Reviewed by: Sean O’Connell of FilmCritic.com
Director: Chris Weitz
Producers: Marty Bowen, Greg Mooradian & Guy Oseary
Screenwriter: Melissa Rosenberg
Based on Novel by: Stephenie Meyer
Actors: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene & Peter Facinelli
MPAA Rating: PG-13
FilmCritic Rating = 2.5 out of 5 Stars
Werewolves and vampires and emos, oh my! New Moon — now part of a self-proclaimed Twilight Saga — joins a handful of sequels that are significantly better than their predecessors yet still substandard.
That’s possible because the original Twilight is a hot mess. Director Catherine Hardwicke, who does not return for this sequel, adapted Stephenie Meyer’s angsty bestseller into a humdrum teen romance that was as dreary as the Pacific Northwest setting, as colorless as the pale-skinned Cullen clan, and as stiff as a corpse. New Moon, in comparison, is world’s better. But that doesn’t mean it’s good.
A lengthy plot summary for the series seems unnecessary. Anyone reading this likely knows that socially awkward Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) adores bed-headed, pouty-lipped vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). In New Moon, the second of four planned film adaptations, Edward flees the rural town of Forks believing he’s no longer capable of protecting his muse.
Lost without her lover, Bella takes up destructive hobbies in hopes that Edward will return to protect her. One of those side projects catapults her into the arms of young Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), who happens to be a werewolf. The Van Helsing love triangle is complete.
Read the full review by Sean O’Connell at FilmCritic.com.
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