The Twilight Saga: New Moon

The Twilight Saga: New Moon – Bella and Edward’s relationship is growing in strength but as she turns 18, Bella is reminded of her mortality and that as she ages, Edward will always remain young and handsome. After Bella is almost killed by one of the Cullens, Edward and his family leave Forks, never to return. Devastated at the end of her relationship, Bella turns to her friend, Jacob for support and finds herself falling for his charms but a dangerous secret could keep them apart.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) – Director: Chris Weitz

Rating: 12

Running Length: 130 mins

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Horror

REVIEW: ‘THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON’

The follow-up movie to 2008’s ‘Twilight’ sees the break-up of Bella and Edward’s relationship when Edward realises how vulnerable Bella is around his family. In order to keep her safe, the Cullen family disappear; with the promise the Bella will never see any of them again. Bella then spirals into a deep depression which lasts for several months. Somehow, she keeps having visions of Edward whenever she has an adrenaline rush and therefore deliberately puts herself in extreme danger in order to feel close to him again. Unfortunately the reason for these visions is never explained in the movie. The main problem with ‘New Moon’ is that it really doesn’t have a plot. In fact it appears to re-hash much of the first film – that of Bella taking a long time to realise that there is something more to someone she is attracted to. It’s just this time around she appears to be doing it out of petulance, and there are no villains to constitute a threat until the last 10 minutes.

The elements of ‘New Moon’ that do hold interest are those concerning Jacob and the wolves. The special effects are done with spectacle and panache and the backdrop of the forest gives them more of an element of vitality than the vampires of the first installment. Perhaps that’s the point? Sadly, Kristen Stewart is once again bland and wooden in her role as Bella and her attraction towards both Edward and Jacob never appears to be particularly genuine. Bella’s depression simply comes across as self-indulgent and irritating with her ‘night screams’ being particularly ridiculous. Jacob is a likeable character but when he is used by Bella to feel better about herself, it makes it even harder to warm to her character.

Ultimately, whilst there is little that is ‘unsuitable’ for children in this installment, ‘New Moon’ is a movie where Bella acts like somewhat of a brat throughout against a back drop of not much happening. Even for fans of the teen love story angst, the lack of real conflict in this adaptation makes it rather a chore to sit through. The ‘Twilight Saga’ is clearly aimed at a teenage audience and ‘Twilight: New Moon’, which is over two hours long, is predominantly about teenage angst, break-ups and unrequited love – themes that will forever be popular with a certain audience hungry for such things.

CONTENT: IS ‘THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

There is some violence in ‘Twilight: New Moon’ which, on the whole, isn’t overly graphic. The most extreme example is perhaps towards the beginning of the movie when ‘The Volturi’ are first introduced. The dialogue explains that they are an ancient coven of vampires who have strict laws. When one is broken, the culprit is brought before them and killed. The scene graphically shows a vampire’s head being twisted and pulled off while he is clearly in pain. His limbs are also ripped from his body. There is no blood but this could be quite distressing for younger viewers.

Another moment shows a tour group, which includes young children, who are unknowingly being led to the Volturi. The dialogue makes several references to ‘dinner’ and ‘eating’, and the implication is clear that these people have been diverted from their tour in order to be ‘eaten’. While other characters are walking in the opposite direction, screams can be heard while these people are being killed off-camera.

During the first ‘Twilight’ movie, Bella was rescued from several men who intimidated her, with the implication being that they were going to force themselves on her. In ‘New Moon’, she walks passed this particular part of town again with a female friend. There are a number of thuggish looking men there and Bella suddenly has an adrenaline rush which results in her seeing an apparition of Edward, warning her to stay away from them. She then decides to walk away from her friend without explanation and approach the men who have clear intentions when they see her. She rides on the back of a motorbike with one of them but then changes her mind and insists on being taken back. He does so and she walks away from them, unharmed and rejoins her friend where she left her. By acting in a selfish manner and wanting to see her ex-boyfriend through visions that apparently only manifest during adrenaline rushes, Bella knowingly puts herself and her friend in serious danger, which may not be the kind of message that parents will want to pass onto their children.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON’ FOR KIDS?

‘Twilight: New Moon’ is most likely to appeal to the teenage and pre-teen market who can relate to the angst and depression that the end of a first love can bring. Unfortunately while being moody and deep in the first film, Bella is now selfish and willing to do anything to bring Edward back, even if it means hurting others in the process. ‘New Moon’ is generally acknowledged, even by fans of the series, to be the weakest instalment due to its plodding nature. While the general content of the movie should be appropriate for kids aged 10 and over, the slowness of the plot and lack of action may not appeal to under 12’s.

• Violence:  2/5 (some violence with vampires and werewolves, nothing overly graphic is shown)
• Emotional Distress: 2/5 (Bella’s depression is sustained throughout the majority of the movie)
• Fear Factor: 2/5 (the Volturi are quite threatening and easily overpower Edward when he tries to protect Bella)
• Sexual Content: 2/5 (while in human form, the werewolf pack (who are all men) are always seen to be topless. Bella is clearly more attracted to Jacob when he looks more mature and well-built)
• Bad Language: 1/5 (some mild cursing and blasphemy)
• Dialogue: 2/5 (includes talk of killing, injuries and death)
• Other notes: Deals with themes of love, break-ups, unrequited love and revenge.

Words by Laura Record

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