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Day Watch
Fox Searchlight Pictures


8.0

based on 21 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 8 votes
Read user comments
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FILM:

MPAA RATING: R for violence

Starring Konstantin Khabensky, Mariya Poroshina, Vladimir Menshov, Galina Tyunina, Viktor Verzhbitsky, Zhanna Friske, Dmitry Martynov, and Valeri Zolotukhin

The second installment of a trilogy based on the best-selling sci-fi novels of Sergei Lukyanenko, Day Watch (Dnevnoi Dozor) revolves around the conflict and balance maintained between the forces of light and darkness -- the result of a medieval truce between the opposing sides. (Fox Searchlight)

GENRE(S):	Action \| Fantasy \| Foreign \| Horror \| Sci-fi \| Suspense/Thriller
WRITTEN BY:	Timur Bekmambetov Sergei Lukyanenko (novel Dnevnoy Dozor) Vladimir Vasiliev (novel Dnevnoy Dozor) Alexander Talal (scenario)
DIRECTED BY:	Timur Bekmambetov
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: October 30, 2007 Theatrical: June 1, 2007
RUNNING TIME:	132 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	Russia
LANGUAGE(S):	Russian (with English subtitles)

Original title "Dnevnoy Dozor"

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

It's a high-energy blast.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

Like its predecessor, the movie is a joyous celebration of extravagant pulp and post-Soviet kitsch, joyously trafficking in gore, loud cars, ladies' stilettos and excess for its own sake.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub

While the sequel to "Night Watch" is an imperfect film, it's always interesting.

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

Anyone looking for sleek futuristic action and production design should keep walking.

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

Though Day Watch seems less shocking and overwhelmingly strange than "Night Watch," it's another rocking mix of gritty thriller and glitzy sci-fi, once again in the vein of the director Bekmambetov's idols Quentin Tarantino and the Wachowski brothers.

Premiere Glenn Kenny

The crazy fantasy world of this saga is plenty compelling and quirky.

LA Weekly Ella Taylor

For all the vampires and blown-up cars, you'll see no sadism for the hell of it, only an oddly sweet-tempered mix of hyperbole, understatement and profoundly Slavic philosophizing about guilt, freedom and responsibility.

Entertainment Weekly Gregory Kirschling

The sequel is a minor wackjob head trip.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Though overlong, there are many stunning special effects, including a car chase up the side of a building, as well as the sort of wild animated subtitles that turned up in "Night Watch."

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Putting an entertainingly outlandish spin on "Matrix"-style action, Bekmambetov leans toward flamboyant special effects and operatic overacting.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

Ranks as one of the most elaborate, stunt- and effects-filled summer movies currently in the theatres. Unfortunately for its box-office prospects, it's also in Russian, which narrows its audience to action junkies with a foreign film bent.

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

Day Watch does dazzle and even at times amuse. But its imagination is limited. The backstory is shallow and pat. Its characters are mostly one-note. And everything goes on much too long at 133 minutes.

Village Voice Nathan Lee

The worst thing Bekmambetov has picked up from his American models is the tendency of megasequels to aggrandize material grown enervated, to compensate for thinness by spreading out.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Bill White

The story is pure gobbledygook.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Bekmambetov introduces too many elements, losing interest in them or using them inadequately.

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

Day Watch falls prey to the curse of most sequels in which "more" is often a thin concept stretched beyond its limits and misconstrued to mean "bigger and better."

The New York Times Jeannette Catsoulis

Unfolding in a decrepit, present-day Moscow, Day Watch dazzles and confuses with equal determination.

Variety Leslie Felperin

Bursting with incident and FX, Day Watch will delight fans of its predecessor, "Night Watch," but further annoy those antipathetic to the Russkie-made supernatural franchise.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Tasha Robinson

Like the dream it so closely resembles, it's fairly distracting while it's going on, but it fades into forgettable nonsense by the light of day.

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

I wasn't exactly engaged, but this time boredom never took over.

Miami Herald Peter Debruge

Like Russia's answer to "The Matrix" and "Lord of the Ring"s trilogies, Day Watch offers the second chapter in an epic battle between the forces of Light and Dark, the result of which is a gaping gray area where nothing much makes sense.

The average user rating for this movie is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 8 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Yury I. gave it a10:
I would say that it is an excellent movie. Very dark, very Russian, and in that extremely unique.

David B gave it a6:
Sadly, where Night Watch contained a fresh story and interesting characters, Day Watch abandons the story all together and leaves a movie almost void of purpose. There is the flash and visual effect that you hope for, especially with the bus scene or the car angrily driven right across a building so the heroin (of sorts) can make an entrance. Yet, the characters who you want to know more of, and to understand better, are left hallow and unexplored. Tell me, why don’t we see more of the inquisition? I was looking forward to this release, as I loved Night Watch. Yet the sequel has a story that is way too long, and leaves more confusion than anything else. Those who did not see Night Watch will be hopelessly lost and unable to grasp any meaning from these 2 hours. Trust me, don’t start here – see Night Watch first. Besides, it’s just an all around better movie.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
I liked it. not as good as the book, but ok. its a combination of the last 2 books of Nightwatch.

Kim J. gave it a9:
I thought it was cool. the book did a better job, but this is still a neat move.

Paul K. gave it a7:
This has a very tongue in cheek quality to it...the visuals are great and story is simple but enough to keep things moving. The writers need to figure out how to make the us care about the characters and the ending was a perfectly wrapped present? Dusk Watch is coming, so there should have been an arc in the storyline w/ a great cliffhanger, not that messy can of worms. See it on video.

Max L. gave it a6:
Not nearly as eye-opening as Night Watch. Better effects but not better story and quite a bit longer than the first. Still, worth watching it to wrap up the whole story.

Day Watch Fox Searchlight Pictures

Day Watch
Fox Searchlight Pictures