First Review of New Moon

First review of New Moon:

'Twilight' sunk its teeth into cinemagoers last year - will the second instalment prove to be as big a hit as the £228m grossing debut? Here's what we think...

The film opens with Bella's 18th birthday, but celebrations are not on the cards for long when Alice's vision sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Edward seeking permission to die from the vampire monarchy – the Volturi.


Michael Sheen, who seems to be called upon for any regal role these days after his stint in 'The Queen', doesn't disappoint. As one of the oldest cast members, he adds a touch of class and drama in some of the best scenes of the entire film - hamming up his role to perfection. He manages to lift the film from another average teenage drama to a credible action one for all audiences. The unfortunate part is how short these scenes with the Volturi are, since the entire film benefits from the rich red colours and dramatic action sequences in comparison to the meek and drab hues of the drizzling town of Forks, where the rest of the film is set.

Bella and Edward played by, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, have a dynamic screen presence together, playing the teenage lustful romance with heartbreaking perfection. The pair tackle a range of dramatic scenarios from 'deeply in love' and 'agonising betrayal', 'would rather die than be without one another' - to 'must never be separated again'. It's a rollercoaster ride of emotion, and it's a more mature performance compared to the last film with both actors even more confident in each other's presence.

Fans of 17-year-old Taylor Lautner, who plays Jacob Black, will not be disappointed either, as the actor has clearly hit the gym hard to be able to show the transformation from man to beast that his character demands. The "quick-let-me-rip-my-shirt-off" moments are in abundance and provide laugh out loud gasps from the audience with their brazenness. How Kristen Stewart manages to keep a straight face during the locking of eyes and touching of hands while the rain pours down and Lautner wanders around half naked like it's perfectly normal in the middle of winter is nothing short of impressive. Lautner channels smouldering protectiveness over Kristen Stewart's Bella with ease, and it is obvious the three protagonists share great off-screen chemistry, playing the love triangle convincingly well.

Fans will be pleased that all the main scenes from the book are included, albeit short and sweet to keep the film running at just over an hour and a half. Like the first film it takes a while to warm up, but with everyone a little more comfortable in their pale skin, this is an improvement and will leave audiences impatiently wanting more - especially after Edward drops a bombshell on Bella at the end of 'New Moon', which should take the third film to a whole new level.



Yahoo! Movies rates 'New Moon' 4 out of 5 stars.

FOUR out of FIVE?? They must be crazy.