7 of 10
I have to admit that after seeing the first Twilight I didn’t really understand what all the fuss was about. I put this down to the fact that I’m not a teenager and I don’t have a vagina either (although I sometimes wish I did). Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t think Twilight was bad at all; she was just fine. I’ve seen better, I’ve seen worse. New Moon is a marked improvement over the first film, and I actually found myself drawn into this modern take on Romeo and Juliet with a supernatural twist. New Moon still isn’t the best movie I’ve ever seen, but if I were a fourteen-year-old girl, it sure would be.
Despite taking place in a world of vampires and werewolves, at its core, Twilight has always been a soap opera. Call it Transylvania 90210. At the beginning of this chapter, Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) are still madly in love. When Edward’s vampire family, the Cullens, throw a surprise 18th birthday party for Bella, things go awry and Edward realizes that the only way to keep Bella out of harm’s way is to never see her again. Bella falls into a deep depression and only through her friendship with Jacob (Taylor Lautner) does she begin to heal. Jacob wants to be more than friends and even though she has feelings for him, Bella’s heart still very much belongs to Edward. To further complicate matters, Jacob is a werewolf who spends his spare time hunting vampires. New Moon is really Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story wrapped in supernatural candy wrapper.
This installment has more story, better performances from everyone involved, and more humor, not to mention more action. Twilight’s core fan base may be young women, but given the opportunity, New Moon should have no problem winning over legions of young men as well. The action scenes are very well done and quite exciting. The special effects are fluid and I was very impressed with the look of the werewolves.
The CGI creatures sometimes look too fake, but the werewolves in New Moon are very well done and have a very realistic quality. Director Chris Weitz has really improved on Catherine Hardwicke’s original in every way. To be fair, I tend to always enjoy the second installment in a series more than the first. I will debate anyone who disagrees that Empire Strikes Back, Spider-Man 2, Superman II, and The Dark Knight (just to name a few) are not superior to the first films in those series. Of course, there are exceptions like The Matrix Reloaded and the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but New Moon definitely falls into the former category.
What I liked most about Luna Nueva is its use of humor. The first movie was too sour for my liking and I felt like I was stuck in this boring and emotional gothic world. It’s amazing how a few funny lines can bring a movie to life; even the ones that center on a love triangle between a teenage girl, an old vampire, and a young stud werewolf. Despite the injection of humor, New Moon is still full (if not too much) of teen angst and melodrama.
Like the cast of Harry Potter, all the actors have grown into their respective roles. No actress is better at getting emotional in adolescence than Kristen Stewart. She has a “royal” quality that makes her stand out from most young actresses. She looks like someone you went to high school with. Unfortunately, the character is a bit of a downer. It would be nice to see her relax a bit. She is so emotionally draining that I almost had to wonder why all these men are so in love with her. Robert Pattinson is much more flexible in this movie than he was in the first, and he gives a better overall performance as a result. Now I also understand why Bella is so in love with him. I still don’t understand why all the teenage girls in the world think he’s so handsome.
It looks to me like someone smashed his face in with a shovel, but who am I to judge? The real standout in the film is Taylor Lautner as Jacob. Despite playing the character in the first film, Lautner nearly lost the role in the sequel because the producers felt he was too young to achieve the character’s emotional range. The actor fully vindicates himself here, showing great maturity and strength in the role. I know the big debate among twilighters is Jacob or Edward and after seeing this movie I am firmly on the side of the Jacob team.
The movie is a bit too long. They could have cut quite a few scenes of Bella depressed. Otherwise, New Moon is a solidly entertaining movie that even those who aren’t die-hard fans of the series can enjoy. After seeing the first one, I had no real interest in seeing the sequel. This time, I have to admit, I will be looking forward to the third part. Hell, I could even read the books.
