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New Moon is the wildly anticipated sequel to Twilight and is guaranteed to be a box office smash. The sizzling on-screen chemistry between Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart lights up the screen and certainly keeps the audience wanting that little bit more.
The story of New Moon is relatively simple: boy and girl in love, boy leaves girl, they get back together. Not so complicated until you add in werewolves, vampires, near-death experiences and one emotional trip to Italy. However the beauty of this film is that the plot does not have to be complicated nor does the script have to be a work of genius. It's all about Jacob Black, the all-round good guy and werewolf played by Taylor Lautner. His relationship with Bella is convincingly portrayed and he oozes sex appeal and boyish charm. Robert Pattinson plays the tortured Edward Cullen with the same style and charisma that made him the star of Twilight. Stewart is given an opportunity to show herself as an actress and develop a depth of emotion and integrity that her character was lacking in the first film.
The difference in style between this and the original Twilight is obvious even as the opening credits are rolling. New Moon is bigger, bolder and had a considerably larger budget. Everything from the cinematography to the make-up is more along the lines of Hollywood blockbuster than dark and moody indie film. Something particularly worth noting is the soundtrack. It provided the crucial note of sincerity during those emotional moments when the film could have slipped into cheesy rather than enthralling.
Critics have argued that the movie is shallow and overly focused on showing the beauty of the three leads. What I want to know is: what’s so wrong with that? This is essentially a chick-flick with vampires - accept it and move on. There are plenty of slow motion scenes which seem to focus on the beauty of Pattinson’s jaw line and Lautner’s rock hard abs. Though in some cases a bit long winded, at the end of the day the writers are giving the predominantly teenage audience what they want.
This film surpassed all my expectations. For once a screenwriter has realised that the best way to satisfy excited fans is to stick like glue to the original book, in some cases word for word. The Twilight saga is an international best seller for a reason and seeing the page brought to life is what this franchise is all about. However, for those who have not yet ventured into the Twilight world this film may prove a little overwhelming, confusing and even boring at times. Even some of the most minute details from the book were crammed into the film and a little bit extra was added for the serious ‘twi-hard’ fans. With New Moon the writers may be risking excluding the more casual fans and movie-goers who have no interest in reading the books and simply want to see an easy-to-follow love story.
Happily the focus is on the characters and the love triangle that dominates the story. At times the graphics are a bit hit and miss, especially the werewolves which feel slightly awkward within the film. The action and fight scenes are captivating but do not overshadow the movie as a whole. Finally the lead males are exceptionally easy on the eye, which makes this an even more pleasant cinema trip.
I have to say, having seen the film yesterday I disagree with one of the points in this review - namely that the screenwriter "stuck like glue to the original book". I noticed several changes from the book, and some of my favourite lines were missing. I enjoyed the film nonetheless, but the changes did bug me a little.
I agree they may not have stuck to the book per say, but then again, no movie ever does. That's the point! You don't want to constantly be compared to the book, the film more than often always loses.
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