Timur Bekmambetov struck gold with 2004's Russian punk spin on the vamp-horror genre Nightwatch (Nochnoy Dozor). In his 2006 sequel (a belated release here in the international market), he strikes an awkward chord that neither entertains the viewer nor progresses the mythology.

Set shortly after the events of the original film, Daywatch follows protagonist/keeper-of-the-peace Anton Gorodetsky along a slow and tedious road to the destination he had already reached at the end of his hero's journey in 2004. The difference here is a silly sub-plot involving the Chalk of Fate (yes chalk), a bland love-story and a pace that buries the vibrant kineticism of the original in a sea of dialogues that take up most of the lengthy run time. The challenge would be less for the viewer and dedicated fan if the action scenes where more regular and better handled and more-so if the script avoided throwing useless ideas into a mix that feels as random as a sketch book.

In many ways Daywatch represents the antithesis of the original. It is bloated with bad ideas, obsessed with its own mythology and a very long-haul of a sequel that points the withered finger of "one-hit-wonder" directly at its creators. Make no mistake: the planned finale to the series will make or break this franchise.

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