This pitiful sequel retains none of the qualities of the first film and could be one of the most disappointing pictures of the year

Rating: 4/10 (19 November 2009)

The second film in the Twilight series begins with Bella Swan (Kirsten Stewart) having a dream about herself growing old. From her eighteenth birthday, this is the start of one of her fears that she will age, while her love Edward (Robert Pattinson) will stay the same and not be as attracted to her. At a gathering on her birthday, Bella cuts her finger accidentally and is nearly attacked by one of the Cullens, only to be saved by Edward, leaving a gash on her am. The thought that she could be harmed again and other reasons, leaves Edward to announce that he and his family are leaving and that he does not want Bella. Distressed, Bella finds comfort in her friend Jacob (Taylor Lautner) who offers to help her fix up a motorbike after she becomes an adrenaline junkie. Yet with the arrival of wolves in the area it is clear that Jacob is hiding something.
The first Twilight film was a solid entry into the franchise, a dark and highly atmospheric love story, handsomely crafted by director Catherine Hardwicke who carried a real interest in teen behaviour. This pitiful sequel retains none of the qualities of the first film and could be one of the most disappointing pictures of the year. Taking over from Hardwicke is director Chris Weitz who was previously made About a Boy and started the unfinished trilogy of The Golden Compass. The narrative in Weitz's film is primarily at fault here. Whereas the original Twilight was enjoyable for the way it compressed much of the tedium of the novel, this film is not only painfully slow but it is also uneventful and compressed to the point where it becomes nonsensical. It only takes just one brief ride on a motorcycle for Bella to turn into an adrenaline junkie and the exposition directed towards her reckless behaviour is minimal. Prior to performing anything daring like riding or cliff jumping Bella is met by apparition of Edward who warns her not to do it. It would make more sense if he came to her in near death performing the act, not before it.
Bella's motivations are as convoluted as Edwards though. His depart in particular is problematic for the narrative. Not only is his eventual explanation for leaving highly contrived but in his absence the romantic substance of the film is evaporated, leaving very little for Bella to do. Pattinson has the most minimal role, only appearing at the beginning and the end in person, and occasionally as an apparition. Although it may be true the novel, fans are still likely to be disappointed by the actors absence. Stewart is still a very beautiful young actress and although she looks tired in this film at times, she does her best with some very poor writing. It is to her credit at least that she is one of the better performers in the cast. The excessively soppy dialogue though is still is difficult to take and the allusions to Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" are particularly lazy and obvious.
The first film achieved a great sense of dread and uncertainty because of the mystery of the vampires and the stunning photography of the woodlands. Structurally, it was also punctured by an exciting final third and a highly visceral climax. New Moon is not only lacking in romance but the action is also scarce and dramatically flat. The few brawls in the film are almost all entirely in super slow-motion lessening their impact. The main threat in this film is supposed to be the werewolves and the secret that Jacob is hiding. Yet given everyone who wanted to see this film has probably watched the trailer at least twice there is no surprise as to what he is hiding. He is a thoroughly uninteresting character, devoid of any of the romantic sensibilities that were apparent in Twilight. What is most frustrating about his presence in the film is the blatant attempts at trying to create sexual tension with Bella by having him shirtless for almost the entire film. It is the sort of thing Matthew Mcconaughey might have made a career out of, but here it is not only repetitive but bordering on embarrassing, as it blatantly attempts to win the heart of female audience members. The scenes where Jacob wipes the blood off Bella's forehead with his shirt or stands outside her window half dressed, were met with laughter from the audience. Mostly likely this was unintentional, perhaps signaling that audiences are not fooled by the sheer phoniness of the sexual tension in this film. Where the first film was endearing and sweet in its romance, here it is just superfluous.
At 130 minutes, New Moon is longer than its predecessor but also inferior in almost every aspect. The romance is absent and the action is disappointingly flat. Why Hardwicke was not brought back as a director who created such a vivid and fresh atmosphere is incomprehensible. Weitz has done a pretty poor job with this film and rather unsurprisingly, he is being replaced by director David Slade (Hard Candy) for Eclipse next year. It is a shame that those who wish to see if the next instalment is an improvement will have to sit through what is an extremely tedious and dull experience.