I worry for the teenage girls of the world who look up to Bella Swan, a stubborn, single-minded girl who defines herself only through the boy(s) she loves. Decades of feminism seem to have had no effect on Stephanie Meyer’s twilit series. The girls are helpless, emotional creatures who seem to think it’s a good idea to fall in love with boys who can be and are violent towards them. About the only positive part of New Moon in this regard is that all the guys walk around topless, yet the girls aren’t sexualised at all, which is a nice change.
Catherine Hardwicke’s direction was one of the few things that saved Twilight.
Kristen Stewart is still far and away the strongest performer of the franchise. She makes me almost care about Bella in a way that the books never could. Sure, Stewart’s furrowed brows and trademark grumpiness may be getting a little tired now, but she’s clearly the best actress that could have been cast in the role. As most will know, vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson) spends very little time in this film, using a feeble excuse about leaving her alone so she can lead a normal life. As a result, Bella is left in the overcast town of Forks with Jacob (Taylor Lautner), the buff and brash equivalent of Edward’s moody (read: whiny) detachment. Blessed, as I was, with the knowledge that the Powers That Be threatened to strip Lautner from the role unless he pack on 13 kilograms, it’s a little disturbing to see how he’s changed (and feels a teensy bit like child abuse, really). Bella’s actions, like much of the franchise, seem inherently selfish in New Moon, whilst the dumbstruck boys continue to orbit around her. Perhaps most disappointing is the fact that the climax is a bit of a fizzle, even if Michael Sheen lights up the screen with his portrayal of head vamp, Aro.
Whilst the direction may be less accomplished, the film at least has a decent budget this time around. Where Twilight was filled with awful special effects, New Moon manages at least to get by with some nifty action sequences. Actually, the film has a couple of top moments, assisted by great cinematography, perfect editing and a great soundtrack – it’s a slicker flick for sure. No one could deny that the first instalment had a great soundtrack, and this one is even better.
New Moon sticks close to the source material (to its detriment, naturally) and as such should keep fans of the books happy. It’s entertaining in a mindless way, though a step down from Twilight. The third film, Eclipse, will no doubt appear hot on its heels, and I suppose one should be grateful that the series thus far has proven to be reasonably entertaining, given that the whole franchise feels like such a rush job.