Love it or hate it, New Moon is a movie with some really good stuff, but also really bad stuff

Rating: 6/10 (21 December 2009)

Let's face it, Twilight is an irresistible pop culture phenomenon. It has a great looking cast, great looking backdrop, and great looking protagonists. It's a teenage girl's fantasy, and I know how crazy that sounds. A tale of a vampire who love a human instead of eating her is quite coy. But that was the first movie, this is just a movie where the guys show off their sculpted and sexy bodies.
That's not to say though that I didn't enjoy the film, in some prospects. "New Moon" starts off fast and ends fast, but it drags too long in the middle, and for a 2 hour movie, that's somewhat sad.
Some of it is ridiculous, for example, Kristen Stewart who plays Bella is quite annoying at times. When Edward, played by Robert Pattinson, leaves Bella, she becomes too hysterical, and it's more whining and moaning than crying or sobbing. I like her better in the original Twilight film, and in other movies, but she is quite bothersome here. Maybe it's because she wasn't directed well enough, but whatever it is, she plays like she's in a daytime soap.
Robert Pattinson is really underused here, and it's a shame, because even though he's not completely physically dreamy, he is quite charming and alluring. The movie tries to make up for it by dangling ripped and toned jailbait in front of our eyes (and now because of it we have several adult females turning into pedophiles), which some people who are more oriented to appearance will appreciate. However, I am not oriented in that manner, and found that the character had way too much of a negative personality.
The supporting cast, however, is quite nice. So is the romance between Edward and Bella, which isn't shown on-screen much of this sequel, is enough to hold the film above water. It's undeniable, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson have some wonderful chemistry. It's what made the original Twilight so good and what makes this one a bit too mediocre.
But being someone who actually really enjoyed the first movie, I have a hard time not recommending this to people who are fans of the book, or the first movie. People who have not seen/read or did not enjoy the books or the first movie however, should steer clear of New Moon, because they will certainly not like it.
Love it or hate it, New Moon is a movie with some really good stuff, but also really bad stuff. Maybe if the production had more time, they could of done more with it? But we'll never know that now, will we?