New Moon, the second installment of the Twilight series, is a critic-proof movie. It could have been a piece of dreck and its angsty vampires, uber-sexy werewolves and plain-Jane heroine would still enthrall its fanatical followers. Thankfully, the entire movie isn’t a wash, though the series still has some issues that need working out before Eclipse, the third in the franchise, hits the screens.
A quick synopsis for the uninitiated: In New Moon, Edward is forced to face the fact that Bella isn’t always safe around the Cullen family. Thinking he is protecting her, Edward breaks up with Bella and he and his family leave Forks. Bella falls into a severe depression that is only lifted by her friendship with Jacob Black. But Jacob wants to be more than just friends -- and it turns out the Cullens weren’t the only monsters living in Forks.
So, what did the movie do right?
It remains faithful to the book.
While some things have to be compromised to make the jump from page to screen, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg maintains much of the book’s tone and dialogue. The most obvious difference is that after Bella and Edward’s breakup, instead of hearing Edward’s voice each time Bella attempts a new, and more dangerous, pastime, she sees a phantom of Edward. This alteration helps to increase Robert Pattinson’s screen time, otherwise he would be severely lacking from the majority of the movie.
The birthday scene.
The birthday scene is a pivotal moment in the Twilight series. Bella’s paper cut leads to Jasper’s loss of self-control, and the eventual evacuation of the entire Cullen family. It drives home the fact that Bella is mortal – and a potential snack in a vampire household. Edward and his family are forced to consider how Bella fits into their lives, leading to the eventual discussion of whether or not to turn Bella into one of them – a decision that will be critical to the rest of the movie, as well as the rest of the series. Director Paul Weitz (The Golden Compass) keeps the scene quick, but effective, letting its implications work themselves out through the rest of the movie instead of dwelling on them right away.
Jacob Black.
Taylor Lautner is the heart of this movie, and the only main character with an emotional spectrum. It doesn’t hurt that this 17-year-old is undeniably delicious, after bulking up with 30 pounds of muscle for the role. He is especially tasty next to Pattinson, whose white makeup was applied with a spatula and whose eyebrows resemble a couple dead rodents clinging to his forehead. Aesthetically, Jacob was so the better choice for Bella. But Lautner, an amateur by professional resume comparison, also carries the acting in the love triangle. (See No. 1 below “What went wrong?”)
The werewolves look great.
The CGI for the werewolves is almost seamless, and is an aspect of the movie that will keep boyfriends from chewing through the armrests of the move theater seats in boredom.
Sense of humor.
A few shots in the movie highlighted Weitz’s potential for humor: Edward’s sexy slo-mo walk in the school parking lot and the gratuitous shot of Jacob’s six-pack while stripping off his shirt are just two examples that were not only inserted just for the super-fans, but to let the cast and crew of New Moon laugh at themselves, too.
OK, so what went wrong?
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson have the charisma of Hayden Christensen (aka Anakin Skywalker) in Star Wars: Episodes II and III.
I had high hopes that the new director would help Pattinson and Stewart evolve their characters, and transcend the one-note performances these two gave us in Twilight, but alas, facial expressions and emotional range seem to be unknown to Bella and Edward. I can understand the teen angst aspect, but everyone involved with this movie needs to take a look at Lautner’s performance and consider it the bar.
Heavy-handed soundtrack.
Intrusive. The music comes through front and center too often, screaming, “Buy this soundtrack and be cool.”
The Volturi are meant to seem regal, yet most of them come across as laconic.
That heavy diet of human blood must induce a food coma akin to our coming Thanksgiving meal. The Volturi, described by Edward as his kind’s closest form of royalty, aren’t as intimidating as they should be. And Dakota Fanning is nothing to get excited about as the pain-powered vampire Jane.
Alice’s vision of Bella and Edward romping through the woods with Bella transformed into a vampire.
Embarrassingly. Cheesy.
