Best of the Series So Far... But That Doesn't Take Much

Rating: 5/10 (6 August 2010)

After Edward's proposal to Bella at the end of "New Moon", a few loose ends need to be tied up: Bella must confront her feelings for Jacob, and they all must face Victoria, the vengeful vampire who hungers for Bella's death. If they can achieve this, smooth sailing!
Working off a book that my friend Tina cites as the "least memorable" of the series, I felt the film did a really good job bringing the story to life. Unfortunately, when you're working with a weak story, there is only so much you can bring to the film. The strongest parts of the book, for me, were the flashbacks, and indeed this was the best part of the film.
Overall, this story has little plot. I'm pleased to say the romance and sap has been toned down yet again, the action is slightly improved, but overall the film is nothing but a speed bump between "New Moon" and "Breaking Dawn". You could probably skip this film entirely and not miss an important piece of the story (though you would miss the fleshing out of Jasper and Rosalie).
Sadly, director David Slade does not take the stylistic approach I felt he was capable of. After his "Hard Candy" and "30 Days of Night", I knew he was comfortable with edgy topics and dark imagery. He does not take that route, instead mimicking the style of the first two films. I respect his adherence to continuity, and I know he had to work in the PG frame, but still... the Harry Potter films took stylistic turns with new directors (most notably in the third film with Alfonso Cuarón), and the producers should not have been afraid to make that choice.
Professional reviews have been largely favorable, for reasons that escape me. The rating sits at 4.8 on IMDb (as of August 2010) and I find that to be much more realistic. The film showed no great writing, directing... and Kristen Stewart's acting is one flat note as it always is. Where is the emotion? Shame on reviewers who caved in and praised this film.
Roger Ebert, bless his heart, gave the film only two stars and two thumbs down (though he loved "Karate Kid" around the same time, so he's not flawless). He understands what appeals to the audience: "A sweet girl is forced to choose between two improbably tall, dark and handsome men who brood and smolder and yearn for her." (His review is worth reading for his comments about Edward's hairy eyebrows and what he sees as homoerotic tension.)
I take issue with the inclusion of Bree Tanner. She was singled out by the camera, and the promotional clips talked about her, presumably in an effort to help sell the Bree book. But her role is ultimately rather small, and her name is not mentioned once -- if you didn't read the book, you're not going to understand why she is even in this film. In fact, maybe she shouldn't have been.
If you saw the first two films, you're probably going to see this one. If you didn't, why see this one first? In fact, if you can avoid all three you are probably better off. While I enjoyed sitting in the theater heckling on opening day, I have very little desire to ever return to the city of Forks, Washington... though I know, sadly, that I will.