Night Watch - Reveiw

Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozor)
Directed By: Timur Bekmambetov
Written By: Timur Bekmambetov
Starring: Konstantin Khabensky, Cladimir Menshov, and Valeri Zolotukhin
Russia's highest grossing film has finally hit the America's. I saw I trailer for this movie back in 2004 and was super excited by the wild visuals, and unique story, but it just kind of dissapeared. It has finally come out and I got a chance to see a few days ago, and it was enjoyable. I have seen it twice, and the second time around made much more sense plot wise. The first time I saw it I think there was a lot lost in translation, which is sad, but the story is quite complicated. To say the least, the movie looked beutiful, with so many odd color choices mixed with totally unique camera movements makes this one of the most visually interesting films I've seen in a long time. The acting was spot on, absolutley no complaints, but not speaking the language, I'm focused more on the subtitles, which is sad for such a visualy heavy film. This movie is the first in a triliogy, based on the novel by the same name. It's about two groups the Night Watch, and the Day Watch. The Night Watch monitors the forces of darkness (night), and the Day Watch monitors the forces of light (day). The whole movie, and I'm guessing the series, focuses around a child who is this movies "the one" and he must pick a side, either the Night Watch, or the Day Watch, and suppopsedly whoever he choses will eventually become the winning side in the ongoing struggle between the two forces. I hope I can find a translated version of the book because I think I will get much more of the story than I did through the film, but there are two more movies, and the second has already come out in Russia, so hopefully number two can make it's way state side. Overall, with beautiful visuals, solid acting, and a slightly confusing story, I give Night Watch a 7 out of 10.