‘Day Watch’ movie review: trippy Night Watch sequel tops original

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Impressive, FX-heavy sequel to Night Watch picks right up where it´s predecessor left off, and rarely lets up for the duration of it´s 130-minute runtime.

The series (Twilight Watch is scheduled for release later this year) has been called Russia´s answer to The Matrix, and this sequel – just as impressive as the original – shows that these films may be headed along a different path than the Wachowski´s disappointing trilogy.

Director Timur Bekmambetov draws on a variety of classic sci-fi, and there´s a lot of Star Wars to be found here, particularly in the good vs. evil storyline, played out against a pair of father-son relationships: our hero Anton, who fights for the good forces of Light while his son Yegor has chosen the path of the Dark, and Anton´s neighbor, a vampire butcher who wants better for his son.

The plot involves Anton´s quest for the mysterious Chalk of Fate, which can literally rewrite history. Thankfully, however, the fantasy elements never outweigh the human story at the heart of the film; the movie never feels as pretentious as it could in less capable hands.

Zhanna Friske is a standout as a warrior of the Dark. Computer-generated effects are as good here as in any Hollywood film.

Highly recommended for fans of the original film, which may be required viewing in order to have a grasp on this one.

Day Watch

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Jason Pirodsky

Jason Pirodsky has been writing about the Prague film scene and reviewing films in print and online media since 2005. A member of the Online Film Critics Society, you can also catch his musings on life in Prague at expats.cz and tips on mindfulness sourced from ancient principles at MaArtial.com.

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