Night Watch & Day Watch

When a new type of story is introduced to the public from another country sometimes the audiences isn't to receptive, but then there are times that the audience is so blown away that their left panting and wanting more. That's what happened when Night Watch came on the scene, the first in a trilogy of stories based on the sci-fi novels by Sergei Lukyanenko. The base of the story is classic, light against dark, but the bulk of the story has some new twists and turns that just smack of greatness.
Night Watch - Anton fights with the Night Watch to keep the forces of Darkness in check, but when a prophecy about a renegade "Other" who could bring about chaos for the whole world starts to come true life becomes more complicated. This is a very good base movie to begin the character development that will continue into a series of films. The characters and the plot are well put together and with special effects that at times rival what Hollywood is putting out on the market, the audience is given a treat that just seems to get better every time you watch it. With strong actors that seem to be as seasoned as any that the American audience is used to, this film will become a classic before to much time goes by.
Day Watch - While Anton is set up by the Day Watch for the unauthorized murder of a Dark Other; he begins his search for an ancient relic that could destroy the peace between the Light and Dark. This movie is quite a bit longer than the first but once your wrapped up in the story you just don't notice the time. Bringing back the actors to reprise their roles, even with the smallest of cameos, helps with the continuity of the story and just enhances the plotline. The special effects are stepped up a few notches here from the first film and are done in such a grand manner that it leaves you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next.
I was completely taken aback by how good these movies are, after I originally show the first one I couldn't wait for the second to come out. Now that the second installment is here it's going to be hard to wait for the third. These stories are so good I want to search out the original books and see what other things Lukyanenko has written. With films being imported to the US like these, and the sci-fi movie District B-13 from France, the American audience is being given a chance to see that not all of the best films are being made in Hollywood. If you've never seen these films and enjoy a little intelligence in your horror films you have to check this story out, it will leave you wondering why other films aren't this good.