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December 15, 2009
Shelmi Liang
“New Moon,” the second installment of The Twilight Saga, may satisfy fans of the series, but outsiders are likely to be turned off by its slow pace, persistently depressing tone and excessive length.
The mortal-vampire romance ascends to a new level as teenager Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) explores the supernatural world that she yearns to become a part of, only to find herself in greater danger than ever before.
Bella’s vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), leaves abruptly and does not appear until the end. Therefore the audience is unable to grasp the supposedly undying love between the two. Bella’s frozen heart is melted by her growing relationship with werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), a member of the Quileute tribe. If you buy into the love triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob, you’ll laugh, cry and swoon.
However, if you do not swoon at the sight of Pattinson or a shirtless Lautner, then “New Moon” was not made for you. Although director Chris Weitz improves upon “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke’s technical vision, the film feels like a soap opera, even in scenes that are meant to be infused with passion.
The entire film consists of three thoughts: “Don’t leave me,” “I can’t live without you” and “Make me a vampire.” Juggle these three sentences for two hours and replace a word with another monosyllabic word, maybe two syllables if you are adventurous, and you have just seen the entire movie without shelling out a single dollar.
“New Moon” is made for the girls in the same way that Michael Bay movies are made for guys. It will not seduce new fans nor will it break off relentless infatuations. The film is marketed towards a certain audience, but those who are not possessed by the phenomenon will not feel the same. Fans will quiver and sigh; everyone else will shrug and move on.
Verdict: C
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