Watches : 2 : Day Watch (Dnevnoy Dozor) product reviews

Hope beyond hope, I did have, that this version would be in English... but alas, no such luck. Russian, with subtitles was back again, but y'know, it wasn't so bad this time around, because by some miracle, the plot was even better than the first time! Yup, this is one of those glorious rare oddities where the sequel outshines the original... not by a huge margin, mind you, but still, by enough to warrant a hefty mention.

Once again we are brought into the life of Anton, Light Other, member of the Night Watch, father of a teenage Great One of the Dark, lost soul, in his eternal quest for inner peace. Innocently drawn to the search for the Chalk of Fate, once controlled by a great warlord and reputed to be the instrument that allows one to change their fate simply by writing what they want with it, Anton is also being framed for the murders of a number of Dark Others, in an effort to destroy him and deny him the chance to sway his wayward son Yuri away from the Dark, and the clutches of the Dark Others' leader, Zavulon, who has taken Yuri under his wing as an adoptive son and apprentice.

The style is very similar to Night Watch, with the heavy strobing, wild switches between characters and events happening elsewhere, etc. But it's been toned down a little. By far the best scene was near the start, and I tell you... if *I* could drive a car like that and get away with it, I would be king of ">Top Gear! Eat my tyre smoke, Stig! ">lol

Still not a great fan of film with their original voice tracks, with courtesy subtitles for us Angophiles, but in this case the movie itself is stunning enough to allow for it, and honestly, I don't think it would have the same impact with a dubbed voicetrack... it would be like having a photocopy of the Mona Lisa on the wall... sure, it does the job, but it's just lacking that clarity and detail that gives character.

Overall, if you are into 'way out there' movies, a la 'art haus'... then this has got to be on your collection shelf already I am betting, but for those who are wanting to explore the wilder side of cinema, then this would be an interesting entree for you to taste. Even though it could easily stand alone, it would be wise to see Night Watch first, to fill in those annoying 'assumed' plot elements. Warning: the ending might give you serious pause for thought though, as it's not quite what you expect...