Last week, I saw the following on fmylife.com: "Today, I realized that our generation will be remembered as the kids who liked sparkly vampires. FML" I checked out the comments and found that almost everyone agreed. The few pro-Twilight comments got hidden because of "too many negative comments."
Obviously, many people dislike the sparkly vampire phenomenon, but there's no denying the box office records it set two weeks ago. I'm a fan, I admit it - so you won't get a review making fun of the prancing Bella or moaning Edward - but I'll be fair and I won't gush.
People struggle to understand all the hype, but for fans of the book, it's exciting to see Stephenie Meyer's magical story on screen. The first two films haven't lived up to the books but they stay true to them. Overall, the improved acting, dialogue, humor and special effects make New Moon a lot more mature than Twilight.
Though Twilight set up the characters and plot, it was a little dull and mostly focused on Bella and Edward's relationship. New Moon is far more exciting. Jacob, a small character in the first movie, steps into the spotlight when Edward says goodbye and breaks Bella's heart. As Bella says, Jacob is "sort of beautiful." The ripped boy-next-door brought tons of drooling girls to the theaters and added a spark that Twilight lacked. Jacob is endearingly convincing in his love for Bella. Through helping rebuild a pair of motorcycles, he helps rebuild her. Unfortunately for Jacob, though, Bella only has eyes for Edward.
Unfortunately for the viewer, Kristen Stewart's acting is sort of awful. She rarely shows emotion and can't seem to speak without moving her head. Luckily, she is depressed during most of New Moon, which works for her. With that in mind, Bella's pain is most convincing when Edward leaves. The new director, Chris Weitz, effectively portrays Bella's heartbreak through nightmares. Her terrifying screams evoke sympathy in the viewer and constantly cause her dad, Charlie, to wake her.
Bella may not be the most likeable protagonist, but Jacob and the other supporting characters make up for it; they're all quirky in their own ways. There's the Cullen family, Charlie, werewolves, Bella's friends and even Dakota Fanning's five minutes as Jane. The werewolf action is exciting and the Cullens are gorgeously compelling as (harmless) vampires. Jane and the rest of the Volturi successfully portray the creepy, not-so-harmless vampire coven in Italy.
Charlie and Bella's friends, Mike, Eric and Jessica, provide most of the film's humor as they try to deal with Bella's misery, which soon turns to craziness. At one point, Bella hops on a motorcycle with a stranger and Jessica freaks out, yelling: "Um, what the hell's wrong with you, just curious?"
Books-turned-movies are rarely better than the original. New Moon is no exception but it's still fun to watch. Pattinson and Stewart have chemistry in both films, but New Moon's supporting characters and tangled plot simply make it more interesting than Twilight. One guy on FML complained that his wife put glitter on his face while he was sleeping. Needless to say, I'm not the only one looking forward to Eclipse next summer.
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