THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON Movie Review
I just got back from finally seeing The Twilight Saga: New Moon and let me tell you it was good, really good.
I do need to disclose that I am a big fan of the Twilight series and have been since even before all the craziness started. I have read all four books and enjoyed the first movie, although I thought it worked better if you had actually read the book before seeing it. However, I will admit that even though I did enjoy Twilight, I wasn’t jumping up and down about it, and I understand why some people didn’t really enjoy it. So when I went into New Moon, I was hoping for something better, especially because the trailer looked so great. I am happy to say that New Moon went above and beyond my hopes, and delivered a really great movie that even people who haven’t read the books can enjoy. In addition, I think that fans of the book will also be very pleased with how close to the book the movie is.
For those who don’t know, in The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Edward leaves Bella in order to protect her from the dangers that come from dating a vampire. A heartbroken Bella then turns to Jacob for comfort and their friendship grows. As the two get closer Bella also learns about Jacob’s secret, turns out he’s a werewolf. Unfortunately, the return from one of the Cullens disrupts their new friendship, as Bella needs to make a difficult choice.
The story has a very good pace and the relationship between Bella and Jacob has a great build up. Even though I’m on Team Edward, while watching the movie, I found myself having a soft spot for Jacob too.
Some of the more tender moments reflected the book more closely. A lot of the lines come directly from the book, but they do not sound cheesy when said out loud, which is not that easy to do. There is also some comic relief throughout the film, which was really welcome and balanced the darker moments well.
Another great improvement over Twilight is that the visual effects are way better this time around. The pack of wolves look pretty damn amazing and scary. And the fight scenes are way more impressive. Even the sparkling of the vampires worked better.
And finally, the actors. Well, I already thought that Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson were good in the first movie, and in New Moon they definitely stepped up their games. Although Robert Pattinson isn’t as much in the movie as Kristen Stewart, it feels like he has a better grasp over who Edward is, which makes his scenes so much more true and interesting to watch. I can’t wait to see what he does in the third movie, Eclipse.
I always thought Kristen Stewart was a great Bella, and in New Moon she is able to get to a real dark place showing us Bella’s despair over Edward leaving her. I’ll even admit that I had tears in my eyes at some point. I really enjoyed her performance.
And of course, Taylor Lautner, who plays Jacob, is front and center in this movie. He definitely went through a huge transformation both physically and acting-wise. I honestly wasn’t sure that he could touch me the way Jacob had touched me in the book, but as I was watching scenes between Bella and Jacob, it was as if I was reading the book all over again. I am definitely impressed and looking forward to seeing more of Taylor Lautner in Eclipse.
We don’t see as much of the supporting cast as these three main actors, but I do want to mention a few of them.
I was really happy to see more of Charlie, played by Billy Burke, in New Moon. Not only that, I also feel like they captured the essence of who Charlie is so much better in this one than in Twilight. He also had quite a few funny lines, which made him even more likable as a father.
The Volturi were definitely scary, but mostly I want to mention what a great Aro Michael Sheen created, he was absolutely wonderful.
We unfortunately didn’t see too much of the Quileute werewolves, and I wish we had seen more of them interact together with Jacob, but overall I think it worked.
As for the Cullens, well there really isn’t much to say since we barely see them in this film. But I always get a kick out of seeing Jasper (Jackson Rathbone), he’s pretty hilarious.
Overall, I think that even non-Twilight obsessed people might enjoy New Moon. It feels like a totally different movie and series compared to what I had come to expect from the first one. I have to give huge props to Chris Weitz for giving New Moon such a great tone and bringing out such brilliant performances from the actors. I really hope that David Slade does as good of a job with Eclipse.
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Title: The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Director: Chris Weitz
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone, Bronson Pelletier, Alex Meraz, Kiowa Gordon, Billy Burke, Chaske Spencer, Edi Gathegi
Synopsis: In the second installment of Stephenie Meyer’s phenomenally successful Twilight series, the romance between mortal and vampire soars to a new level as Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) delves deeper into the mysteries of the supernatural world she yearns to become part of – only to find herself in greater peril than ever before.
Following Bella’s ill-fated 18th birthday party, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and his family abandon the town of Forks, Washington, in an effort to protect her from the dangers inherent in their world. As the heartbroken Bella sleepwalks through her senior year of high school, numb and alone, she discovers Edward’s image comes to her whenever she puts herself in jeopardy. Her desire to be with him at any cost leads her to take greater and greater risks.
With the help of her childhood friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), Bella refurbishes an old motorbike to carry her on her adventures. Bella’s frozen heart is gradually thawed by her budding relationship with Jacob, a member of the mysterious Quileute tribe, who has a supernatural secret of his own.
When a chance encounter brings Bella face to face with a former nemesis, only the intervention of a pack of supernaturally large wolves saves her from a grisly fate, and the encounter makes it frighteningly clear that Bella is still in grave danger. In a race against the clock, Bella learns the secret of the Quileutes and Edward’s true motivation for leaving her. She also faces the prospect of a potentially deadly reunion with her beloved that is a far cry from the one she’d hoped for.
Release Date: November 20, 2009
Watch the trailer here
