Damned isn’t just a word - Anton
This is a review of the Fox Searchlight version of Night Watch, not the original Russian version. I hear they are different.
Night Watch (or
Nochnoy dozor for my Russian friends…all two of them) is based on
Sergei Lukyanenko's popular (in Russia anyways) novels of the same name. A huge hit in Russia (eclipsing both
Return of the King and
Spider Man 2 at the Box Office), it’s easy to see why this one was a keeper with the crowds.
Although Night Watch’s story was a typical one (good vs. evil) and far from original (Star Wars actually came to mind, especially as to where it’s heading with its sequels), it was still a captivating jamboree to kick with. I was sucked into a world filled with mystery and fascinating otherworldly beings that I just couldn’t get enough of! Now granted, clichés were in the house, but they were delivered with such gusto that I couldn’t help but a pop a boner for them anyways. Much like after gulping a whole bottle of "Southern Comfort", I felt as if anything was possible while watching the film and more often then none it pleasurably proved me right on that front. With that said Night Watch was first and foremost a visual peach, one that I sank my fangs into whole heartily and couldn’t get enough of.
Somebody took their
Matrix and
Lord of the Rings homework very seriously when in fan boy school where this trip was filled to the brim with arrestingly bleak imagery (loved them murder of
crows), kinetic editing, insane shots, slick uses of bullet time and an aspiration in wanting to show me “novel" stuff that endeared the heck out of me. Ever see through a kid’s skull? How about witness an Owl mutate into a broad (got Friday night flashbacks there)? Or how about some duder using his spine as a sword? Well you’ll see that sweet jive in here and then some! Other more familiar “US blockbusters” ingredients were on hand as well (like the flipping car from Hellboy or the battle sequences from LOTR) but they were a hoot and a half
to boogie with nonetheless. The slight variations and the fact that they were set within different contexts made them happen for me!
I did have a couple of fist fights to spark with this opus though. First and foremost, it was way to convoluted for my simpleton self. I was lost in this one’s shuffle on many occasions (felt like I was playing “Where’s Waldo"
with the plot) and the film didn’t seem to want to help me out much. It unraveled at the speed of sound, rarely explained anything and let me, and me alone, make heads or bitch of it all. On one
hand, I appreciated the encouragement in using my grey matter, on the other; I don’t like to use it THAT much when sitting down with a tub of oily Pop Corn and a Jack and Coke. Then there was the fantasy elements on hand that somewhat rubbed me the wrong way. Not the film’s fault really, I’m just not a big fantasy guy by nature…is all. At least Trolls weren’t present. I hate Trolls! Lastly one twist made me groan big time in its silliness, after all that time spent with the subplot, I craved something more solid and less throwaway (although the twist that followed it had me grinning).
Let me put it this way, I didn’t fully get what in Pam Anderson’s cleavage was going on in this genre bending petting Zoo, but I grasped enough to be hooked in. The somber-polished style, the LSD shots and the zealous creativity behind it all sealed the deal! East wants to be West while remaining East? YOU BET! See the result and chomp into Night Watch.
Episode #32
