Under A 'New Moon,' A Surprising Lack Of Passion
PND: Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in 'New Moon'
"This is the last time you'll ever see me."
That's vampire Edward Cullen talking to melancholy high school student Bella Swan in New Moon. And as far as on-screen promises go, it's one of the least likely to be kept in movie history: With most of the film still to unfold, and two more parts of the teen-friendly Twilight series in the works, we're all of us going to see as much of Edward and Bella as we can take. Maybe more.
In the short term, however, Edward proves as good as his word, leaving town for Bella's own good, and New Moon suffers as a result. The film keeps the two lovers apart for quite a spell, robbing the project of the crazy-in-love energy that made such a guilty pleasure out of the first entry in the series.
New Moon marks the franchise's entrance into the self-protective, don't-rock-the-boat phase of its existence, which is inevitable but a bit of a shame. In place of Twilight director Catherine Hardwick, a filmmaker of flamboyant emotionality who seemed to feel these teenage characters in her bones, New Moon has gone with the more polished Chris Weitz, who doesn't deliver as much passion.
Yes, I know, New Moon's emotional energy is supposed to come through Bella's attachment to newly buff best friend Jacob Black. And audiences will gasp when Jacob rips off his shirt and reveals a torso that would make Charles Atlas swoon. (Not that anyone in this movie's audience would know who Charles Atlas was.)
But there's not much evident connection between the two, and ultimately Jacob's physique proves less interesting than his recently discovered ability to turn into a wolf at a moment's notice. Bella certainly has unusual taste in friends.
There's a bit of back story about an age-old rivalry between Jacob's werewolf clan and the vampire faction, plus a certain amount of brooding (on Bella's part) about that breakup. Ultimately it all gets to be so confusing that Edward decides to sort things out with a dramatic appearance before the Volturi, the closest thing vampires have to a they-who-must-be-obeyed ruling class.
These folks are so powerful, they get to be played by high-profile actors like Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning. Two more films to go, remember — and as Jimmy Durante might have said, where vampires are concerned, everybody wants to get into the act.
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STEVE INSKEEP, host:
Thanksgiving may be the big day of the year for cooks, but for vampire-loving teenage girls, today is the most important day of 2009. "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" is in theaters. Our film critic Kenneth Turan was a fan of the first movie, and he has this review of the sequel.
KENNETH TURAN: Early in "New Moon," vampire Edward Cullen and melancholy Bella Swan have a serious talk in the woods, and Edward delivers a bombshell.
(Soundbite of movie, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon")
Mr. ROBERT PATTINSON (Actor): (As Edward Cullen) You just don't belong in my world, Bella.
Ms. KRISTIN STEWART (Actress): (As Bella Swan) I belong with you.
Mr. PATTINSON: (As Edward) This is the last time you'll ever see me. Please just promise me you won't do anything reckless.
TURAN: As far as on-screen promises go, that's one of the least likely to be kept in movie history. The world is going to see as much of Edward and Bella as it can take, with much of this film still to unfold and two more parts in the works.
In the short term, however, Edward is as good as his word, leaving town for Bella's own good, and "New Moon" never recovers. The film keeps the two lovers apart for quite a spell, robbing it of the crazy-in-love energy that made "Twilight" such a guilty pleasure.
Like a lot of movie series, "New Moon" has entered the self-protective, don't-rock-the-boat phase - inevitable, but a bit of a shame. In place of "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke, a filmmaker who felt these teenage actors in her bones, "New Moon" has gone with the more polished Chris Weitz, who doesn't deliver as much passion.
Yes, I know, "New Moon's" emotional energy is supposed to come through Bella's attachment to newly buff best friend Jacob Black. When I saw the movie, the whole audiences gasped when Jacob rips off his shirt and reveals an impressive torso. But that's less interesting than Jacob's ability to turn into a wolf at a moment's notice.
(Soundbite of movie, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon")
Mr. TAYLOR LAUTNER (Actor): (As Jacob) Bella.
(Soundbite of roaring)
TURAN: Bella certainly has unusual taste in friends. It all gets so complicated that Edward makes a dramatic appearance before the Volturi and their friends, the closest thing vampires have to a they-who-must-be-obeyed ruling class.
These folks are so powerful, they get to be played by high-profile actors like Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning. As Jimmy Durante might have said, where "Twilight" is concerned, everybody wants to get into the act.
INSKEEP: Kenneth Turan reviews movies for MORNING EDITION and the Los Angeles Times. And we review more movies, including the latest Sandra Bullock film, "The Blindside," at npr.org.
(Soundbite of music)
INSKEEP: This is NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
