Gateway

Issue date: 12/1/09 Section: Entertainment

Alex Meraz (Paul), Chaske Spencer (Sam Uley), Bronson Pelletier (Jared) and Kiowa Gordon (Embry) form the Wolf Pack in "The Twilight Saga: New Moon." (Photo courtesy Timothy White) [Click to enlarge]

Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner star in "The Twilight Saga: New Moon." (Kimberley French/Summit Entertainment/MCT) [Click to enlarge]

Twi-hards are sinking their teeth into "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," but the rest may still be on the fence about seeing it. "New Moon" publicity has bombarded us for months. Those who haven't seen it may be wondering whether it could possibly live up to the hype. The answer is a resounding "yes."

"New Moon" is the second installment of the mega-hit vampire series based on Stephanie Meyer's bestselling books. In the film, human heroine Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is heartbroken when her vampire love Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) leaves her. Her friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) comforts her until he finds himself turning into a werewolf and chasing a coven of enemy vampires who want to make Bella their meal.

Director Chris Weitz ("About a Boy") brings a noticeably different flavor to "New Moon" than "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke. While "Twilight" had the feel of an independent film, "New Moon" seems more like a big-budget blockbuster. From film color and camera angles to wardrobe and makeup, everything has a Hollywood vibe. This is not necessarily better, just different.

One thing that doesn't change from "Twilight" to "New Moon" is Melissa Rosenberg's well-written screenplay adaptation. Rosenberg takes fan-favorite dialogue and scenes from Meyer's books, then adds a mixture of suspenseful twists and witty one-liners.

Many of these lines are delivered by skilled actors such as Tony Award nominee Anna Kendrick, who plays Bella's gossipy human friend Jessica Stanley. Kendrick has just the right attitude to show Stanley's sarcasm and annoyance while still seeming likable.

The supporting cast includes some other standout performances. Michael Sheen ("Frost/Nixon") perfectly fits the complicated role of Aro, leader of the Volturi vampires. He flawlessly walks the line between craziness and refinement. Also noteworthy is relative newcomer Alex Meraz who has a small, but memorable part as the most violent werewolf, Paul. Meraz does a superb job portraying Paul's failed attempts at controlling himself.

The cinematography is beautiful, too. Whether the characters are running frantically through the woods of the Pacific Northwest or speeding through a crowded Italian street in a stolen Porsche, the camera angles use the backdrops to their full potential. The cinematography is done particularly well in the infamous cliff diving scene when Bella is drowning. The underwater peacefulness of such a scary moment lends a confusing and almost trippy feeling to the pivotal scene.

The movie isn't without flaws, however. In "Twilight," the bloodsucking fight scenes were so well done that they won a plethora of awards. In contrast, "New Moon's" fights are rather disappointing.

One of the fights between the werewolves and a vampire is very underdone. It is just a bunch of running and ripping. Sure, it's a PG-13 movie, but can't audiences see a bit more action? The actors' faces didn't even show enough emotion for the audience to get into it.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the climactic vampire fight is quite overdone. Edward is a mind reader, so he usually wins fights because he can see what his opponents are going to do before they do it. So it is laughable that an average vampire could kick Edward's butt with no help.

In spite of the disappointing fight scenes, the rest of "New Moon" meets the impossible expectations set by advertisers and obsessive Twilighters.

The highly anticipated film took a bite out of the record books. Ticket sales for the U.S. midnight premiere broke the record set by "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," according the Los Angeles Times. "New Moon" crushed the record set by "Star Wars: Episode III" for advance ticket sales on MovieTickets.com.

Non-Twilighters may wonder why fans are freaking out. Rest assured that "New Moon" is well worth the admission cost. Contrary to popular belief, the movie is not just for pre-teens and their Twi-moms. It has something for everybody: romance, smart humor, action and plot twists. However, to fully understand "New Moon," viewers need to see "Twilight" first. Rent it; buy it; do whatever's necessary. Then, go to the theater and see how much "New Moon" shines.

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