New Moon (2009)

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Rated: PG13

reviewed by Charity Bishop
 

One of the most anticipated films of the year, New Moon is a stronger film than its predecessor and one that will delight its fans.

Haunted by dreams highlighting the eventual aging that will separate her from her immortal boyfriend, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is eager to make the transition from human to vampire, but Edward (Robert Pattinson) does not want to damn her soul for all eternity -- the consequences of becoming a vampire. He wishes her to remain human, something that becomes dangerous when on her eighteenth birthday Bella sheds a drop of blood that causes Jasper, the newest "vegetarian" member of the Cullen clan, to lose control. This event compels Edward to decide it is too dangerous for her to be around him and that he must leave Forks. Breaking up with her and promising she will never see him again, Edward does not realize his actions will send her spiraling into a deep depression. Months later, Bella makes an irrational and stupid decision that causes Edward to reappear in her subconscious mind, warning her against danger. The "rush" causes her to make attempts to reconnect with memories of him through reckless behavior.

Recruiting her Indian friend Jacob Black (Raylor Lautner) in helping her refurbish two mountain bikes, the time they spend together soon makes his own sudden and inexplicable distance unbearable and eventually reveals a dark secret that might separate her from Edward forever...

The movie follows the book very well, so the same things I did not care for in the novel also make it onto the big screen. My biggest complaint is Bella's emotional state and how she falls apart without a boyfriend. I find that unforgivable and in direct contrast with strong heroines who pull themselves together and attempt to move on rather than plotting ways in which to endanger their life just enough to see ghosts from the past. That kind of love is dangerous and obsessive rather than emotionally fulfilling and true. Most of Bella's actions can be called into question due to their selfishness, including using Jacob -- she takes advantage of his friendship knowing what he feels for her and while she does keep him at a sort of distance, one cannot help feeling sorry for him in the end when she cruelly reminds him that it "has always been about Edward." Poor Jacob never had a chance, although in some respects the audience might find him a better match for her. 

However, the film is fun to watch and memorable for its improved dialogue. There are still many corny moments and certain comments prompted titters from the audience, but it is a stronger installment than the first and has good pacing... and finally, a studio has come up with a decent werewolf that is neither a puppet nor a badly-done CGI "were-rat" (Harry Potter, I am looking at you!). These giant, fierce wolves are magnificent. In fact, the only thing I did not like about the filmmaking style was that often action scenes left me wanting to see more since the shots were so quick it didn't allow me to really appreciate all that was happening on-screen. The costumes, production design, close-ups of the characters, the distinction between human-drinking and "vegetarian" vampires through the different colors of their eyes and notable guest appearances were great. Veteran actor Michael Sheen hams it up as the darkly comical leader of an Italian clan of vampires known as the Volturi that brought to mind some of the better moments of Interview with the Vampire, but with a modern twist. He is joined by a cast of familiar, sneering faces that also includes a sinister Dakota Fanning.

One of the tamer PG13 movies I have seen, there are a handful of profanities and one or two mild abuses of deity. Violence includes a brutal fight between two werewolves; an entire pack of wolves takes down a vampire (his death is off screen). Vampires attack and throw each other around, often through inanimate objects such as stone benches, stairs, tables, and walls. Bella is shoved into a table topped with glass vases; blood drips down her arm from a deep cut. Aro twists off a vampire's head while the others pull at his arms (the vampire crumbles into dust). Bella is involved in a motorcycle accident and bashes her head against a rock. She leaps off a cliff and almost drowns. Edward makes a suicide attempt. There is a great deal of conversation revolving around whether or not vampires have "damned" souls -- Bella is only too eager to throw hers away in order to stay with Edward. His sister Alice can read other people's thoughts and see into the future, a gift she shares with various members of the Volturi. One vampire can cause intense physical pain with her mind. There is no sensuality, but Jacob and his friends are often shown with their shirts off and their pants riding low.

A charming sense of humor and an improvement in acting assists this film in being a decent sequel and a certain success at the box office. In spite of the times I wanted to slap Bella, it was more entertaining than I anticipated.