NST's New Moon review

NST gave their review of New Moon (reviewed by Bibi Nurshuhada Ramli and Tengku Elena Tengku Mahamad).

WHAT’S so special about Twilight? Is it the sweet, romantic yet extraordinary story based on the book by Stephenie Meyer? Or is it the two handsome main leads Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner? Twilight took the audience by storm when it premiered last year. It was such a huge hit that the book sales rose, creating a phenomenon much like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. This latest sequel, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, hits another jackpot.

New Moon kicks off with Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) turning 18. The Cullens throw a party and shower her with presents. While opening one of the gifts, she gets a paper cut and a drop of blood falls onto the carpet. Not being able to contain his thirst for blood, Edward’s (Robert Pattinson) brother-in-law Jasper (Jackson Rathbone), who is also at the party, suddenly rushes towards Bella for blood but she is saved by Edward.

Fearing for his girlfriend’s safety from his kind (i.e. vampires), Edward is determined to disappear from Bella’s life, much to her dismay. Bella finds comfort in the form of her best friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), who is caring and protective — and a potential replacement for Edward.

Twilight fans can take heart that the romance between Edward and Bella still flourishes in New Moon despite the hardships they endured in Twilight New Moon.

In this sequel, Jacob provides a refreshing perspective.

In terms of graphics, director Chris Weitz uses more CGI than before.

One of the scenes that relies heavily on it is the fight sequence. To amplify the duel, everything moves in slow motion, which after a while, becomes rather tacky. Even so, it’s still better than Twilight.

The camera work and editing, on the other hand, deserve a thumbs-up as the progression of one scene to another is smooth. For instance, when the camera revolves around Bella as she mourns in her room for three months because of Edward’s departure.

The storyline for New Moon is rather slow-paced. The director dwells on the more dramatic scenes, with the possibility that non-Twilight fans might be bored.

And for those who have yet to watch the first instalment, they will have some difficulties in understanding the plot, as there is no introduction of any sort to the characters’ background. For instance, the director does not introduce the villain named Victoria, who is after Bella’s blood to avenge the death of her boyfriend James, who was killed by Edward in Twilight.

Dr Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinelli) attending to Bella’s (Stewart) wound after being pushed by Edward.

Nevertheless, the stars of the movie once again deliver exemplary performances.

Stewart remains moody throughout the movie while Pattinson masters his sad and injured look perfectly. When you come to think of it, the movie is full of people who are awfully pale and sickly — except the werewolf clan, and that includes Jacob.

After having so little screen time in the previous movie, Lautner shines in New Moon. Female fans of Lautner will be delighted as he shows off his muscular body more.

And the plot thickens with another young, mysterious man who harbours an affection for Bella.

With Pattinson and Lautner’s charismatic acting, you will be taxed as to who to root for in the end.

It’s disappointing that Dakota Fanning as Jane of the Volturi vampire clan is given such a short screen time, as she plays her part supremely well, as expected. Despite the qualities that mar New Moon, fans of the Twilight saga will still be happy with this new sequel even if it does not follow the book exactly.