The Twilight Saga: New Moon - Movie Review

Rating: 3 out of 5

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga continues with this darker and even mopier chapter. The relational knots of emo heroes and dreamy hunks are making it start to feel rather soapy. It may not be as sharp as Catherine Hardwick's Twilight, but it'll keep fans swooning.

Just as Bella (Stewart) turns 18 and begins her senior year in high school, her beloved Edward (Pattinson) decides he has to leave town for her safety. In a deep funk, she eventually turns to neighbour Jacob (Lautner) for company, but their friendship takes a twist when he starts getting hunky and tetchy and hanging out with gang-leader Sam (Spencer). But it's not steroids; the gang members are actually werewolves, locked in mortal combat with vampires. And she needs (and wants) to keep both Edward and Jacob in her life.

The plot echoes Romeo & Juliet (and not just because they're studying the play in school), which adds tension to the otherwise dreary events. The character detail and action-oriented sideroads from the first film are actually more integral here so, despite the long running time, the story has more momentum.
That said, it's still told from the perspective of a moody adolescent.

Even more than the first film, this is a movie for teen girls who feel weak at the knees over the idea of romance with one of these idealised boyfriend types: lovers and friends. The handsome cast members generate considerable internal angst as batting eyelashes face off against rippling abs. There's also much gazing off-screen and mumbled dialog, so it's a welcome change when a grown-up arrives to steal a scene. Sheen is especially good as the leader of the uber-vampire Vulpari, as is Fanning as his vile sidekick. We should get much more of them in the next two films.

Meanwhile, some nasty touches add texture alongside all the longing and yearning. Sudden moments of violence continually catch us by surprise, adding to the drama, as do hints about both things that have happened and things still to come. The only missteps are the jerky plotting and the cartoonish wolf effects; otherwise the filmmaking is lush and forebodingly beautiful, especially as it portrays woods that are lovely, dark and deep. And everything looks so cool it almost hurts.

Facts and Figures

Year: 2009

Run time: 130 mins

In Theaters: Friday 20th November 2009

Box Office USA: $296.6M

Box Office Worldwide: $709.7M

Budget: $50M

Distributed by: Summit Entertainment

Production compaines: Summit Entertainment

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 3 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 28%
Fresh: 61 Rotten: 159

IMDB: 4.6 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director: Chris Weitz

Producer: Wyck Godfrey

Screenwriter: Melissa Rosenberg

Starring: Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black, Billy Burke as Charlie Swan, Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen, Jackson Rathbone as Jasper Hale, Peter Facinelli as Carlisle Cullen, Elizabeth Reaser as Esme Cullen, Kellan Lutz as Emmett Cullen, Nikki Reed as Rosalie Hale, Edi Gathegi as Laurent, Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria, Anna Kendrick as Jessica, Michael Welch as Mike Newton, Christian Serratos as Angela Weber, Gil Birmingham as Billy Black, Graham Greene as Harry Clearwater, Michael Sheen as Aro, Chaske Spencer as Sam Uley, Jamie Campbell Bower as Caius, Dakota Fanning as Jane, Christopher Heyerdahl as Marcus, Cameron Bright as Alec

Also starring: Wyck Godfrey, Melissa Rosenberg