Day Watch (Dnevnoi Dozor) (2006)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Josh L

  
  A slight improvement on its predecessor mainly because this one knows how over the top and ridiculous this premise is and just runs with it at a breakneck pace without looking back. This one has more action, thrills, and humor than the first. It's also not as dreary. The story… More
  A slight improvement on its predecessor mainly because this one knows how over the top and ridiculous this premise is and just runs with it at a breakneck pace without looking back. This one has more action, thrills, and humor than the first. It's also not as dreary. The story still makes little sense as it is happening, and the movie still has problems with figuring out what parts of the plot are important and which ones aren't, but this one is more entertaining than the first, mainly because the visuals are better and the eye candy quotient was raised. This series is off the wall craziness mixed with a little horror and humor. If that sounds like your thing, then give them a try.

• Dead A

  
  At some point, I felt really stupid watching this. I mean it made no sense. But this movie isn't that terrible. Though I don't recommend it to watch.

• Anthony L

  
  Visually stunning, I've not seen many films that have spent as much time on the details. Shame they couldn't have spent more time on the story, structure, characters and just about everything else. This is a headache inducing mess. I had to have a lay down and a junior… More
  Visually stunning, I've not seen many films that have spent as much time on the details. Shame they couldn't have spent more time on the story, structure, characters and just about everything else. This is a headache inducing mess. I had to have a lay down and a junior aspirin after watching it, just thinking about it makes my eyelids feel like they're burning. Not bad but a bit of a brainfu*k!

• Cassandra M

  
  First rule - you have to have seen Nochnoi Dozor a.k.a Night Watch. Its well worth seeing Night Watch for a number of reasons, but understanding the second film in this trilogy is probably the best of them. It makes the whole first film worthwhile. While Nochnoi Dozor was very over… More
  First rule - you have to have seen Nochnoi Dozor a.k.a Night Watch. Its well worth seeing Night Watch for a number of reasons, but understanding the second film in this trilogy is probably the best of them. It makes the whole first film worthwhile. While Nochnoi Dozor was very over the top and quite silly (but brilliant in its own way), Dnevnoi Dozor carries off its excesses off much more confidently and brings real meaning to the first film. Second rule - you've really got to let yourself go of any preconceptions. This film is as mad as they come and completely unlikely, but wonderfully enjoyable in a very eccentric way. If you start comparing it to Hollywood equivalents you'll miss the point, and if you think you're going to see some "serious" Matrixesque fantasy, you'll be sorely disappointed. This film is pure myth, with the inexplicably unreal events and very much larger than life characterisations that any myth comes with. The fact that it is a Russian myth and full of many Russian references is both frustrating and at the same time great for a Russian viewer like me. You know there are hidden depths that you'll never quite get, but its fascinating to watch. And these bits are fairly infrequent, so don't be put off by it. :-) Third rule - don't see it yet, because you'll really want to know what on earth (or maybe not) they are going to do in the third part!

• xGary X

  
  The sequel to Russian vampire movie Nightwatch, Daywatch continues the battle between the forces of light and darkness for supremacy on Earth. At least I think that's what it's about because it's so confusing it's quite difficult to tell. Not that it's… More
  The sequel to Russian vampire movie Nightwatch, Daywatch continues the battle between the forces of light and darkness for supremacy on Earth. At least I think that's what it's about because it's so confusing it's quite difficult to tell. Not that it's complicated, it's such a mish-mash of unrelated and random ideas that it just makes little sense; in fact it's quite obvious that the script writer was just making it up as he went along, throwing everything he thought sounded "cool" into the mix with absolutely no thought to narrative, structure or even plain logic. This can be sometimes be successfully papered over by impressive action sequences, and there are some nice visual moments here, but that's all they are. Moments. Probably barely enough to scrape together into a flashy trailer. We never see any "battles", the action merely concerned with fast cars and property destruction and are just thrown in at random intervals with little affect on or relevance to the story. Add to this attempts at humour that are embarrassingly unfunny and you have a tediously overlong, self-indulgent mess of a film that fails to deliver on every level.

• Michael G

  
  There was a point around the beginning of Day Watch where I thought it might actually be better than its predecessor, Night Watch. The impressive but over-the-top scene with the car barrel-assing along the front of that hotel, the interestingly upgraded special effects and the foxy,… More
  There was a point around the beginning of Day Watch where I thought it might actually be better than its predecessor, Night Watch. The impressive but over-the-top scene with the car barrel-assing along the front of that hotel, the interestingly upgraded special effects and the foxy, raven-coiffed Alicia all had me open-minded and ready to enjoy it. Then that droning, monotonous and boring story kicked it. I honestly feel that this movie as an hour too long and if the effects weren't so good I'd say it should be used as torture. Believe it or not, a second viewing makes Day Watch even more nonsensical and painful to watch.

• Bannan i

  
  Not bad. Can't I give it 3 & 1/4 stars? :( Book fiends, beware...apparently NOTHING in here was in the book..save the characters and an item of importance. I'll review this later. ***post-viewing/dumkompfry edit <U>The Spiel</U>: If you guys are as big of… More
  Not bad. Can't I give it 3 & 1/4 stars? :( Book fiends, beware...apparently NOTHING in here was in the book..save the characters and an item of importance. I'll review this later. ***post-viewing/dumkompfry edit <U>The Spiel</U>: If you guys are as big of fans as I am of the book, please do not be disappointed when you see this movie and see barely anything that has to do with the sequel. I agree with people who said, if you enjoy Night Watch then Day Watch is definitely gonna be awesome as well. <U>The Who/What/When/et al</U>: So, this is how the story goes...if you haven't seen the first I'm gonna tell you rie now you're gonna be hella lost! Anyways, so as in the first we learned that there is an ancient battle that rages between Light and Dark, well within such a battle is also the struggle to gain control of a Chalk of Destiny that is said to change anyone's destiny just by writing upon a certain wall. The interesting thing about it is that, both Geser/Boris Ivanovich and Zavulon cannot touch it - seeing they are the two rulers amongst the Day/Night Patrols. Regardless, our story begins when Anton -yes our favourite anti-hero who doesn't seem to give a shit about anything, but actually does- is taking the new trainee Sveta out for Patrol and they respond to a call that says that oh noes! A law has been broken, one of the Others has meddled with human lives! And when they get there, they realize they're being set up...so poor Anton has the Inquisition of his trail now who will issue a warrant for his Elimination. So, for Geser and Olga to keep their protegee safe they do the unthinkable...that's right, switch Olga and Anton's bodies...for each other. Which is a barrel of laughs, until once again wrong place...wrong time and then things really get interesting where we see your neighbour-hood friendly vampires being involved in these important matters...and soon enough it brings about a full on war and poor Moscow is under attack...people running for their lives and all that shit, if only...if only someone can STOP IT! <U>Ending Thoughts & Junk</u>: Well, to be honest I had such high expectations...seeing how the book plot goes and of course they were not met...but it wasn't really disappointing. I just didn't see too much of a difference between the two Watches and don't understand how they can make ANOTHER movie. Of course the acting was quite good, and that made it easier to believe these relationships and events that went on between the characters. However, my qualms with this would be the fact that there was just so much going on and they just threw shit it like it was going out of style. Of course, BOOK FIENDS...beware you'll recognize maybe one or two scenes that were actually in the book...took me eons to decipher wth that Alissa character was supposed to be! LOL. Although, Timur...really raises the bar with the effects and intrigue of everything. The effects are just STUPENDOUS. It's definitely as Derek said, bigger and badder...and it's totally badass. Especially this one part that was just really well done, DAMN THE MAN! I want a mask of snow. Hahaha. Anyways, with all that asides..I really did like it. It was different, and enjoyable..definitely entertaining and the humourous side was not lost at all..if you dismiss any flaws..it's really quite a ride to watch. Timur, you did not disappoint! But I wonder what Sergei thinks of his literature in this perspective... <U>Quotastic</u>: Yegor: Uncle Zavulon, why are we the Dark Ones? Zavulon: Imperfections are hidden in darkness, Yegor. And people always have their imperfections. <u>Pixel-worthy</u>: <img src='http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/wings_of_fire10/daywatch1-1.png?t=1239551658'>

• Fernando Rafael Q

  
  DNEVNOI DOZOR (Day Watch), the follow-up to 2004's NOCHNOI DOZOR is a highly stylized, exciting, fun, cheesy, and ultimately, very entertaining mess. The love stories were a little unnecessary. But, God, that scene with the car on the side of the building is EPIC.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"The second chapter in the epic fantasy trilogy"</i> The apocalyptic sci-fi thriller Day Watch (AKA vevnoy Dozor: Mel Sudbi, 2006) constitutes the second installment in a planned supernatural trilogy by Russian fantasist director Timur Bekmambetov. As… More
  <i>"The second chapter in the epic fantasy trilogy"</i> The apocalyptic sci-fi thriller Day Watch (AKA vevnoy Dozor: Mel Sudbi, 2006) constitutes the second installment in a planned supernatural trilogy by Russian fantasist director Timur Bekmambetov. As preceded by 2004's blockbuster Night Watch and followed by Dusk Watch, this sophomore film picks up on the byzantine tale of a world where, centuries ago, the powers of light (representing goodness) and the powers of darkness (representing evil) called a truce. Each side set up a law enforcement team to guard and monitor the other's activities - the powers of darkness established and controlled the Day Watch, while the powers of light established and controlled the Night Watch. Day Watch opens in the 14th Century, where Tamerlan, a Mongol warrior, acquires an implement called "The Chalk of Destiny," that can be used to guide the course of history. Eons later (in the present day), the Day Watch and the Night Watch are ongoing. Two Warriors of Light, Anton Gorodensky (Konstantin Khabensky) and his protégé/partner-in-training, Svetlana (Maria Poroshina) quietly develop feelings for one another as they patrol the Night Watch together. As the story progresses, the pair must respond to a distress call from an octogenarian victim of a vampiric attack - an attack committed (as it turns out) by Anton's 12-year-old son Egor (Dima Martinov) - now a Warrior of Darkness.Anton must suddenly wrestle with two conflicting desires - the need to protect his offspring by destroying incriminating evidence, and his own desire to remain loyal to the Night Watch. Several additional subplots then unfold concurrently, including that of Egor learning to practice evil from his mentor, Zavulon (Viktor Verzhbitsky), that of Anton "body swapping" with associate Olga (Galina Tyunina), and that of the relationship between a vampiric child, Kostya (Aleksei Chadov) and his dad (Valery Zolotukhin), who works as a butcher. <b><u>Review</u></b> This movie has some of the most impressive visuals of any movie I have ever seen. It has a supernatural storyline that has great potential. It has some very funny moments in it, and some decent action. Unfortunately, this movie is gratuitously surreal. A good example is the Parrot. At a late point in the movie, the master of the Dark ones sends a henchmen after the hero. The henchmen is a parrot that morphs into a human. OK. Why the hell is this guy a parrot? And why did he have a plastic toy car that became real? At the birthday party near the end of the movie, why does the crowd clap and cheer after every muttered half sentence from our injured hero? There is a lot of stuff that happens in this movie where you never quite know why the things that happen are happening. This may be due to many factors. Maybe because its subtitled. Maybe because its the 2nd part of a trilogy where I never saw the first part. But I think it is because there is a lot of stuff that happens on screen that is not really relevant to the plot. Despite these flaws, this movie is absolutely worth watching, simply for the stunning visuals. I enjoyed this movie, but it really feels like a 3 hour movie compressed into 2 hours.

• Derek A

  
  <i>"Why does the wind blow? It wipes the tracks where we have passed. So that no one can tell, whether we still exist."</i> Timur Bekmambetov's <i>Day Watch</i> is the sequel to the big-budget Russian hit film <i>Night Watch</i>.… More
  <i>"Why does the wind blow? It wipes the tracks where we have passed. So that no one can tell, whether we still exist."</i> Timur Bekmambetov's <i>Day Watch</i> is the sequel to the big-budget Russian hit film <i>Night Watch</i>. The sequel picks up the storyline one year later from the original . The forces of Light and Dark are engaged in a civil war as each side attempts to control a device that will tilt the balance and destroy the other side completely. Stuck in the middle is Anton, a Light Agent (played by Konstantin Khabensky) whose son is a Dark Agent and whose love interest is a fellow Light Other. Bekmamtebov's brilliant visual flare is affluent in this Russian gem. It's bigger, louder, and more colorful than it's predecessor. The success of the first film is immediately seen by the increase in visual effects. The aforementioned success really opened up the budget for Bekmamtebov to blow up at least 10 huge buildings in this film! The acting was top-notch, especially by Khabensky and the young actor who played his son Yegor (Aleksei Chadov). The plot is fun, and if you're a fan of sci fi then it is easy to submerge yourself in the storyline. However, one of my few complaints is that it's not an upgrade from the original. Ultimately, any goal of a sequel is to give the audience something new or better. Yet, all this film serves to do is continue the storyline. The only differentiation that can be seen between the two films is the number of buildings that are blown up. The only other real complaint was that it was a bit long-winded. Coming in at about 30 minutes <i>longer</i> than the original with no real character depth added, this film tended to get a bit confusing and a bit boring in the middle. Long films like this tend to take themselves too seriously, and this one should not have been that long. What really saves this film is the climax. <i>Day Watch</i> has one of the most eye-popping, visually-satisfying conclusions to a sci fi film I have seen in recent years. It ties everything together, it destroys Moscow, and it was just damn cool to watch. It was a memorable Armageddon battle that concluded the series perfectly. Don't expect too much more than what you saw in the first film. But if you enjoyed the original, then you will love <i>Day Watch</i>. <i>"Imperfections are hidden in darkness, Yegor. And people always have their imperfections. "</i>

• Al S

  
  Better than the original, way better. A fantastic and breathtaking film. It's gripping, pulse-pounding and exhilerating. An edge of your seat ride filled with more compelling suspense and unforgettable action. This new breed of horror film never fails to satisfy or blow your… More
  Better than the original, way better. A fantastic and breathtaking film. It's gripping, pulse-pounding and exhilerating. An edge of your seat ride filled with more compelling suspense and unforgettable action. This new breed of horror film never fails to satisfy or blow your mind. An adreniline-pumping adventure jammed with thrills and chills. It's powerful, exciting and unrelentling. A beautifully crafted movie that will stand as an undenieable cinimatic classic. Stylish, masterful, engrossing, marvelous and sensational. An explosive, very enjoyable and action-packed sequel. A great mixture of astonishing speacial effects, great action sequences and teriffic characters. Director, Timur Bekmambetov continues his vision with outstanding force. It surpasses the heights of fantacy of The Lord Of The Rings and is louder and more visually arresting then 300.

• _kelly .

  
  the modern equivalent of The Empire Strikes Back, except it's waaaaaaaaay better

• Mike S

  
  Much like Night Watch, this film was quite impressive special effects-wise. It's just too bad that the writing and story isn't as high-calibred, because half the time it felt like I had no idea what was going on. At first I thought it might have just been something lost in… More
  Much like Night Watch, this film was quite impressive special effects-wise. It's just too bad that the writing and story isn't as high-calibred, because half the time it felt like I had no idea what was going on. At first I thought it might have just been something lost in translation, but the further into the plot I got, the more I realised that the problem lied in its lack of focus and consistency. Because whereas Night Watch felt believable within its own realm of rules, this sequel appeared more like a series of random scenes with no real connection to one another. The surreal elements were simply taken a bit too far for the movie's own good. A quite entertaining film nonetheless though, which proves that not all cool things come from Hollywood alone.

• Dean !

  
  Has its good moments but it is a bit drawn out really. A missed opportunity really. It won't make any sense if you haven't seen the first as well!

• Bruce B

  
  Well Nightwatch was good, but the seq, sux, 2 hrs and 27 min, another movie where I have to ask myself what am I doing. Save me

• A.D. V

  
  Technically amazing, wonderful follow up to Night Watch. Even though it was hard to follow at times I absolutely loved it .

• Dean M

  
  Awesome special effects and a terrific storyline since <i>Night Watch</i>. It is a worthy and recommended sequel I ever watched.

• Arash X

  
  Has some amazing scenes but suffers from weak characterization and poorly structured script or maybe I'm confused because I haven't seen Night Watch yet

• Roy G

  
  Even during its action sequences it is slow, confusing and apparently interminable.

• Gordon A

  
  Limp sequel which retreads the original's ideas and adds little.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings