“New Moon” howls into theaters
Courtesy of the New Moon official website
November 25, 2009 • written by Jessica Ferrell
Filed under Reviews
The highly anticipated second chapter of the “Twilight” saga finally hit theaters on Nov. 20, leaving several marks in box-office history. The midnight premiere alone garnered $26.3 million blowing “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’s” $22.2 million out of the water.
After the weekend, “New Moon” became the third-largest debut film on record, earning a whopping $140.7 million.
In this blood-raging sequel, vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) dumps his mortal girlfriend Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) after a hazardous mishap, leaving only memories and a request that she refrain from dangerous activity. Though her breakup destroys her emotionally, the friendship she once had with the charming Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) rekindles.
Bella finds comfort in Jacob’s company, but when Jacob goes through werewolf puberty, he dumps her too, causing her emotions to sink even more.
Irony finds its way into the movie through Bella’s reckless behavior. Her “monsters” abandon her since they think they are too dangerous, but without them, she becomes a reckless maniac.
From there, Bella continues her self-destructive behavior in an effort to recapture visions of Edward. Through her mayhem, she escapes former enemies and prevents future ones all while chasing after him.
Although the film was highly anticipated, the hype is a bit overrated. The book, though sad, is filled with much more chemistry between Bella and Jacob than the movie.
Quite frankly, Stewart’s performance did not improve from “Twilight” at all. She still sputters through most of her lines, which puts a damper on the image of Bella. Stewart presents a performance worthy of a community theater, and simply does not come forward as an emotionally involved actress.
The plus of this movie is the addition of werewolves. Without them, the movie would be nothing. Lautner’s 35-pound weight gain to fit the roll of Jacob definitely causes fanatical sighs and gasps every time he rips off his shirt, especially in comparison to Pattinson’s pale and hairy body.
Also, the Volturi (the vampire government) appear in this film. Their stern demeanors and red contact lenses add emphasis to the level of superiority they possess in the film. Dakota Fanning’s role as Jane, an elite member of the Volturi coven, provides the perfect transition for Fanning’s move from child star to adult star. Even though she has only a few lines, her pale complexion and deadly stare make for a perfect vampire.
One of the positive aspects of the movie is that it corresponds to the book well. Director Chris Weitz does a much better job of portraying the storyline and characters in this book than Catherine Hardwicke did for “Twilight.”
However, the massive fan base of the Twilight phenomena is the main contributing factor to the success of the film. Fans of the heartwarming Jacob (Team Jacob) and fans of the charming, romantic Edward (Team Edward) bought tickets well in advance to show their support for the monstrous film.
Now, the intense war of nemeses will continue in the next installment to the saga, “Eclipse,” in June of 2010.
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