Twilight: New Moon Movie Review

Twenty theaters across the United States were given rights to release Twilight: New Moon three hours sooner than the rest of the country. The theater in my area that was chosen teamed up with a local radio station and gave away free tickets to the single theater, 9:00 p.m. preview of Twilight: New Moon and I actually won two tickets! So, it was with much anticipation (and with many screaming teenage fans) that I lined up at the Cinemark theater with my husband last night at 8:00 p.m. to be one of the first fans in the country to see New Moon. It was a pretty awesome experience. (And the adolescents kept their screaming to a minimum.) Caution, this review may contain spoilers!!!!

The first movie in this series, Twilight, was directed by Catherine Hardwicke. For New Moon they decided to go with a new director, Chris Weitz. This created many differences in the two films, but the biggest change in New Moon is the change in color palette. Chris Weitz used rich deep golden hues, a big contrast from the darker gray and blue colors used to film Twilight. This modification was perfect for many of the scenes and characters in the sequel. Bella’s coloring was significantly enhanced by this change. Also, the various shades of the wolves and the strong colors of the woods were both striking and vibrant. This golden tone in contrast with the pale skin and make-up of the vampires wasn’t as great a match for me though. There were scenes when Edward appeared chalky and over made up to me. This complaint is minor however, compared to the general enhancement of the film by this color choice.

Chris Weitz also did a great job sticking very close to the story line of New Moon. Twilight tended to embellish the story more and, while there were parts that were a small stretch, they didn’t add anything or change the plot in any way in New Moon. One of my favorite things was the way Weitz displayed time passing in Bella’s world without Edward. He did a good job of moving the story along smoothly though out the film. I also appreciated his use of camera angles to add interest to the scenes.

One of the effects that I worried about the most had to be the wolves. The first time a wolf came into the story I began to relax. They did a great job with the wolf pack. The dog fight was believable and the cast for the pack was right on target. I was actually one of those people calling for a new actor to portray Jacob in this movie, but I’m glad now that that didn’t happen. Taylor Lautner did a fantastic job in New Moon. I was concerned about his ability to carry the role at his young age, but I think he captured the funny personality and warmth of Jacob Black perfectly. I was also pleasantly surprised at his ability to show the intensity of Jacob’s emotions for Bella. Now if he could just grow a little taller...

One small disappointment I had with the movie was the Volturi. First of all, in the book there are more of them it seems. The Volturi wives weren’t shown or spoken of at all, and the guard seemed to be reduced in number.  Another problem I had was, although I do think the actors did a good job delivering their lines, I found myself wanting them to look younger and more attractive. I also expected a little more dialog about the rules of the Volturi and their recruiting practices. This can all be easily added to Eclipse though. In general I suppose I just wanted more of Italy. The scenery they did show of Italy was beautiful, however. I also loved Dakota Fanning as Jane. She isn't how I pictured her in the book, but Fanning's quiet, yet evil demeanor is chilling in the movie. I am also very glad that the reports of the Volturi appearing nude in the film were just rumors. I'd just rather not go there, thanks.

Overall I really enjoyed New Moon. The books are always going to be better than the movie; that is just how it is. The first time I see a movie based on a book I am usually comparing it to the book so much in my head, that I don’t really enjoy it as it is. New Moon really is an excellent movie though. As I said, my husband was the lucky person to share my winning tickets with me. He hasn’t (and wont) read the books, but he said it was much better put together and a lot easier to follow than the first film. I totally agree and would recommend the movie to everyone.