The Twilight Saga: New Moon – Review

On my way to the theater to see The Twilight Saga: New Moon, I was behind a silver Volvo for most of the drive. Like any good Twi-hard, I grinned and took it as a good omen. I was not disappointed. New Moon far outshines Twilight.

Also like any good Twi-hard, I have been concerned about how true director Chris Weitz would stay to the book. The film followed the novel’s basic plot. Bella Swan is injured at her birthday party, which leads her boyfriend, vampire Edward Cullen, to decide to leave her – for her own good. Bella goes into a deep depression but finds that things start to improve as her friendship with Jacob Black (who turns out to be a werewolf) deepens. Then, after a misunderstanding, Bella travels to Italy to stop Edward from making the ultimate sacrifice. While there, it is decided that she, too, must become one of “the cold ones.”

In this case, the film has some small added details that the book lacks. For example, in the film, Edward is in the same clothing from the time he leaves Bella until she finds him in Italy. While that wasn’t mentioned in the novel, it added, visually, to the sense of despair he felt while away from her. Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg also found a creative way to get around some of the voice-overs from Bella’s point of view. Instead, she had Bella e-mail Alice Cullen, Edward’s adopted sister, in an almost diary-entry style. But my favorite addition was Bella’s apparitions of Edward. In the book, she only hears his voice. In the film, she also “sees” him, which, to me, added to her desire to experience them again.

With that said, there are some details left out. What about Bella’s job at the Newtons’ store? What about her birthday gifts from Edward and Carlisle and Esme? What about Bella finding out Edward didn’t actually take her things? What about her father’s reaction to her motorcycle?

What wasn’t lacking was the same emotional intensity of the novel. Bella is in despair through most of the film. And Kristen Stewart nailed that emotional upheaval. The aching hole in Bella’s chest was palpable. But Stewart also portrayed Bella as witty with her friends, thawed by Jacob’s presence and even a little sassy, sometimes snapping back at her apparitions of Edward. Gone is the insecure teenager of Twilight. Taking her place is a woman coming into her own.

Stewart’s pivotal scene is opposite Robert Pattinson, when his Edward leaves her Bella. Edward, much like Bella, is also in despair for most of the film. And Edward’s pain from having to make the choices he does is evident in Pattinson’s portrayal.

Taylor Lautner literally warms up the screen as Jacob. Even those on Team Edward have to appreciate Jacob’s devotion to Bella and Lautner’s infectious smile.

But the unsung acting heroes in this film – as well as the first – are the supporting cast. Anna Kendrick, in particular, Mike Welch and the wolf pack provide some of the film’s truly hilarious moments. And Billy Burke has a knack for combining wit and wisdom.

The cinematography in New Moon is lovely. The earth tones give it a much warmer feel, perhaps to coincide with the introduction of the 108-degree wolves. The shots have a nice, smooth flow and movement to them. The vampire action sequences fluctuate between incredibly fast then super slow, sometimes in the same shot, which is intriguing. It’s almost like having the vampire perspective (fast) followed by the human perspective (slow). However, the CGI wolves, while looking very real, seemed to be little jerky with their movements. And in case you were wondering, the sparkles have been significantly improved. Rather than glittering, the light now bounces off Edward’s skin like the facets of a diamond throwing light.

If I had one complaint about New Moon, it would be the pacing. The beginning felt rushed to me. I wanted more explanation about why Edward decided to leave. And once the action, literally, moves to Italy, the film returns to that same frenzied pace, shortchanging some pretty big discussions between the main characters.

Edward may have had the last word, but it’s up to director David Slade (and Rosenberg) to let us know how his final question is answered in June 2010’s Eclipse.

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