DVD | Night Watch

Rating: R16 - Contains Horror Scenes & Violence.
Duration: 119 mins.
Genre : Fantasy.
Actors: Konstantin Khabensky, Vladimir Menshov, Valery Zolotukhin, Maria Poroshina, Galina Tyunina, Victor Verzhbitsky.
Release Date: Available now.

Night Watch is the first in a trilogy based on Sergei Lukyanenko’s spectacular fantasy novels.

Yes, it’s a Russian movie, but it comes dubbed in English or if you, like me, prefer Russian with English subtitles you have that option as well. It’s a movie that fronts up with a serious challenge to Hollywood being the home of visually spectacular, seductively thrilling movies.

Like the Matrix did back in it’s day, Night Watch offers us an alternate reality – one in which the world is not only made up of the physical, but has a serious spiritual realm. And it’s in this spiritual mode that the real action takes place.

The first part of the trilogy focuses on Anton who, early on in the movie, dabbles in black magic in an effort to bring back his wife who left him for someone else – things don’t go to plan, but along the way he discovers that he’s one of the “others”.

Skip forward 12 years and he’s chosen the side of light, he’s part of the Night Watch, keeping an eye on the dark others, making sure that they adhere to the ancient truce. The rules are simple, when mere humans discover they are one of the “others” – they have a choice, which is to choose if they will join the dark or the light. Neither side is allowed to force them to choose – they can only use influence.

When an ancient prophecy is about to be fulfilled, and the balance of power could possibly soon be shifted to the dark side, the gloves come off. It’s up to Night Watch to protect the prophesied boy from the darkness, and encourage him to the light. But the dark others have been formulating a plan and there’s more than one player to contend with.

The world of Night Watch is one that is filled with endless possibilities, and with this being the first of three movies, all bets are off as to how this will end up. What is certain, is that the beautiful mix of visuals combined with an engrossing imaginative storyline and enough action to keep most adrenaline junkies on the edge of their seats, will make this trilogy a classic that threatens to make the Matrix look like a direct to video b-grade movie.

Food for thought
Night Watch portrays a world in which there is an ongoing spiritual battle, with dark forces battling for control with the forces of light. Is this just the stuff of fairytales, or is there really a battle raging over our destiny?