Amber BransonOn Reel - New Moon
I went to see New Moon Thanksgiving afternoon, and watched with an eye to writing a review. I kept in mind criticisms of the first Twilight movie--both my own and those I read on the internet--and watched for similar problems with this second movie.
By the time I left the theater, which was more crowded than I would have expected for a holiday matinee, I was scouring my fresh memory for things to keep the review from glowing like an angel.
Yes, I liked New Moon. I don't care what other people say.
For the uninitiated, a brief summary.
After a disastrous 18th birthday party at the Cullen home, the family leaves town, and Bella Swan is abandoned by her vampire boyfriend Edward. To fill the hole he leaves behind, she turns to her childhood friend Jacob. The younger boy is not all that he seems, even to himself.
Beyond this, we shall venture into spoiler territory. If you want to see the movie first, come back later. Otherwise, proceed.
The movie opens with the same scene as the book, Bella's dream of her grandmother. I was concerned about how illusion would be presented, but it was done quite well. And the opening scene is the first reappearance of the sparkling Edward. The effect was less obnoxious than in the first movie, leaving Robert Pattinson's skin less greasy-looking, and though the sound effect remains, it is subtler.
If you have read the book, then you know how the movie goes. It is a great adaptation, and Stephenie Meyer's writing seems to lend itself well to the screen.
I read one comment from someone who had not seen the movie, stating "I'm not going to watch Kristen Stewart bite her lip in lieu of actual acting." Because I read this before I saw the movie either, I kept an eye out for the lip-biting.. and saw very little. I believe she bit her lip twice, both times near Edward.
Speaking of Pattinson's acting, here is something with which I continue to have problems. Maybe not the acting itself, but the speaking. He sounds very awkward and tense, as if the strain of performing with an American accent is too much for him to actually.. well, perform. He needs to hire Hugh Laurie as a dialect coach before the next movie.
Everyone else has settled comfortably in their roles. Taylor Lautner makes good use of his screen time and is probably the best actor in the movie, though Michael Sheen as Aro and Ashley Greene as Alice both perform wonderfully as well. Dakota Fanning is the big name, but looks incredibly strange with red eyes and doesn't get enough time to show off any acting skills. My sister is a fan of Jackson Rathbone as Jasper, but so far he's had a total of four lines in the two movies, so we'll have to wait until next year, and Eclipse, to see what he can really do, and see if he can manage a Southern accent better than Rob manages an American one. The wolf pack are new to the screen, but make good impressions, behaving like you would expect a litter of aggressive puppies to behave.
The increase in presence for both Edward and Victoria is done well, without seeming to interrupt the flow of the story.
Aside from Robert's speech, my only complaint is a small one. While the computer-generated wolves are, for the most part, beautifully done, there is something very strange about Sam's snout when we first see his wolf form in full. It may have just been a trick of the angle, but his face seems squashed and unnatural.
So there you go. While it wasn't a perfect movie, it was not a bad one. It was certainly better than Twilight, and as a fan of the books before they were a huge sensation, I am pleased with the treatment the screenwriter has given them.
If you hate the overall story, don't bother seeing it. If you like it, give the movie a shot.
By the time I left the theater, which was more crowded than I would have expected for a holiday matinee, I was scouring my fresh memory for things to keep the review from glowing like an angel.
Yes, I liked New Moon. I don't care what other people say.
For the uninitiated, a brief summary.
After a disastrous 18th birthday party at the Cullen home, the family leaves town, and Bella Swan is abandoned by her vampire boyfriend Edward. To fill the hole he leaves behind, she turns to her childhood friend Jacob. The younger boy is not all that he seems, even to himself.
Beyond this, we shall venture into spoiler territory. If you want to see the movie first, come back later. Otherwise, proceed.
The movie opens with the same scene as the book, Bella's dream of her grandmother. I was concerned about how illusion would be presented, but it was done quite well. And the opening scene is the first reappearance of the sparkling Edward. The effect was less obnoxious than in the first movie, leaving Robert Pattinson's skin less greasy-looking, and though the sound effect remains, it is subtler.
If you have read the book, then you know how the movie goes. It is a great adaptation, and Stephenie Meyer's writing seems to lend itself well to the screen.
I read one comment from someone who had not seen the movie, stating "I'm not going to watch Kristen Stewart bite her lip in lieu of actual acting." Because I read this before I saw the movie either, I kept an eye out for the lip-biting.. and saw very little. I believe she bit her lip twice, both times near Edward.
Speaking of Pattinson's acting, here is something with which I continue to have problems. Maybe not the acting itself, but the speaking. He sounds very awkward and tense, as if the strain of performing with an American accent is too much for him to actually.. well, perform. He needs to hire Hugh Laurie as a dialect coach before the next movie.
Everyone else has settled comfortably in their roles. Taylor Lautner makes good use of his screen time and is probably the best actor in the movie, though Michael Sheen as Aro and Ashley Greene as Alice both perform wonderfully as well. Dakota Fanning is the big name, but looks incredibly strange with red eyes and doesn't get enough time to show off any acting skills. My sister is a fan of Jackson Rathbone as Jasper, but so far he's had a total of four lines in the two movies, so we'll have to wait until next year, and Eclipse, to see what he can really do, and see if he can manage a Southern accent better than Rob manages an American one. The wolf pack are new to the screen, but make good impressions, behaving like you would expect a litter of aggressive puppies to behave.
The increase in presence for both Edward and Victoria is done well, without seeming to interrupt the flow of the story.
Aside from Robert's speech, my only complaint is a small one. While the computer-generated wolves are, for the most part, beautifully done, there is something very strange about Sam's snout when we first see his wolf form in full. It may have just been a trick of the angle, but his face seems squashed and unnatural.
So there you go. While it wasn't a perfect movie, it was not a bad one. It was certainly better than Twilight, and as a fan of the books before they were a huge sensation, I am pleased with the treatment the screenwriter has given them.
If you hate the overall story, don't bother seeing it. If you like it, give the movie a shot.
