TA TALKS BACK: ‘THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON’ MOVIE REVIEW BY KARA
In today’s installment of TA Talks Back, I (Kara/Team Switzerland) give you my very long (though I prefer to use the term thorough 
) review of The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Since today’s the day we’ve all been waiting for, we want to hear your reviews too so make sure to post your thoughts in the comment box below. Be warned, there are several spoilers within my review, so if you haven’t seen the film you may not want to read on!
The Twilight Saga: New Moon officially hits theaters tomorrow and I expect a whole wave of new Team Jacob fans to be revealing themselves soon. From the acting and the effects to the dialogue and the music, New Moon is in a different league than its predecessor. Whether New Moon is your favorite or even least favorite book in the saga, I predict even the purest of fans will be nothing less than thrilled with the film adaptation.
• Kristen Stewart absolutely shines in the film. Her pain is so real and tangible that it’s easy to identify with her character and you are left rooting for her throughout her pain and self-discovery.
• Though he’s not in much of the film, Robert Pattinson is a definite standout as Edward. His deliverance of the lines in the infamous breakup scene is so hurtful and believable that you feel the pain right alongside Bella.
• Taylor Lautner: Of the three leads, I saved the best for last. Taylor is outstanding in the film and will definitely have you wavering toward Team Jacob. Aside from Twilight, this is the first time I’ve gotten to see Taylor act (Sharkboy and Lavagirl isn’t really my thing). While his few lines in Twilight seemed a little young and forced, all of that is gone by the time he speaks his first word in New Moon. Your heart breaks for him as he fights to make Bella realize that he is the better choice, but you also feel for him through his struggle of realizing ‘what he is’.
• Supporting actors: We really lucked out with the cast we have. Not only do we have three amazing leads, but each of our supporting actors could carry the film on their own.
– Much like they did in Twilight, The ‘Humans’ really kick the movie up a notch. Michael Welch is perfectly lovable and dorky as Mike Newton, but Anna Kendrick (as Jessica) steals the show with her monologues (no wonder why Stephenie Meyer listed that as one of her favorite parts!). Billy Burke can do no wrong as Charlie and added a lot to the film with his few witty remarks, but mainly with his visible empathy for his daughter.– The Cullens were absent much in the film, but the few parts they were in were great. The ‘vote’ scene was one of my favorites in the film (Rosalie’s speech took the cake for me), it was great to finally see Jasper’s ability used, but Ashley Greene was spot on and particularly impressed with her one-liners (‘I’ll be back as soon as you take the dog out’).
– The Volturi are perfectly creepy with a hint of humor, but Michael Sheen is an easy standout with his portrayal of Aro. Another performance in the Volturi I was very pleased with was that of Charlie Bewley. His lines were on point and he combined the perfect mix of evil and witty for his role as Demetri.
– The Wolf Pack boys we already know are great friends offscreen and get along well, but that truly translates on-screen as well. Alex Meraz and Chaske Spencer played their respective roles right on point, but it was Bronson Pelletier (as Jared) that really stood out to me even with his very few lines. To be honest, I actually would have liked to see Bronson deliver many of the lines that Kiowa Gordon (Embry) had (‘well, I guess the wolf’s out of the bag!’).
– And last but certainly not least, The Bad Vamps. Edi Gathegi really pulled off the more evil side of Laurent and I am truly sad to see him go. Rachelle Lefevre was creepily perfect with her reprisal as Victoria, and while I would have liked to see a few lines out of her, the subtlety of her role was great.
• Dialogue: I am unbelievably happy with the amount of direct quotes from the book that made it into the film. Not only that, but the lines seemed to fit in well with the feel of the film (let’s face it, we all love ‘and so the lion fell in love with the lamb’, but it didn’t exactly feel natural in Twilight). I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t heartbroken that a few key lines weren’t kept in (‘Before you Bella, my life was like a moonless night…’, or my personal favorite, ‘I’m here and I love you…when I told you I didn’t want you, it was the blackest kind of blasphemy’), but I trust that they were left out for good reason.
• Bella’s Letter Narration to Alice: Since the book is from Bella’s point of view, there was always a worry in my mind that the heartbreak Bella felt when Edward left and the happiness she found with Jake wouldn’t come across sincerely on film. Though the letter-writing wasn’t in the book, the addition of it in the film allowed us the insight into Bella’s inner-turmoil and personal thoughts like we received in the book.
• Key Scenes: Before the film, countless lists were made bearing ‘must-have scenes’ or ‘most-anticipated scenes’ for the film. We at TA even made our own two-part list of must-have scenes (review them here and here), and of the 20 scenes we listed, a whopping 19 of those made it into the film (The exception? One which we dubbed ‘the epiphany scene’). A few standouts to me include Bella and Jacob’s ‘age game’ (a small, but necessary touch), the three-way date, and the final confrontation, just to name a few.
-The Proposal Scene: This scene in the book is absolutely crucial and was one that everyone insisted should be in the film. The placement of the scene is perfect (hello, cliffhanger!) and the feel is truly genuine.– The ‘Blank Pages’: Not only were these months included in the film, but the way they were presented was so perfectly heartbreaking that it gave you the same feeling that you got when you flipped through each bare, lonely month in the book.
• Changes: Of course, we can’t expect the movie to be 100% faithful to the book, but while some changes were made (like the Volturi showdown and Harry Clearwater’s death), they ultimately worked in favor of the film.
• Effects: I am not a CGI-savvy gal, but even I am impressed with the level of quality of this film. The wolves legitimately scared me on several occasions and Bella’s cliff-diving was remarkable. *Bonus sidenote: No cheesy tree-flying!
• Music: The soundtrack fit in so flawlessly with the film that it made me want to go out and buy another copy. A few favorites for me include Lykke Li’s “Possibility†and The Killers’ “White Demon Love Songâ€. Unsurprisingly, composer Alexandre Desplat hit a home run with the score of the film. It felt very appropriate and natural, but wasn’t distracting to the point where it detracted from the scenes.
• The (few) negatives: One thing I will admit, the whole “let me take my shirt off to tend to your head wound†was a little over-the-top. Also, the elevator scene in Volterra – awkward! There were maybe a few lines in the film I could have done without (‘you’re sort of beautiful’), but aside from the aforementioned, I really don’t think there’s much else I disliked. I had to rack my brain hard to remember these few minor bits.
I may be biased, but I give the film an easy ‘A’. Will the critics love it? Unless they’re a fan of the books or are within the target audience, I won’t hold my breath (Ebert, I’m lookin’ at you). There are things we are clued in on as fans that make sense to us, but may seem cheesy or out of place to someone who is not as up-to-date with the material. I, personally, would prefer the film include these bits rather than exclude them, so as a diehard and very critical fan, I was pleased with all decisions made by the actors, the studio, Melissa Rosenberg, Chris Weitz, etc.
I cannot stress enough how much this movie is for the fans. Chris Weitz was quoted as saying that his loyalty lies with the readership, and he delivered on that 100%. More than anything, I’m happy to say that my love and respect for Chris Weitz’s performance is not in blind faith any longer. Chris Weitz for Breaking Dawn, anyone?
So TAers, now it’s your turn! Let’s hear your thoughts and reviews on The Twilight Saga: New Moon!
