And
as the narrator tells us (the only spoken English in the entire flick), their are two supernatural factions who clash
in the mother-of-all battles - the Light Others and the Dark Others. These 'Others' can take the form of vampires, witches, warlocks, shape-shifting animalians and
other assorted mythical creatures. The Light Others protect humans from
the Dark Others, who prefer carnage and anarchy to tranquility and
order. As this battle rages, the leaders from both factions realise
that neither army has an outright advantage, and so a truce is called
to create a semblance of peace. Volunteers from the Light and Dark
side form a police union of sorts to ensure that no Others, from
whichever side, use their supernatural powers for nefarious purposes,
such as munching on the carotid arteries of infirm humans, and in an
instant, we're transported to the early 1990s, where we're introduced
to the main character, Anton (Konstantin Khabensky). He's a good actor
this Khabensky fella, and I found myself empathising with him as the
story unfolds with more than just a few twists. Anyway, he's
visiting an elderly woman at the movie's beginning who says she can help
him get back his wife with whom he recently separated and longs so dearly for. The only problem
is, the elderly woman is a Dark Other, a witch if you will, and she breaks the
thousand-year-old truce that was forged in the great war in helping
Anton. As such, the Day Watch busts in, complete with some impressive
shape-shifting special effects, and stops the witch in her tracks. At
this point Anton is given a choice - he is in fact an Other himself and
cannot be swayed to the Light or Dark. He must choose for himself. Long
story short, he chooses the Light Others and becomes a member of
the supernatural police force, Day Watch. And from here on in things
get pretty crazy... The pacing of the action in the film is far
from lightning quick, but the way the characters develop and choices
they must make are far more intense, making for a very watchable film.
The way in which the story unfolds is very clever, and entirely
refreshing. The creative use of subtitles to reflect certain emotions
is also very cool. The story being told isn't the most original ever -
just think Matrix in Moscow. There's a prophecy that says a
'chosen one' will upset the status quo in the 'Others' union with his
ultimate power; he will choose either the Light or Dark Others, and
joining one side he will tip the balance of power and the war will be
fought again. And this time it will be conclusive. While I
may castigate the story somewhat, there's a paradox of sorts going on
here. Sure, it's not entirely original (based on a trilogy of novels by
author Sergei Lukyanenko), but is told in such a way that is indeed
quite original in its presentation, and has an incredibly fresh feel to it that I reckon
will attract big funding to future Russian productions. The
special effects are quite good, but it's more the way the whole
production slots together. It's gritty but believable, and there's
impressive attention to detail in many scenes. The dialogue between
characters is also unpredictable and intriguing, and for this reason it
is a much more captivating watch than your average Hollywood action
flick with predictable conversations and boring responses. The focus on
the main characters and their plights is also very engrossing, and
being the first part of a trilogy and I can tell you that by the time
the films conclusion makes itself apparent, you'll be wanting more. Day Watch and Dusk Watch are the next two instalments, and this hack will be one of the many converts who'll be waiting with baited breath for them. Not
as spectacular as I was led to believe - the eye candy was
disappointing at times - but an incredibly well made and originally
produced movie nevertheless, one which deserves your attention. Highly
recommended. DVD
Extras (Extras Unpreviewed). Conclusion:
Movie 75% Extras: N/A 
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