Night Watch

As if the avalanche of horrible Hollywood movies about warring bands of supernatural creatures (vampires, zombies, werewolves, angels, demons, what-have-you) weren't bad enough, now we have to contend with imports. Night Watch is a Russian flick set in a distinctly grubby post-Soviet Moscow with subtitles and characters sporting names like Gorodetsky, Yegor, Olga, Svetlana, and Ignat. But it's the same old swill, and the foreign label on the bottle doesn't make it any more potable. The absurd and incoherent plot has something to do with two warring groups—Warriors of Light and Warriors of Darkness—who are policed by “Others,” a group of humans with powers that include shape-shifting. One of these Others is assigned to protect a young boy from a couple of hungry vampires, a job that brings him into contact with a female “funnel”—a sort of bad-luck magnet who for some reason will bring catastrophe to the world. All of this nonsense is tied together in a vague, opaque fashion by the time Timur Bekmambetov's Night Watch—based on a novel by Sergei Lukyanenko—lurches to a splashy denouement, but along the way viewers are subjected to a succession of extraordinarily nasty, violent sequences, directed with a kind of riotous abandon—an incessant orgy of fighting, bloodletting, and dankly flashy camerawork that leaves one both exhausted and disgusted. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by screenwriter/director Timur Bekmambetov, a subtitled commentary by author Sergei Lukyanenko, an extended ending with optional commentary (7 min.), and trailers (including a sneak peek at the upcoming sequels Day Watch and Dusk Watch). Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing horror flick.] (F. Swietek)[Blu-ray Review—Sept 30, 2008—Fox, 114 min., not rated, $39.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2004's Night Watch sports a decent transfer with DTS HD 5.1 Master Lossless sound. The bonus features on this release are identical to those on the standard DVD release, including audio commentary by screenwriter/director Timur Bekmambetov, a subtitled commentary by author Sergei Lukyanenko, an extended ending with optional commentary (7 min.), and trailers (including a peek at the sequels in the trilogy). Bottom line: a fine Blu-ray release of an overrated Russian horror flick.]