Review: "New Moon"

I think I’ve made it pretty clear “New Moon” is not my favorite book in the Twilight saga, right? I mean, I get enough of seriously depressed people doing reckless and crazy things in my own life. I don’t want my fictional BFFs, Edward and Bella, to drown me in it too. And yeah, I’ve re-read “New Moon” to see if my reaction was different. It wasn’t. I loved the beginning, and I loved the end. The stuff in the middle of the book — not so much.

I only expected and hoped for a few things going into the movie based on this book. I wanted and expected to see my girl Kristen Stewart display some serious acting chops being depressed and forlorn, I wanted to see the reunion scene, and I wanted to see the Volturi. Well, I saw it all and then some.

I completely watched the movie with the mindset that “Ok, I know they’ve had to cut and change some things. I won’t let it bother me.” And it didn’t. Not one bit.

*Warning: Spoilers ahead.*

From the opening credits — awesome full moon slowly turning black as the movie title appeared — and the much-improved music score, I knew this movie was going to be epic. And with the first scene, taken straight out of the book, I knew director Chris Weitz understood the passion we fans have and was going to take great care in handling this movie for us. Lord, I hope that man directs “Breaking Dawn.” Please, God?

The things I liked about this movie? No rain. Rich colors. Charlie and Jessica were hilarious scene-stealers. Loved them. Kristen Stewart rocked it as Bella, depressed without Edward but playful around Jacob. And grudgingly I have to admit, Taylor Lautner made me like Jacob. Damn him. He wasn’t at all as arrogant as he was in the books. I can see now why Bella feels so torn in future installments.

I also loved that the movie wasn’t nearly as depressing as the book. They cut out a lot of the depressing stuff. There’s still plenty, but they cut out a lot of it. Thank goodness.

The scene where October, November and December pass as Bella looks out the window — expert filmmaking. I wondered how they would pull that off. Wonderful blending of the soundtrack to create the tone of the scene. That song is haunting.

The e-mails to Alice were a nice touch. Great way to narrate the story for fans craving the intimacy of the book. Great way to get inside Bella’s head and fill in the gaps for those who’ve never read it.

The Volturi. My goodness, the Volturi was awesome. Dakota Fanning was excellent as Jane. Michael Sheen was great as Aro. Italy was awesome. Loved it.

Things I didn’t like? Jasper and Rosalie’s hair. Obvious wigs, and they both looked retarded. Edward’s makeup. He looked sick throughout most of the movie. I actually preferred his look in the first film over this one, clothes notwithstanding. And the special effects (yes, I’m talking about the wolves and Sam’s cliffdiving scene) were horrid. The effects with Victoria were pretty awesome, but they dropped the ball everywhere else.

I also like the soundtrack so much better after seeing the movie. Thom Yorke’s song, “Hearing Damage,” is now a favorite.

I can’t wait to see this movie again, and probably again. It is so much better than the book in my opinion. So much better. I didn’t like the movie as much as “Twilight,” but it lags not far behind. I am now totally psyched for “Eclipse.” Can’t wait!

Chris Weitz, you are my new hero. Thank you, thank you, thank you!