Night Watch (DVD)

I love this film. If you go to it expecting Blade or Underworld then you will be disappointed, but if you want an elegant mythology, stunning visuals, and a well-plotted tragedy then you'll enjoy it too. There are few action sequences, and a casual approach to limitations of the genre that occasionally sits awkwardly with Western audiences that are more accustomed to single-genre films than the European eclectic approach, but despite this it remains gripping. Action is mostly replaced with an intense visual style that demonstrates that a carefully constructed scene doesn't need kung fu to be breath-taking. The early scene in the kitchen is a great example of this: one small event is shot in a way that makes it exciting and riveting.

A mention should be made of the dub: the original Russian is subtitled excellently, but the English language dub of the film is probably the best dub I've ever heard. The actors cast have voices that sound very similar to the original Russian cast (and may be the same people in some cases) but they remain with Russian accents. This maintains the Russian feel to the piece without the sometimes inconvenient nature of subtitles.

A great film: watch it before Hollywood screws up the US remake! It's also part one of a trilogy, and I can't wait to see where the plot goes next.