Excellent !

Rating: 10/10 (20 November 2009)

I went to the Belgian premiere last night in Hasselt and I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised.
I went in with a bad feeling, because of all the negative reviews I had been reading online and in the newspapers. It seemed as if everybody had their heart set on giving NEW Moon a bad review.
Stubborn that I am, I had to go see for myself.... and I am glad I did. I have read all the books and saw Twilight a couple of times.
One of the main difference between Twilight and New Moon is the budget increase. The special effects and camera work were so much better in the latter. A lot more attention has been paid to smaller details, such as the eyes of the Cullens.
Another nice change was the acting... I know and understand that most of the main characters are played by young and relatively inexperienced actors. Kristen Stewart did an OK job in Twilight as the insecure and clumsy Bella, but she did not really convince me. The main thing that irritated me was that she wasn't even able to finish a single sentence. The Bella she showed us in New Moon was much more mature. She was able to fully get into character and show her emotions (without having to bite her lip every 5 seconds). I think she did an excellent job and carried most of the film. Taylor Lautner (Jacob) played his part rather well. Considering the changes he had to go through (physically) to get the part, you cannot say that he did not try his best. The chemistry between Bella and Jake was nicely portrayed and laced with humour. Robert Pattinson did not play a big part, but he played Edward as convincingly as in Twilight. Even Billy Burke, who played Bella's father got more into character. Although I imagined the Volturi a bit different, Michael Sheen played a perfect Aaro. People are talking about the lack of acting in New Moon, but in my honest opinion it is far better than what I saw in Twilight. I admit, nobody will be nominated for an academy award, but still.. The only really bad acting is saw were the other werewolves and Dakota Fanning, who played Jane.
I think most of us can agree that the soundtrack of Twilight was perfect for the movie. The soundtrack of New Moon wasn't as great as its predecessor, but the music suited the movie and that's all there is to it.
The transition between scenes and underlying stories has improved a lot. The change of director was a welcome one. It all just looked more professional and more serious.
Of course, as in all movies based on books, some parts and details have been left out or have been changed. It is only natural since you have to tell the entire story in less than 130min. Some of you might argue that the director should have focused more on other aspects of the book or that he should have left another part out completely, but if you ask me... he did a great job. You can honestly see and notice that a lot more effort, time and thought has been put in this instalment, and I hope to see this evolution in Eclipse as well.
Conclusion: If you are a fan and if you're able to ignore all the bad things you've heard, go have a look for yourself and you'll be glad you did. If you're expecting an action-packed Vampire-Werewolf clash, stay home and rent Underworld. I give it a 10!!