24 seconds ago 2010-02-09T21:56:57-08:00
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" --Access Hollywood
By Scott Mantz
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- "Twi-Lightweight"
"The Twilight Saga: New Moon"
Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Directed by Chris Weitz
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'New Moon' Tour Takes The World By Storm
They're baaack! Star-crossed lovers Bella and her brooding vampire boyfriend Edward return for more teenage angst, forbidden love and cheesy dialogue in "New Moon." It's the sequel to last year's "Twilight," the first chapter of the wildly successful book series written by Stephenie Meyer, which overcame dismal reviews to gross more than $383 million worldwide.
And if you're a die-hard fan who loves "Twilight" unconditionally and can't get enough of Kristen Stewart's torment, Robert Pattinson's hair or Taylor Lautner's abs, then "New Moon" is for you. That's because despite being a more polished effort in terms of production values, the narrative is choppy, the pace is slow, it's way too long (at 2 hours and 10 minutes) and, well, not a lot really happens.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' LA Premiere
"New Moon" finds Edward and Bella still pining for each other, but in an effort to protect her, Edward decides to leave her behind in Forks, Washington. That means Jacob can finally pursue his feelings for Bella without some blood-sucking vampire standing in his way. But it turns out that Jacob has a secret of his own: he's a werewolf. Sheesh, does this girl know how to pick 'em, or what?
And that's pretty much it, save for some convoluted backstories about the Volturi and the Wolfpack that Twi-hards will understand, savor and appreciate more than anyone else. The problem is that director Chris Weitz ("American Pie," "About A Boy") - who took over the second installment after "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke fell out over budgetary constraints - plays it way too safe with a movie that's for the fans only.
Maybe Weitz was compelled to follow the book to the letter, lest he incur their wrath. Or perhaps more like likely, he was determined to prove himself as a filmmaker after his last directorial adaptation of a beloved literary tome, 2007's "The Golden Compass," fell way short of expectations, generating mixed reviews from critics and just $70 million at the domestic box office (though, to be fair, it grossed more than 4 times that overseas).
VIEW THE PHOTOS: All Access: Up Close & Personal With The Stars Of 'New Moon' In Los Angeles
Regardless, fans will be happy to watch Bella, Edward and Jacob talk about how much they want each other, but can't have each other - even though Edward is hardly in the movie. As far as the young actors are concerned, Kristen Stewart is easily the best of the bunch, but Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner have a long way to go before they can command the screen without generating unintentional laughter (which brings us back to the hair and those abs).
"New Moon" arrives in theaters exactly one year after the first "Twilight" opened, and the third film, "Eclipse," is already scheduled for next June. At least Summit Entertainment, which produces the series, knows what it's doing: cranking them out as fast as possible, before its adoring fan base outgrows them. Those fans will be happy for now, but when they do grow up, hindsight will not be kind.
Verdict: SKIP IT!
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PLAY IT NOW: Robert, Taylor & Kristen Hit The New York 'New Moon' Premiere (Part I)
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MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: MovieMantz - The Twilight Saga - Movies - New Moon
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Xengyengoohh there doing a lovey dovey a lot i heardreport abuseposted December 2, 2009 1:13 AM PST
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TwilightWatch movies________S u p e r 1 4 5 . C o m / M o v i e D o w n l o a d s . h t m l________.report abuseposted November 27, 2009 7:58 AM PST
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TwilightWatch movies________S u p e r 1 4 5 . C o m / M o v i e D o w n l o a d s . h t m l________.report abuseposted November 27, 2009 7:58 AM PST
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AllieI am a HUGE fan of the books, and while a movie will never live up to the book, and while yes there were parts where I was thinking....really? That is what they did?? I over all loved the movie, because when you've read the book you aren't missing the details, you know the information and you love it! AND Karann, one of the requirements to play a member of the pack was Native Areport abuseposted November 22, 2009 3:46 PM PST
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MaryRecently,I found a very interesting place______W e a l t h yD a t e r . C o m_____. It is the best dating club for seeking the rich singles, beautiful girls and even hot celebs.. what's the most important is that you dont have to be a M illionaire,but you can meet one. I think everyone need to meet some miracle after all the terrible stuff in the news and the economy .report abuseposted November 21, 2009 4:00 AM PST
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MaryRecently,I found a very interesting place______W e a l t h yD a t e r . C o m_____. It is the best dating club for seeking the rich singles, beautiful girls and even hot celebs.. what's the most important is that you dont have to be a M illionaire,but you can meet one. I think everyone need to meet some miracle after all the terrible stuff in the news and the economy .report abuseposted November 21, 2009 4:00 AM PST
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JhfjhLOL... Search "ec4bag" on google to Get High quality luxury bags, 100% genuine leather, only $98-$198, Free shipping worldwide, WOW... Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Fendi, Coach, Miu Miu, Dior, Hermes, Chloe, D&G and UGG bootsreport abuseposted November 21, 2009 3:08 AM PST
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BeverlyI have heard quite a few negative comments about the acting in this movie, and I can say that at least the acting is better than it was in the first movie. These are young people acting that havent had much movie experience. As far as the movie goes, it was WAY better than the Twilight movie was. The negative reviews are clearly written by people who have not had guts to experience the books.report abuseposted November 21, 2009 2:54 AM PST
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KarannLet's put it this way....how hard is it to find 5 native americans for a movie...It was supposed to be 5, maybe 6 from the book. We got 2 and an asian and an maybe some dude who can't act from Tahti? Pizza delivered to an indian reservation? The way it ended? It was full of laughs. Not to mention the fact the wolves looked totally low budget!report abuseposted November 21, 2009 2:16 AM PST
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KarannLet's put it this way....how hard is it to find 5 native americans for a movie...It was supposed to be 5, maybe 6 from the book. We got 2 and an asian and an maybe some dude who can't act from Tahti? Pizza delivered to an indian reservation? The way it ended? It was full of laughs. Not to mention the fact the wolves looked totally low budget!report abuseposted November 21, 2009 2:16 AM PST
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