NEW MOON
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
"New Moon" is a super sleek locomotive of a movie - a serene, spirited, darkly obsessive and intriguing film that deserves more acclaim than it has received. I am surprised writing this myself but, being an admirer of the film "Twilight," this movie is superior in all departments."New Moon" continues the obsessive and undying love between 18-year-old Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and her vampire lover, 103-year-old Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). Tension erupts right from the start when Bella is invited to the Cullens' glass house and she cuts herself and gets a few more abrasions and the Cullen clan, well being that they are vampires...you get my point. Edward summons himself elsewhere, far away from Bella whom he is afraid of hurting. Let's be honest: how long can a relationship between a human and a vampire last? Not very long, when you consider humans have souls and vampires do not. Of course, fans of the Stephenie Meyers' book series know this abandonment will not last.
While Edward and the whole Cullen gang leave the sleepy woodsy town of Forks, Bella finds a new male admirer in Jacob (Taylor Lautner). They are good friends and she feels comfortable around him - Jacob can fix motorcycles and apparently she has a couple to lend him. Unfortunately, Jacob is not an ordinary human - he is a born werewolf! His whole family is, including his brothers who feel the need to be barechested, even in stormy weather. This wolf clan is threatened by the Cullens and there is a treaty that prevents Jacob from protecting Bella when a vampire is nigh. What is Bella to do when she falls in love with Jacob, and has consistent visions of Edward warning her to steer clear of dangerous thoughts, like riding around town with male, sexed-up strangers in their motorcycles!
I came to "New Moon" with no expectations except to hope it came a tenth close to the atmosphere and serenity of "Twilight." I was not disappointed. This movie adds more atmosphere with more sweeping overhead shots of the dense and dank woods and rainy, steep cliffs. The special-effects also blend in nicely with the outdoor day shots, particularly the wolves that look convincing and expressive enough in their CGI glory, or the finale bit with the Volturi council (a vampire elite of sorts) inside an Italian throne room where some thrashing occurs.
Director Chris Weitz and writer Melissa Rosenberg also add more depth to the troubled Bella who wakes up from having nightmares about Edward, and tries to shake and balance her love for the forlorn vampire and the forlorn werewolf. Team Jacob or Team Edward? Tough choice. Either way, you'll be left swooning by the precious Kristen Stewart - a dynamite actress who knows how to convey just enough with every line reading so we know what she is thinking. Robert Pattinson is just as glum and buff Taylor has moments of aggression that work well enough to make you think he might tear you apart. Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning add finishing touches of vampiric energy that diminish any memory of the forgettable "Underworld" trilogy.
Some critics have lambasted the "Twilight" films and books for its Victorian assumptions that teenagers can fall eternally in love by initially practicing abstinence. But this surprisingly deft and emotional roller-coaster ride of a movie, "New Moon," is ultimately about overcoming all obstacles for the one true love and making sacrifices. In Bella's case, it is about turning into a vampire in order to be with Edward. Nobody has considered that she is a teenager in love with a 103-year-old inhuman creature with the face of Robert Pattinson. More psychoanalysis should be underway on that fact alone.
