Night Watch is one of those films that tends to push the limits of a certain genre. The result is a film that displays something unique in terms of storytelling and direction. The film is a new breed on the vampire story, and though not perfect by any means, this one is still quite good and manages to be a roller coaster ride of action and horror from start to finish. At times, you get lost in the plot as you try to understand what is going on, but you do get caught up in the visuals, which is the strength of the film. The plot is good, but it is a multi-layered affair that you may need to revisit just so you get the big picture overall. The direction is stylish and well done with emphasis on action, and slow motion sequences. This film had the potential of being much better than what it turned out to be. Director Timur Bekmambetov always goes for visual presentation while giving the audience a so-so plot. Although the ideas for the plot are quite good, I found them all over the place and underdeveloped for the most part. If there would have been more attention for a cohesive storyline, than on the visuals, then this certainly would have been a great film. The result is an average movie with a good story, but like I said, it was all over the place and lacked flow. The performances were good, and the ideas displayed on-screen are what makes this one worth seeing. I enjoyed it, and I appreciated the fact that Bekmambetov tried to reinvent the genre, but he is a director that crafts films that are a bit hard to follow due to their unique look. Night Watch has its fair share of imperfections, but it is a good twist on vampire lore and it has plenty of new things to add to the genre.

Incoherent, messy, rushed, and more than a little cheesy, but nonetheless has its visual thrills and inventiveness to compensate for all of its flaws, at least most of the time. The story is the part that's cheesy, pitting light and against dark in a modern day setting with vampire's and humans called "others". The different is if you choose the light or dark side. Light others are called night watchers because they make sure the dark ones do not break the peace treaty among the two, while dark ones are called day watchers and do the same thing for the light others. It's an interesting take on the old light vs. dark, but the movie doesn't know when to take interest in certain subplots and when to not. Many subplots lead to quick and unsatisfying ending, and the finale is incredibly anti-climactic. It does have a few twists I didn't see coming though, and the movie is never boring. It's frustrating and fascinating in almost equal measure.