Legend has it that 1000 years ago the armies of Light and those of Darkness met on a bridge and engaged in a battle which would result in the destruction of both armies. These supernatural creatures are known as the Others. Between the two leaders a truce was created and with it the Nightwatch and the Daywatch to ensure that this truce was upheld. The Nightwatch are Others of the Light, who watch over and keep the Dark Others in check, and the Daywatch do the same for the Light Others.

Flashing through to the present day, and there are supernatural law enforcement agencies, policing over the Light and Dark. If one side were to break their agreement it would bring on war again, with the truce broken. Anton is one of the Nightwatch, having become an Other following his involvement in a dark magic to try and win back his girlfriend. He is put on assignment to prevent a Truce violation from two vampires surrounding a 12 year old boy, Yegor. What starts out as a simple assignment escalates to something more. Yegor is more than he seems.

While tracking Yegor, Anton encounters a woman on the train, Sveta. She's not human, but she's no common Other either. She has her own extraordinary powers which could bring on the apocalypse also.

It's said there's no longer any original ideas for a story anymore, and in that respect this movie is no exception. Forces of Light and Dark move among humans, supernatural beings fighting their battles in anticipation of the apocalypse. Legend fortells of a Great one who will save or condemn us all. I'm sure you have heard it before. It's also said however, that because of this, it is all about execution, rather than new ideas that make a good story. Nightwatch does this better than any I've seen before.

As an action/horror/thriller this movie exceeded all my expectations. The cinematography was great, the grim Russian scenery the perfect backdrop for an equally grim story. The creativity in character development, stunts, special effects and action sequences was pretty great also. It is a Russian movie and as such, it injects a new Russian perspective not found in Hollywood. At first the plot can be a little confusing, as you try and understand what's going on, and it jumps around a little too much for the uninitiated. Once you get an overall understanding of the situation though, its easy to get into. The second time I watched it I enjoyed it even more than the first.

This is great movie to see on the big screen, if you can. It wouldn't surprise me if a Hollywood adaption is created, since it could lend itself to one, but I can't imagine it being better than the original. 4 stars out of 5.