The Twilight Saga: New Moon

I watched The Twilight Saga:  New Moon with anticipation, as I knew a werewolf would be appearing (remember in my previous post where I disclosed my fascination with Quentin from Dark Shadows). The Native American legend of werewolves vs. vampires that we heard explained in the first movie plays out well here in New Moon.  I have never heard of a Native American belief in vampires, so that part of the legend is rather far fetched, but then this is fiction after all.  Kudos to special effects for making the werewolves both scary and dangerous and yet, you can see the soul in their eyes and expressions.

Kristen Stewart’s Bella bounces from depression to recklessness in an effort to alternately get over or remember Edward who has left her.  Taylor Lautner’s Jacob Black is her sanity for a while until his werewolf transformation and initiation begins.  That part of the film, their interactions and friendship, is quite touching.

Now she has just traded one Not Good for Her/Not Safe to be Around Her young man for another.  This is so true to life.  It just wouldn’t be quite as dramatic without the paranormal element.  How many of you know teens, or have yourself experienced, picking the wrong one, the one who is dangerous?  At least these two young men realize their propensity for anger and attempt to hold it in check to protect the one they have chosen.

But for Bella, it’s really an attachment she has to Edward I think and not real love.  Same for Edward.  Two star-crossed lovers as Shakespeare might say.  Literally can’t live without the other, individual identity seeming to leave when apart.  Further storytelling will see if I am right.  I haven’t read the books, so I’m going in blind to this entire tale, only going by what appears on my Netflix DVD sleeve and little snippets of information fans have shared with me.

I was happy to see that Alice Cullen (Ashley Greene) was still there for Bella and I think she’s an intriguing vampire.  I hope she is featured in the next films.

There was essentially what amounted to cameo roles for Dakota Fanning and Graham Greene in this segment.  I did like some of the cinematography, especially showing the passage of time for Bella as she mourns for Edward, but other than that I did not like the film as much as the previous one.  Since the other two DVDs are sitting on my end table waiting to be watched, I hope they are better. Taylor Lautner as Jacob is, I found, much more of a presence than Robert Pattinson’s vampire Edward.  I just don’t find Edward that interesting; Jacob is much more vulnerable, and I think that’s what comes through and makes him a more sympathetic character.

I wonder:  Will Jacob and Edward work together eventually like Barnabas and Quentin did in Dark Shadows?  Or will their rivalry persist?  We shall find out together as The Twilight Saga continues.