'New Moon' rising

‘Twilight’ sequel improves on predecessor

by Jase Howell

“New Moon,” the second chapter in Stephanie Meyer’s teen vampire love series “Twilight,” was released before Thanksgiving. This should satiate the fans who have been salivating far more over the film’s release than a turkey dinner. Apparently the sweet tooth of many females of all ages isn’t for cranberry sauce or pumpkin pie, but rather stars Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.

After the success of 2008’s “Twilight,” Summit Pictures went into overdrive trying to crank out the next money-maker (with the next film “Eclipse” due next year), but a change in directors caused some concern. Replacing Catherine Hardwicke, who handled the first film very well, is Peter Weitz, whose main claim to fame has been working with his brother on the hit comedies “American Pie” and “About a Boy.” His recent venture into fantasy with “The Golden Compass” did not fair so well, so he was somewhat of a dubious choice.

“New Moon” finds our favorite angst-ridden couple, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Pattinson), continuing their human/vampire courting until a freak incident causes Edward to reconsider his involvement with Bella, for her safety, of course. This leads the couple to break up and the entire Cullen clan to flee its home/vampire nest in rainy Forks, Wash. Bella, in full-blown teen dumped depression, eventually turns to an old friend in Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), the son of her father’s best friend. Bella realizes the Native American from the La Push reservation has a crush on her, but what she soon finds out is he has a destiny born into the Quileutes that turns him into a werewolf.

While “Twilight” was focused on introducing Meyer’s vamp family and culture, the intent of “New Moon” is to introduce us to the La Push wolf tribe, which remarkably, like the Cullens, seems to take an almost immediate liking to Bella. The consistently depressed Bella certainly does not lack friends in the Pacific Northwest, but there must be some distress for her in the world of monsters. This comes first from the threat of Victoria, the “widow” of the slain tyrant from the original, and later from the Volturi, a legion that serves as a sort of presiding vampire council. Both manage to play into a story that in many ways emulates “Romeo and Juliet.”

I found “Twilight” to be a very apt production, but “New Moon” actually manages to up the stakes. Returning screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg once again manages to paint an almost exact portrait of what the book placed before her, and not many adaptations of series have been quite as precise. Weitz fills in for Hardwicke without any problem and actually exceeds her in some respects. The benefit of a largely enhanced budget doesn’t hurt, of course, particularly in the special effects department where Cam Waldbaur (“2012”) shows some true imagination. As does cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe (“The Road”).

This film is a bit more adventurous than its predecessor, with overhead and sweeping/scanning shots that aid the fantasy aspect. As for the performers, we get exactly what we expect from Stewart and Pattinson — the star-crossed pair dreamily in love in their goth kind of way. Both are solid, just as in the first film, and have almost literally been pulled from the pages of the book. Newcomer Taylor Lautner may not be much of an actor just yet, but like the rest of the wolves he certainly has some nice Abercrombie-style abs to show off. Perhaps he’ll grow into the role a little more in the next film.

The screenplay is also smart to retain scenes involving Alice Cullen (Ashley Greene), who provides not only a little humor but a sort of jovial spark of humanity to the vampire clan.

“New Moon” is a rarity: A sequel which surpasses the success of the first installment. Teen melodrama may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it should elate devout followers. Many cynics may weigh in on this film in with negative passion, but who is to say theses same critics wouldn’t have said the same for a story it embraces, Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” had it been released today.

Meyer’s work is not Shakespeare, of course, but it is some of the best teen romance work out there right now. “New Moon” solidifies that fact.

This is part of the November 26, 2009 online edition of The Reporter.

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