Let me say first and foremost do not even think of viewing this movie unless you’ve seen the first film. Simply put, this movie just starts and goes, assuming that you’ve seen the first film. There are no reintroductions, just forward motion, so be prepared. See Night Watch.
Picking up some time after Night Watch ends, this film concerns two parallel stories – Anton’s search for a means of righting all that has gone wrong since he joined the Watch, and his framing for the murder of one of the Day Watch. The two things are not, of course, that far apart as everyone soon finds out.
This is epic storytelling and it covers a great deal of ground. Do not blink or go to the bathroom. Unfortunately even with close attention a good deal of the plot is going to be clouded. There are lots of characters, lots of plot points, with many carried over from the first film. You can fee the film’s origins as a novel bleeding off the screen, giving this version of Moscow a very real sense of place.
The action and craftsmanship of this film is almost without equal. The set pieces are spectacular, there are things in this movie to make your jaw drop open. The cast is amazing, creating some really good guys and some vile bad ones. It’s first rate all around.
I really did like this film a great deal, though I am a tad disappointed.
I don’t know whether it’s the fact that the story is too big for its two and a half running time, or if it’s the fact that it doesn’t go where I expected it to go.
If you saw and liked the first film, see this. If you weren’t crazy about the first film you may want to give this one a miss.
TIMUR BEKMAMBETOV