you who’ve seen the trailer have gotten only the barest snippet of the scene. It does wrap up many of the film’s loose ends rather neatly, while leaving open the possibility for a sequel. (It doesn’t do this in an annoying manner, however. It’s a somewhat cliche ending, but it doesn’t have you thinking, “Oh, Christ! I’ve got to wait for another one!?!”)
A spoiler question:What is your interpretation of the ending? Is Anton really no longer an Other? (I’d imagine that Otherness is pretty much determined from birth, so even if he didn’t deal with the abortion witch, it wouldn’t change is status. Also, if the timeline is really reset, how does Anton recognized Svetlana?
I think that it’s a case of you having a certain destiny, but the actual outcome is open. So, both Anton and Svetlana are Others, but if they become Light Others is up to them, and how they become Light Others is up to them. Actually, the question shouldn’t be “How does Anton recognize Svetlana?” but why wouldn’t he? Remember when Tamerlane brought himself back to life, he knew who it was who killed him before and quickly dispatched him.
Tuckerfan, which did you like better, Day Watch or Night Watch? I saw Night Watch and really expected something different. It wasn’t very much different from a lot of other fantasy movies, contrary to the hype. Does the series get more…original?
Night Watch was definately better, IMHO. I will say that certain aspects of Day Watch were more original than is usual in the genre. Without getting into spoiler territory, I will say that the film does not have an ending characteristic of someone like Spielberg. I found Night Watch to be refreshing in that it’s vampires were vampires and they liked it! None of this wandering around in angst-ridden dispair because they were blood suckers. There’s some soap operaish elements to this film, but they don’t detract from the plot. It’s certainly worth seeing from the art direction and visual effects standpoint alone.
There’s a Making of Day Watch video on YouTube. One of the most interesting points (basically non-spoiler below):
The party is all real. They invited a bunch of Moscow high-rollers to a big party, with real food and drink, and then had the actors go act around them. For example, when the drunk fat woman starts dancing with Anton while he was telling Svetlana to leave - all that’s improvised.
My husband and I had a great time at both Night Watch and Day Watch. I’ll be there for every and any movie the director, Timur Bekmambetov, makes from now on. I wish him well and want him to do good work and be known for it.
The movie he’s filming now is called Wanted, his first English-language film (starring James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman) and it’s highly amusing that fanboys are screaming for Bekmembetov’s head because the screenwriter, who isn’t Bekmembetov, changed some aspects of the plot. When fanboys start their whiny petulant pouting (“He’s changing Wanted, Night Watch sucks”), I just roll my eyes at them. The end product could likely be very good (as was Lord of the Rings, V For Vendetta) though not always (Daredevil).
It would seem that his Twilight Watch, which is listed as being in production, is set during the events of Night and Day, but will be “…showing how the situation in Moscow affects the global macroclimate and the US in particular.” It’s in English too. I hope it’s only a temporary road block for more Watch movies set in RUSSIA, in RUSSIAN, and subtitled. They just wouldn’t be the same without the awesome subtitles.
I probably shouldn’t admit this, but if I’m ever on the fence about whether or not to see a film, I’ll check to see if you or Lissener have posted a comment praising the film, if either of you have, then I know it’s not for me. However you are absolutely right about this. Both the subtitles and the settings give the film such character that an English version set in the USA just wouldn’t be nearly as cool. The Russian locations give the films such grit, and the subtitles are so well done, that a few minutes after the film starts, I forget that I’m “reading” the film. Follywood just couldn’t duplicate it.
Yes, but I’m not on the fence a lot about movies, either I’m interested in seeing them, or I’m not. So, if I’m in doubt, then I check to see what either of you have posted. I don’t look for a concensious between the two of you, only if one of you have posted something on it.
No doubt if I dug around, I could find both of you heaping scorn on films I happen to really like. I don’t sweat it.