It does not raise up to the expectations

Rating: 5/10 (22 July 2010)

I was very disappointed by two major things in the movie: the action and the chemistry.
After preparing us for the "epic" battle with the newborns through the entire movie, the actual fight lasts only about 5 minutes. You barely start enjoying all the action and it's over!! David Slade made such a fuss about this for absolutely NOTHING. Plus his camera is sometimes shaky and blurred like an amateur Youtube clip (scene with Bella and Jacob in his garage and even worse the scene where Riley bends over Charlie).
The chemistry is also non existent, and it's mainly due to Bella. I could feel that Edward and Jacob love her, but I never felt anything from her. It just looks like she only wants sex with Edward, and that she's physically attracted to Jacob (since Edward won't comply to her advances). The bubbling tension from Twilight is all but spent, and Edward's proposal throwing in chaperoned walks, ice tea on the porch and stolen kisses literally made me cringe and cover my eyes. It is a good lesson for teenagers not to have sex on the first date and maybe feel something for the person you share your bed with besides lust, but from that to "don't have sex before marriage" is utterly absurd and unwise. Marriage is pretty serious stuff, you won't go into that without being sure of ALL the aspects of your relationship. But the Mormon beliefs of Stephanie Meyer get here the upper hand, so like it or not you get a taste of her convictions. Poor Robert Pattinson must have had a hard time getting those lines out!
Acting...well, I will confess I'm not watching the Twilight movies for the fine acting. I thought Taylor Lautner the best of the trio. Surprisingly good performances from Jackson Rathbone and especially Nicki Reed. Best acting was without a doubt Billy Burke.
The music is really A+, too bad the quality of the movie is not rising up to the quality of the music! Howard Shore composed an epic score, and the soundtrack is amazing, with all songs fitting the scenes to perfection.
Best kiss: Jacob/Bella. Not emotional, but sexy. Best couple: Alice/Jasper. Sweet, funny, warm. All that Edward and Bella should be and aren't. Best scene: tent scene. One of the few scenes where Pattinson nails it. For the rest he looks pretty and not much else, but hey, I am not complaining. Best emotion the movie captures from the book: the Edward/Jacob rivalry. Well acted, very authentic.
Overall I am disappointed by this movie. I loved Twilight (ah, the chemistry..guess it was there because Robert and Kristen were not yet together or just at the beginning of their relationship, which fits to what the movie describes), I liked about 40 minutes of New Moon (I'm a sucker for tragic love stories), and I was humoured by the rivalry scenes in Eclipse (tent scene, "doesn't he own a shirt?"...probably because Taylor and Robert are in competition in real life too).
Definitely will not watch it over and over or buy the DVD.