The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

Movie Info

Is this going to turn into some kinky Spider-Man upside down kiss?

Edward (Robert Pattinson) and his family realize the years of not aging are catching-up and that they must leave Forks, Washington before people realize they are vampires.  For Bella (Kristen Stewart) this means being separated from Edward who has come to release his involvement in Bella’s life is a danger.  Discovering that extreme danger puts her in psychic contact with Edward, Bella begins endangering herself in the hopes of seeing him.  Bella however has found a new protector in the form of Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) and his friends who are revealed to be werewolves…the mortal enemies of vampires.  With Victoria (Rachelle Lefèvre) targeting Bella for revenge and Bella’s continuing dangerous actions, Edward might be forced to make a decision which will doom him among the vampire ruling council the Volturi.

Grrrr…I am a mean CGI werewolf!

Directed by Chris Weitz, The Twilight Saga:  New Moon is the second film in the popular Twilight series.  Following the first film in 2008, the record setting film is based on the 2006 novel New Moon by Stephenie Meyer.  Though loved by fans of the series, critics did not give the film favorable reviews.  It was nominated for Razzies for Worst Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel, Worst Screen Couple (Pattinson/Stewart/Lautner), Worst Screenplay, and Worst Supporting Actor (Pattinson).

I thought Twilight was a dull film.  This film was a little longer and weirdly paced.  The addition of a secondary romance with Jacob Black also seems like a misstep since it has already been heavily established that Bella is to be with Edward and it comes off as little more than a crush on Jacob’s side.

Uhm…I don’t like you like that…so there really is no “Team Jacob”

This story just plods along with little direction except a slight, trite Romeo and Juliet storyline.  The first part of the film involves Bella trying to kill herself to just see Edward (a good message for teens) and then the whole Jacob plotline starts.  The werewolves are introduced and the hunt for Victoria begins.  This part of the film has some interesting aspects and starts to pick-up speed for a moment, but any momentum that is built suddenly fizzles with the whole underdeveloped vampire council called the Volturi and Edward’s attempt to get himself killed (once again teen suicide…great story idea).

The final part of the film is probably the most ridiculous and insane part.  After voting, Bella decides she’s going to marry Edward (she about 17 and he’s an unknown age) and they will be together as vampires for eternity.  If the characters were older or the whole plotline didn’t seem impulsive, this would be a bit more logical.  Here it is just used as a cliffhanger for the next film, and we learn that threatening suicide until you can be with the guy you want is the way to go…that’s a great message to teach a generation of Twilight followers.

I feel under used in this story…at least I’m coming back next movie…right?

Pattinson and Stewart continue to bore in this follow-up, and I still can’t see the appeal of either character.  In this film, even more so than the previous film, the characters come off as whiny and show little acting ability.  Controversy surrounding Taylor Lautner’s possible replacement led to Lautner bulking up for this role, and started the whole Team Jacob and Team Edward debate…though Stewart’s character never seems very committed to being in a relationship with Lautner so I don’t see why people thought it was a choice.  Rachelle Lefèvre’s evil Victoria seemed like an interesting part of the story but she didn’t do much, and Lefèvre was replaced with Bryce Dallas Howard for the next films.

You want to see him shirtless ladies…well, here you go!!!

The film also continues to look cheap.  The werewolves look like something from a video game (and not a good video game at that).  If the film really wanted to appeal to a broader audience, they should have at least tried to make the film look better.

The Twilight Saga:  New Moon is a slight (very slight improvement) on the first Twilight, but still quite unbearable.  With two more books (and the final book being split into two films), there is still plenty of Twilight left for fans.  The Twilight Saga:  New Moon was followed by The Twilight Saga:  Eclipse in 2010.

Related Links:

Twilight (2008)

The Twilight Saga:  Eclipse (2010)

The Twilight Saga:  Breaking Dawn—Part 1 (2011)

The Twilight Saga:  Breaking Dawn—Part 2 (2012)