Twilight: New Moon (12A)
By Simon Reed
Romance and werewolves and vampires, oh my!
Where?
At my local multiplex (Empire, Tower Park) cinema
Plot?
Bella (Kristen Stewart) struggles to get over losing Edward (Robert Pattinson), a vampire, and then develops a relationship with Jacob (Taylor Lautner), a werewolf. Standard stuff all in all.
Thoughts?
Nothing anyone aid against this film could stop it becoming the box office force it has become since it opened a few weeks ago. Critic proof does not cover it.
Even if it featured several depraved killings or incited religious outrage, the series legions of die hard fans, also known as twi-hards, would still flock to it.
But many of the un-coverted will find themselves wishing for something, anything, to happen at all in the films opening act, let alone something controversial.
To say the first half hour is one of the most tepid and uninspiring reel of film seen this year is not an exaggeration.
It may fit in with the book (which is somehow even more angst ridden) but it raises one of the main problem with the film-it gives you little chance to sympathise or care about the characters.
Bella is a simpering wimp for most of the film, and never seems to come close to even thinking of enjoying life.
“Yes, you’re heartbroken”, you think, and your only true love has abandoned you, leaving your life nothing but fruitless attempts to mend your shattered heart-but what makes you worth caring about?
The same goes for the ghost like Pattinson, as well as the nice but ultimately unsympathetic Lautner.
These dull needy characters may work as words on the page, where you can reshape them within your head as engaging protagonists, but on the big screen they are left floundering and stranded from the audience, failing to capture your attention or imagination.
Despite this somewhat crippling flaw the film recovers somewhat near the end, with a little action and the introductions of some intriguing new characters, such as the Volturi group of vampires headed by Michael Sheen.
But overall it to truly enjoy the whole tale, it is probably essential to have invested time in the books so you can truly care and understand these characters.
But looking in from outside the Twilight fan club this is hard work, and new bloods should steer clear. For the fans however, of which every last frame of this was tailored specifically for, this is manna from heaven.
Verdict- A film which takes ages to get going, and even then struggles to justify why it has so many raving obsessive fans. (2/5)
Go Further-
- The two main characters, Edward and Bella, seem to me at least, to reference worst director of all time Ed Wood and his pal Bela Lugosi. Think about it. Edward sounds like Ed Wood spoken aloud, and Bella could be code for Bela Lugosi. Is this deliberate? Or does this idea makes me seem like a raving madman? I demand to know!
- See Michael Sheen steal the whole film in his mere 10 minutes on screen as head vamp of the Volturi. Sheen’s films this year include The Damned United, Underworld 3 and Frost/Nixon. He can’t be accused of not mixing up his film roles…
The Trailer…
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