.jpg)
Photo: Summit Entertainment
There are those who are Twilight fans, and there are those who are not (though the latter category grows smaller and smaller by the hour). In this review of The Twilight Saga: New Moon, the perspective is unabashedly that of a fan of the books and film series, and it is intended to speak to those who share that origin.
For starters, it must be said: The Twilight Saga: New Moon was a Twilight film made explicitly for Twilight fans. That’s not to say that any run-of-the-mill attendant won’t enjoy the movie, of course, but the truth of the matter is that New Moon was constructed around and for its built-in fanbase – and it’s all the better because of it.
DIRECTOR: Chris Weitz
SCREENWRITER: Melissa Rosenberg
STORY: Stephenie Meyer
CAST: Bella Swan: Kristen Stewart, Edward Cullen: Robert Pattinson, Jacob Black: Taylor Lautner, Alice Cullen: Ashley Greene, Carlisle Cullen: Peter Facinelli, Jasper Hale: Jackson Rathbone, Esme Cullen: Elizabeth Reaser, Rosalie Hale: Nikki Reed, Emmett Cullen: Kellan Lutz, Charlie Swan: Billy Burke, Billy Black: Gil Birmingham, Aro: Michael Sheen, Jane: Dakota Fanning, Caius: Jamie Campbell Bower, Alec: Cameron Bright, Felix: Daniel Cudmore, Demetri: Charlie Bewley, Marcus: Christopher Heyerdahl, Sam Uley: Chaske Spencer, Paul: Alex Meraz, Embry Call: Kiowa Gordon, Jared: Bronson Pelletier, Quil Ateara: Tyson Houseman, Emily Young: Tinsel Korey, Jessica Stanley: Anna Kendrick, Mike Newton: Michael Welch, Angela Weber: Christian Serratos, Eric Yorkie: Justin Chon, Laurent: Edi Gathegi, Victoria: Rachelle Lefevre, Harry Clearwater: Graham Greene, Heidi: Noot Seear, Gianna: Justine Wachsberger
SUMMARY: The movie, like the book, ushers in two new exciting and at times dangerous sets of characters – the “wolfpack” and the “Volturi” – as it follows the continued story of Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart). Because of a few unfortunate events (namely, a papercut taken place in front of six vampires), her “love, life, meaning,” Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and his family (Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinelli), Esme Cullen (Elizabeth Reaser), Jasper Hale (Jackson Rathbone), Alice Cullen (Ashley Greene), Rosalie Hale (Nikki Reed), and Emmett Cullen (Kellan Lutz)) all take off and leave Bella without a trace of their existence. This leaves her in a state of complete and unbridled sadness, and her father Charlie (Billy Burke) is left with a broken daughter who is plagued with unending nightmares. When he offers to send her away to her mother's home in Jacksonville, she reacts by trying to reach out to her once-friends (Jessica Stanley (Up In The Air star Anna Kendrick), Mike Newton (Michael Welch), Angela Weber (Christian Serratos), and Eric Yorkie (Justin Chon)). This, in turn, leads her to discover that she has a knack for thrill-seeking (primarily because it induces hallucinations-turned-confrontations with Edward). She seeks out the assistance of Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) to help her restore some old motorcycles – again, with the intention of inducing said hallucinations. Only, her relationship with Jacob becomes more than she could have expected, and it leads her into uncharted territory with what becomes the wolfpack in New Moon (Sam Uley (Chaske Spencer), Embry Call (Kiowa Gordon), Paul (Alex Meraz), Bronson Pelletier (Jared), and, eventually, Quil (Tyson Houseman)). Meanwhile, danger lurks in the wings as Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre) and Laurent (Edi Gathegi) linger around Forks to seek Bella out. She must rely on the wolfpack to protect her, only strengthening her relationship with Jacob. Things take a turn, though, when Alice alerts Bella that Edward is ready to confront the Volturi – the one thing that he can do to, for all intents and purposes, commit suicide – Aro (Michael Sheen), Caius (Jamie Campbell Bower), and Marcus (Christopher Heyerdahl). They must all confront the situation in Volterra, and they must do so quickly before the clock, quite literally, runs out.
REVIEW: The Twilight Saga: New Moon comes on the heels of one of the most surprisingly successful films (aside from this year’s Paranormal Activity) that’s been seen in a while. When Catherine Hardwicke and Summit Entertainment made Twilight, there was no indication of what was to come with this film series. In fact, there was no clear expectation that it would be a film series so much as a single independent movie. Now, with Twilight fans having made a very vocal and undeniable mark on popular culture, The Twilight Saga: New Moon comes at the behest of weighty anticipations.
"The wait," as the cast of New Moon has said, "is over." The Twilight Saga: New Moon opens this week in theaters, and there is no doubt that whatever type of fan appreciation award exists for a job well done in this film series will be bestowed aplenty upon this team for this movie.
To start, the screenplay was incredible. Melissa Rosenberg did a phenomenal job in bringing Stephenie Meyer’s beloved book to the big screen. Not only did she ring in key moments from the story in such a creative and traceable way, but she also brought new ideas and flavors to those points. Two particular moments come to mind with this statement (spoiler alert). For starters, to welcome in the Volturi, she brought in that moment between Edward and Bella when they were looking at Carlisle’s portrait with Aro, Caius, and Marcus. In order to jazz it up, there is an incredible shrinking pan onto the portrait which then becomes a scene in and of itself involving the Volturi. Beautiful, really. Also, one of the more difficult things – at least perhaps in the minds of fans – to bring to life on the big screen would be the month to month transition between “the end” and when “time passes.” In this instance, she did so by writing in a scenery transition with a 360 degree shot around Kristen Stewart in her catatonic state. In other words, she stayed true to the book, but she made it movie material.
Chris Weitz, no doubt, will be the subject of many a Breaking Dawn campaign after this one. He took New Moon to whole new heights by introducing action-oriented sequences with exquisite special effects. As Lauren Suero from the Twilight Facebook stated, these scenes were “flawless.” There are a few instances in particular which will surprise even those fans with the most ardent expectations. You have come to expect good CGI from Chris Weitz thanks to clips and TV spots, but he will blow your expectations out of the water. There is a moment with Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria where Weitz and Rosenberg took the storyline and melded it forgivably into this intense, and honestly pretty frightening, sequence.
Over all, Weitz and Rosenberg took few liberties with the story in The Twilight Saga: New Moon, but each were pointed and altogether impressive. Other than those instances where the story line deviation is completely justified, the story of New Moon (even those seemingly nit-picky details put through the Twilight sieve here and otherwise in the Twilight fandom) is brought, as promised, with incredible fidelity. A+ to Melissa Rosenberg and Chris Weitz for The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
Photo: Summit Entertainment
The acting was impeccable. With Kristen Stewart’s portrayal of Bella Swan, there is no room for complaint. The innuendos made by her very glances and smirks speak volumes. Her motion and emotion was plainly Bella. She brought the human in Bella out when necessary, and she was completely convincing in even the toughest moments.
Robert Pattinson, too, once again brought that inner conflict and reality of self-inspection to Edward Cullen. He’s often stated that he doesn’t play Edward as the perfect guy but instead seeks out that inner turmoil and confliction. Well done for this film, to be sure.
Taylor Lautner had a tough pair of shoes to fill with the character of Jacob Black. Jacob is, by all means, an unsteady and emotional creature. Lautner claimed, in interviews, that he had to transition from being pre-transformation Jacob to post-transformation Jacob all in the same day on-set sometimes. Nevertheless, Lautner pulls off Black without a hitch, and his performance is certainly sure to bring over a few new “Team Jacob-ites” to his corner.
Aside from the obvious leading cast, there were others whose performances really stuck out in The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Billy Burke (as Charlie Swan) was certainly one of them. He really embodies a sadness unseen in New Moon as Charlie lives in Bella’s depression right along with her. His approach to the character has always been charismatic (referred to as one of the unsung heroes of Twilight on occasion), and he nails it in New Moon. Michael Welch, too, puts a somewhat annoying character from the books on a likeable display. If Michael Welch doesn’t bring Mike Newton to cinematic fruition, no one could. Anna Kendrick, whose Oscar buzz for her work in Up In The Air is a source of pride for Twilight fans, really delivers on Jessica Stanley. She’s a character, Kendrick has admitted, that hasn’t really grown since Twilight, and Kendrick doesn’t perform the role with any overkill. Her monologues and facial reactions are spot-on, as were they in Twilight, and she once again brings both comedic relief and mainstream reality to the screen in New Moon. Another notable performance in the film belongs to Michael Sheen as Aro. Aro is an interesting character to Twilight fans because he’s so on the confusing line of good and evil that it’s hard to tell which team he really plays on. Also, his character – in the minds of those who've read the book – may have looked a little different than Michael Sheen. As Sheen has admitted, even his daughter saw Aro as bald. Yet, Sheen delivers on Aro so well that it’s almost as though any trace of the mind’s eye Aro disappears completely while watching him. He perfects that balance and tumultuousness, and he makes Aro a character that you simply cannot wait to hear more about.
That’s not to say that there was any lack of excellence by other cast members. Every character was given a methodical line to speak in the film – thanks again to the fine work of Rosenberg and Weitz – and they’re all done very well.
One of the best things about the film is that it does not pander to Twilight fans. There is no caricature of any character or event, but instead there is a thoughtful and artistic approach taken to making the story a reality. Still, where the story was linear and calm, the film remained so as well. Where the story was dramatic and words were poignant, so it happened in The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
For non-Twilight fans, the film would certainly be approachable. It is an exciting and very fluid interpretation of the books such that someone with no knowledge of the New Moon storyline could pick up on the events and enjoy the film as well. That said, the thesis still remains that The Twilight Saga: New Moon was made with Twilight fans in complete regard.
Of course, there are other aspects of the film that are pleasant as well. The soundtrack aligned well with the story. A couple of favorite combinations might include the scenes associated with Lykke Li’s “Possibility” and Thom Yorke’s “Hearing Damage.” The score, too, was appropriately tuned in with the mood of the moments involved. Since New Moon is a combination of so many cinematic genres (action, romance, comedy, and suspense, to name a few), the score is scattered, but rightfully so. Alexandre Desplat did a particularly marvelous job in heating up some of the more intense combat in New Moon.
Photo: Summit Entertainment
As a final note, you’ll want to know that The Twilight Saga: New Moon brings in a few surprises for Twilight fans (spoilers). For starters, Alice’s vision of Bella and Edward in the future is revealed (effectively explaining the dreamy running still that had so many confused). Also, fans are offered a glimpse of Edward in Rio (much to fan delight, to be sure).
Over all, New Moon was spectacular. For Twilight fans, it doesn’t get much better than this. If there were ever any reservations about where this film series was headed, worry no more. On a five star scale, it’s five stars (and that’s only because saying something like 6 or 10 would be cheesy). Twilight fans are going to absolutely love The Twilight Saga: New Moon. The film opens tomorrow (though most Twilight fans will probably be seeing it at the midnight screenings this evening).
Please check back in when you've seen the film and let us know whether you agree with this review or not in the comments below!
See also Twilight Examiner red carpet coverage from The Twilight Saga: New Moon premiere
Twilight Examiner:
YouTube • Twitter • Facebook • MySpace • Email
Comments
Saw a sneak preview and enjoyed the movie heaps! Jacob looked great but I was a bit disappointed in his acting (Team Edward!). The soundtrack was fantastic though and most of the special effects were too, although the werewolves were a bit less convincing in some shots than I had hoped.
Here in New Zealand it opened Midnight on the 19th so I have seen it twice now. It is FANTASTIC! I was surprised at how Melissa cottoned on to the funny quips from Stephanie's books. The comedy added to the story.
Stand outs for me were Taylor as Jacob, Billy Burke (again) and Michael Sheen as Aro. He is Charming and Super creepy at the same time.
i saw the movie and i totaly agree! love kristen's acting she's just amazin. Rob... well i just can't imagine another one playin edward. some will think his slo mo in the beginning is cheezy but i think it's breath taking! taylor, what can i say? good bod convincin acting but i'v always been team edward! so... sorry jacob not my cup of tea ;) chris is a genius!!!! i'm so campaignin for him to do BD! Aro, you're one creepy dude! well done michael! all in all i just love NM and i'm gonna see it again and again.
Here in Mexico it also opened 19 at midnight and I have to say I was wordless after I saw the movie, the filming quality improves a lot(CGI rocks!!!), the storyline is really based on the book, and also the acting was great; Kristen, Taylor, and Robert made an amazing job. But I have to admit that I wanted the movie to be a little bit longer, cuz you dont have enough time to really enjoy all about the werewolves stuff, and then you can move into Italy with the Volturi; I mean, it happens really fast.
Anyway I think it was an outstanding job and I have to say that I just love it!! Thank you everyone who worked to bring this movie to life!
OK, I'm super excited about the film (going to see tomorrow) but wow - Gush much?
I saw New Moon yesterday. I loved it what a fantastic movie, I was extremly satisified with Cheis Weitz's vision. Kristin Stewart was amazing I truly felt her greif. The whole cast did a fantastic job and Rachelle without a word made Victoria's presence very menacing and memorable.
Fantastic film. I loved the werewolves, the acting has vastly improved, and Chris Weitz perfectly captured the more depressing tone of New Moon. I wish that it could have been a bit longer, but that's a slight complaint.
Hey Guys u r so lucky tht u got to see the movie i am in India and her the movie releases on Dec 4th....really sad....i am a crazy fan of Twilight Saga....i wish like flying abroad just to see the movie....
HMM SOUNDS PRETTY XCITIN GONNA SEE IT TOMORROW!! N THEN ILL PUT MY WORD OUT....
New Moon sucks
Very very excited! I'm seeing it tomorrow at 9:00! Ugh, it can't come any faster! =]
One thing I want to know is...how is the sparkling??
Just Kidding.
Went to see the movie in Oz on the 19th, really enjoyed it, was sad at how fast paced it was and I wanted it to be a 3 hour Titantic effort but hey not the direction they went. It was hard at times to see relationships building as time was moving so fast and sadly scences from the book that were missed out would maybe confuse people who hadnt read the book (eg Quil turning) but overall they did an amasing job and I will be going back for another look asap to see the bits I missed from plain excitment :-)
Enjoy Twilighters :-)
This is the article I've been waiting for. Thanks.
i watched it yesterday! loved it sooo much!!! and thats saying something cos i usually hate movies based on books!!! and the added scenes were awesome (wish bella had a cullen crest on though :)) but overall they did an amazing job with the movie considering how utterly heartbreaking the book is!!
in italy on the 18th...!!!!! :D
i am seeing the FIRST midnight showing in my area, so i wil be seeing this in LES THAN SIX HOURS!!!!! aH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
fantactic movie.
Saw it on the 19th going back again today loved it haven't stopped thinking about it.
Saw it in OZ on the 19th. Your review was spot on. Couldn't of said it better. I am so impressed with the acting chops of Kristen Stewart. She totally nails Bella. I think the editing was a bit brutal. We could of done with another 20 mins.
I am certainly a fan of Chris Weiz, and I do hope he takes the reins on Breaking Dawn.
I saw the middnight session here in Oz. Some bits I loved, others not so much. The future view of them both as vampires seemed really cheesy, most people in the cinema actually laughed. Maybe it was the slow motion?? Where in Twilight Alice sees the future alot more edgy and sketchy. There were really funny bits, which helped me enjoy it more (New moon is my least fav book as its a bit slow). Loved Taylor, I thought he was really believable and in the scenes where he is yelling at Bella, I really believed him!! I was sad that the whole Italy thing went so fast, I was looking forward to the anticipation and wonder about if they will make it or not, but it came and went so fast I felt a little let down :(
All in all though, it was good, but maybe I would watch and rewatch anything twilight related.....no matter what it is like...
i really hope it's as good as this article says.
and how have you guys seen it already?
A riveting review. Another screaming Twilight fangirl with a 10th grade level vocabulary creaming her panties all over this page.
The movie was great! Really enjoyed it despite there being no Edward! They did satisfy us with Bella having visions of Edward, but I was missing him. I am a hardcore Edward fan and I managed to like the movie. I felt bad for Jacob. Taylor did a great job.
i already saw it and it was great :)
i want to meet the whole cast
I went and saw new moon at the midnight screening in Aus. It was absolutely awesome! It was so true to the book. It felt like it flew by in about 5 mins! I loved every second of the whole experience! the wolves were amazing! so realistic! the volturi scenes were epic! Aro was captivating, such a contradictory character just as i imagined when reading the book!! the fight scenes were amazing, I felt every bone crunching hit from my seat! New Moon was so good that i went and saw it again the next day!! and I'm sure I'll go see it again at the cinemas!! All I can say is bring on Eclipse!
I KNEW it! my first guess for that "dream sequence" picture was Alice making a vision of bella (now vampire) running with edward in the woods to probably save them from the volturi..i KNEW it.
Great review, spot on. Kristen was fantastic, she seems alot more comfortable in the role. I loved how Edward sparkled more, it was perfect. Alice's vision of Edward and Bella was kinda corny tho and most people in the theatre laughed.
Have seen it twice ALREADY!!!! LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT!!!!
Will be taking my 2 daughters on Sunday - so 3 times for me within 5 days :)
It was awesome & EXACTLY how I imagined it..... I think the director has done a brilliant job.... well done to all involved!!!!
Can't wait for Eclipse now....
It was such a fantastic movie. I loved it and want to see it all over again. It was just brilliant. The only parts I think should have been in there was, Edward's Cd he gives to Bella. Bella's voice over when she's crying in a ball and can't move in the forest. I really wanted to hear "I did not resurface". I also wanted to see Bella's reaction in finding that Edward had taken every single trace of him from her life. Then, I can't remember if it was at the end of New Moon where Bella found or Edward told her where all the things he hid were. Cause weren't they hidden in a floor board? GAH! I'm gonna need to re-read it again. Other than those little things... I ADORED THIS MOVIE! :D
i looooved the movie!! this review is as accurate as possible and it really praises the excellent work both the cast and crew did in order to bring new moon to life! twi-fans will not be disappointed!! the soundtrack was incredible!!!
I wanna see Edward in Rio... for real... hehe
I saw it yesterday. I felt that it followed the book pretty well. The parts that weren't in the book seemed warranted to help transition into different parts of the story. I thought Kristen Sterwart did an okay job.. I just feel her nightmare scenes were really stupid and overacted. Taylor Lautner did a fabulous job preparing himself for his role in New Moon. His body was amazingly transformed since Twilight; I couldn't stop drooling! Dakoda Fanning made a great Jane and was really convincing. It was cool to see her playing a darker character for once. Overall the movie followed the book enough to where I was disappointed. :)
Also, wanted to add... thank you for this wonderful review!
It's about time someone actually looked at this movie for what it is & what it is meant to be - Bella losing her love to find a friend! So many reviewers are bagging this movie out that I actually stopped watching it on TV.
Here in Australia, we all clapped, cheered, squealed (when Jacob went shirtless of course) EVERYONE in the cinema was so involved in the movie - NOBODY complained at all!
Whoever hasn't seen it yet - you'll be excited to see it & just sit & enjoy it :)
I live in tn and will be going to the movie in about 5 hours. Let u know how much I love it. I know I will!
I don't get to see it until Saturday night. I am attending a premire party with a local radio station who bought out the auditorium. Thank you for the article and all of the comments. I cannot wait to see it, and all of the others...Also very excited for "Remember Me" and "The Runaways" coming up in 2010!
I went into watching New Moon without any expectations, good thing too because I found myself enjoying bits of it. Like the first movie, the secondary characters totally stole every scene they were in. A. Kendrick as Jessica & M. Welsh as Mike were amazing. The Wolfpack couldn't have been cast any more perfectly and as for the Volturi and their guard? M.Sheen as Aro and D. Fanning as Jane... Whoever cast them needs a payrise. They were barely onscreen for a more than 10mins but their experience absolutely shone through. Congratulations on Mr Weitz for improving on the dissapointment that was Twilight #1. Now if only he could give Rob, Kristen and Taylor someone to teach them how to act better Eclipse might be phenomenal.
I'm in Australia and I've already been to see it 3 times. Absolutely fantastic and I totally agree with every word of your review. Chris Weitz is a bloody genius and Twilight fans could not ask for any better!! I'll be seeing it many more times yet!!
I loved the first Twilight, so I disagree about the acting comments. Taylor's acting was stunningly good and convincing.
I saw it last night - work at a theater, employee perks are great! ;) I thought it was AMAZING! I was very impressed and I really wish they'd redo the first movie with Chris Weitz at the wheel!! ;) I loved the wolves, I loved the Volturi scene, I loved the cliff-diving scene, and no matter how Team Edward I am, there was JACOB!!! Can NOT wait til Eclipse!!
I saw the midnight session and a night session later that day New Moon defineitely did not dissapoint, Weitz did a stupendous job, the movie was definietly worth waiting for and I really hope he directs Breaking Dawn. I think it's great how the movie sticks to the book a lot which I thought didn't really happen in Twilight, I'm hoping Eclipse will be great too. 10 stars for New Moon!!!:)
I live in Puerto Rico and I have seen it twice, and it just keeps getting better and better. Loved how the movie was presented, the transitions, better acting, loved Taylor as Jacob, Michael Sheen blew me away as Aro, excellent casting, amazing special effects. The book was translated into a movie with all the essentials needed to encapture the viewer and keep him/her wanting more. LOVED the ending, just GENIUS!!
I am going to see new moon on the 21st i have my ticket already. I loved the books they are very well writen. WHO AM I KIDDING THEY WHERE TOTALY AWESOME!!! :P
TEAM JACOB!!! :P
I'm sorry...I'm lost...what is Oz?
I'm gonna go see it Saturday! =D
I am a huge saga fan BUT this movie was not exactly what I expected it to be. The book is filled with emotion, loss and mourning that every single chapter had it's own way of making my eyes misty. The movie however did not have that effect on me. Another thing that I think was totally wrong were the red contact lenses. In the movie, Laurent's eyes were a much more deep and thus convincing red. In this one they were just too fake! Furthermore, Alice's vision shouldn't have been filmed at all! The whole room in the theatre just burst into laughter! I found it utterly ridiculous and to tell you the truth it had a scent of "Little house on the prairie"! Finally,I trully believe that some scenes that didn't make were a terrible loss (ex. Edward quoting Romeo at Volterra and Bella thinking she's still sleeping after they're back from Itally.) I did like the actors' performances - as always - and the special effects, especially the wolves' transformation! They were amazing!
That mysterious picture happens to be the vision, yes, but you dont know what it is. Its the scene from breaking dawn where Bella goes on her first hunt as a vampire. Yes, its true. :] Bella is a vampire in Alice's vision.
i love it more than twilight!!chris is great director,so thus kstew acting in new moon she improved a lot...their's no one else could portrayed a perfect bella...
and as i've read about critics reveiw they praise kstew acting in new moon...i think a good start for kstew to recognized as the main star of twilight saga...
Pages
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!