BootDigest
Such a frustrating disappointment
Limerculer
A waste of 90 minutes of my life
Ava-Grace Willis
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
view_and_review
This foreign film was a major league production. It was full of action, special effects and good versus evil. Visually it was stunning. With a name like Night Watch it was apropos that the movie was dark with very few scenes taking place in the light.The story was also good. There is a truce between the light side and the dark side with each side keeping the other in check. The Night Watch monitors those on the dark side and the Day Watch monitors those on the light side. Both sides were awaiting the coming of a powerful "other" that would tip the scales.I was with the story up until the end. I think the ending was rather simplistic and not well thought out. Besides the ending the movie had a fresh and unique spin on the good v. evil story and it was very compelling.
dreamtrove
I have to say, expecting nothing, knowing nothing, I was impressed. This is one of those rare hidden treasures to run across, in its chaotic unnerving kind of way.If you liked Let the Right One in, Hellboy, Neverwhere, and some of the more offbeat horror noir, like Close Your Eyes, this one should appeal to you.There's a minor thematic anti-abortion, understandable if you consider Russia's population decline, but I suspect that's what earned the film its haters. That said, the criticisms are pretty off base, the acting is quite good. There's an intentional dry-noir feel, and something of a chaotic world out of control that you get from a film like District 9. This is a lower budget film, so don't expect any serious cgi etc., but for classic noir fans, it's not needed, and probably wouldn't help.Overall it stacks up favorably against most good vs evil battles in that the characters and events have something real about them, not just strict servants of the story arc that you find so often in horror.I was pleasantly surprised, anyway.
benegesserit20
I've been a fan of speculative fiction for quite a long time, no matter that books or movies, I just love them. I read the Night Watch novel not long ago and despite of liking fantasy less than the other genres under the umbrella of speculative fiction, I found this book extremely enjoyable, the story is great, smart and thought-provoking, the characters are interesting, the sophisticated fight between the Night and Day Watches is truly fascinating.So I decided to check out the movie as I guessed that such a great story couldn't be messed up. Maybe I was never so wrong. The story is only loosely connected the original, the once amazing and complex story was simplified to a silly, discursive plot; the once cool and special members of the watches were turned into a bunch of laughable idiots. And this newly added cheesy father-son relationship is physically painful. The only real good thing in the movie is the soundtrack. I'm truly interested what Mr. Lukyanenko thinks of this adaptation, but maybe he can be more forgiving as the movie brought him international popularity. An advice for you: pick the book!
kiwisago
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.
