Unexpectedly enjoyable

Rating: 7/10 (5 January 2010)

I only recently read the books because my girlfriend wanted to chat to me about it. I had actually seen the first movie before reading the book and thought it was mildly diverting. Personally i had loved Catherine Hardwick's work on 'Thirteen' and 'Lords of Dogtown', finding them grassroots and stylistic. However this didn't seem to translate particularly well to Twilight for me as the casting was wrong, story unimaginative, sfx appalling, and acting mostly awful.
After reading twilight and new moon i went to see New Moon with great trepidation, aware that the book was pretty unfilmable in its singular incarnation. The plot was very lopsided, believability was at an all time low with the introduction of the lycans, and it was very unresolved.
However to my great surprise a minor miracle occurred, Chris Weitz, despite everything working against him, had created a thoroughly enjoyable film. Gone was the pretentious unrelenting introspection of the first film. Gone was the drab blue desaturated palette and one level emotions. Instead Chris Weitz had finally realised the narrative world in which these characters inhabit. With some clever timeline changing, pushing Bella's cliff-dive until after the discovery of Jacob as a lycan and then creating an action-scene of the wolf-pack chasing Victoria (not in the book) to mix with this to the sounds of Thom Yorkes 'Hearing Damage', i was incredibly impressed with the choices that were made.
Other clever devices were visualising Edward in the scene's with Bella doing dare devil activities, therefore clarifying a point that was somewhat fumbled in the book. Also finally the vampires actually looked somewhat threatening, appearing more gaunt with stranger eyes; Chris Weitz nails the balance between beauty and beast that was very superficially handled in the original film.
Overall the SFX are a marketable improvement over the original film, the sense of speed when the wolves and vampires run is SOO much more impressive. Rather than the lame glide effect employed in Twilight, these species smash into things with both elegance and brutality.
Another reason i liked New Moon was the development of Jacob and his affect on Bella. It was always something i liked a lot in the book, finally seeing Bella acting like a teenager rather than some boring introverted self-pitying bore. Seeing there relationship bloom was interesting, fun and believable - something i find particularly remiss in the Edward/Bella relationship (does that mean i'm Team Jacob? - haha gag). This movie dared to treat Bella as a human being who does stupid things for the sake of rebellion. Under the hands of another director it could have seemed pretty lame, but Chris Weitz has a particularly elegant eye, unwilling to jump to quickly from one plot point to another without setting up his themes and characters before hand.
I think thats the thing that i found so beguiling about this film, the seamlessness of the narrative arc. From such poorly written and realised book, Chris has made a fully fledged film that excites and emotes.
I really liked the realisation of the Volturri, finding them actually far more threatening in the movie than the novelisation. The introduced action piece that was absent from the book between Edward and one of the Voluturri brutes doesn't feel tacked on, instead its exciting and shows him as vulnerable, again something the book seems absolutely unable to allow.
I think thats what i loved most about this film. It allowed its characters to become imperfect. Edward is not the strongest, Jacob's adolescent rage and fleeting love sets himself up for bad situations, Alice has trouble controlling her bloodlust, as with Jacob, and Bella lets her impulses override her internal danger mechanisms. There is something romantically dangerous about the characters struggles in this new film, and Chris Weitz has translated them beautifully for his adaptation.
The only major criticism would have to be the ending of the film. Very daytime soap, and endlessly frustrating in terms of 'sequalitus'.
Nevertheless, a really wonderful film, great cinematography, flawless soundtrack, improved acting (particularly good performances from Jasper, Alice, Jacob and Bella's father), really enviable screen writing (i would have hated to adapt the book), and close to flawless directing.
I hope you enjoy.