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Monday, November 23, 2009

New Moon (2009)

It was a girls’ night out in Kewaunee on Saturday night. I went with a couple of friends to see New Moon in Green Bay. Armed with our pre-purchased tickets, we only had to wait in line for 15 minutes or so before we were let into the theatre. It was a full house consisting of almost all women, but we luckily were able to get good seats. How awesome is it that New Moon was such a success largely due to women? Hopefully Hollywood starts to realize that if they make movies women would like to see, they will go to see them.

New Moon is the second movie and book in the Twilight saga. The story begins with Bella’s 18th birthday. The Cullens throw her a surprise party. Bella accidentally cuts her finger, causing Jasper to almost kill her. Afterwards, Edward decides to leave forever in hopes that Bella can live a normal and safe life. Bella sinks into depression and is only able to finally see her way out of it when she starts spending more time with her best friend Jacob. Jacob has secrets of his own. A series of dramatic events leaves Bella racing to save Edward’s life.

The highlight of the movie going experience for me was when the entire theatre gasped with Jacob ripped his shirt off. I have never experienced anything like that in my life, I laughed out loud for awhile. In Facebook conversations with my friends in different movie theatres, it seems that is was a nationwide phenomenon. Did this happen in your theatre? Sound off below!

I thought the movie did a good job of bringing the novel to the big screen. I especially liked how the movie managed to show the passage of time during Bella’s depression, but did not dwell on it as much as the book did. I also thought Taylor Lautner was hot as Jacob. He played the perfect part of being Bella’s best friend torn by his love for her and his new life. I also love Charlie, Bella’s dad. He always has some great lines, such as when he was telling Bella to move on and then realized he never really followed his own advice.

There was one scene with much cheese in it – Alice’s vision of Edward and Bella as happy vampires in the future. I laughed when it showed them frolicking in slow motion through the woods. The special effects were MUCH better in this movie. I especially liked how Edward now sparkles more as I imagined it would be by the book description. In the first movie, the sparkle was hardly there and I was confused on why Edward couldn’t go out in the sunlight if I was viewing the movie alone without the book. I liked the score and edgy direction of the first film better than this movie, but it was still a good movie.

There were two scenes I had issues with, but it has been a year and a half or so since I read the book so I need readers to comment on what they think. Did Bella ride on the back of some stranger’s motorcycle? I don’t remember this happening. Also, I don’t remember Edward proposing until Eclipse. Did they just put that in as the final moment of the movie to make it a cliffhanger until next summer?

Overall, it was a very enjoyable movie and movie going experience. It’s always fun to go to the theatre on opening weekend and see the crowd full of excitement. I can’t wait until Eclipse comes out next summer as that was my favorite novel of the saga.

5 comments:

  1. It's been over a year since I've read the books too and I don't remember the biker scene or the marry me bit.

    The entire theatre laughed when Edward and Bella were vampires running through the woods. It was sooo corny!

    I loved it, anyway. I bet the next time I see it, I won't think it was so corny.

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  2. Laura, thanks for your well-written review of New Moon, the movie. I didn't read this series, but I saw the first movie and also New Moon.

    Judging by the response in our theater during the midnight showing, many girls joined "Team Jacob".

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  3. Wonderful review, Laura! I have not yet seen Twilight or New Moon, but I like what I read in your review and now I want to go see these movies!

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  4. Thanks for stopping by my New Moon post. I didn't go in-depth about the book because everyone should have read it by now, right? :)

    No, Bella, did not ride off on someone's bike. Edward warned her just because they had evil on their minds. There were snickers and ughs when Bella was twirling through her depression. I thought it was a little too long with the music, but a good way to wisk thru it. I still wish the actress Bella showed a different expression! She only has one.

    Lest you think I'm critical, I did enjoy it too, and loved to see how the girls responded. Loved the whole series.

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  5. I enjoyed the books, but really disliked the first Twilight movie. I thought Edward and Bella lacked chemistry, and the line delivery was extremely dry. Of course, I went with my husband, which probably made me more critical. I'll see New Moon, but will wait until it hits the second run theater. Am I the only one that feels this way? I hate being the weirdo.

    Here is my 1980's Brat Pack Casting for Twilight Saga:

    Bella: Ally Sheedy
    Edward: Rob Lowe
    Jacob: Emilio Estevez
    Alice: Molly Ringwald
    Emmet: Judd Nelson
    Jasper: Andrew McCarthy
    Rosalie:Demi Moore

    But where to put Anthony Michael Hall, I just don't know...lol.

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