Comments (1-15) of 392 Add your comment
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Mary Q. Contrary
I believe this is true.
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Celia
Thank you. I wholeheartedly agree with EVERY word she just said. I wish she would’ve said that in her initial review. I completely agree. Bella is a drip. She’s not independent…if anything she’s the exact opposite. It seems she can’t function without some male protecting her or giving her attention. When Edward left…she’s a zombie until Jacob comes along and “saves” her. And the film itself is a bore (i watched it online). It’s word for word exactly like the book. There’s no creativity involved at all. It was Boring just like the books.
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Chrissys
She is definitely the definition of the anti-heroine…TRUTH.
It is still so hard to dislike the series though. I’m convinced there are subliminal messages in the books that we just have not been able to discover yet
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Frank Anderson
Me too! I was pretty excited about this movie, since I liked the first one. I started reading the books, but found the novel version of Bella to be a return to a 50’s type mentality where women are only good for breeding and running the house. The movie lowered the Bella as weak element, but New Moon really made me see how bad a message this series gives to young women. Seriously, Bella gets over her guy by… skulking for months and then…finding a new guy… to watch as he does the ‘mans’ work of rebuilding a bike. She just sits there like a lump and stares at him. What guy would want any female with so little personality of her own, no matter how hot she is? New Moon bored me to tears. The only even semi-interesting bit was the part in Italy. The first hour was a slog of Soap level dialog mixed with bland images of ‘hot young folks.’
Argh! I will end this rant by saying- Thanks Lisa, you really are one of the few reasons I keep my subscription to EW! -
Sara
You have no idea what you are talking about. You wouldn’t know a good movie if it slapped you in the face. So what are you jealous that you didnt write the book and make a mint while doing it. Keep your day job friend, because you’ll never make it as a critic!!
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Eurisko
There’s a lot of hating on Bella going on here, so in defense I just want to make one point. Who isn’t a drip after they’ve been dumped? New Moon is about depression and how you can loose yourself to it. Anyone who’s ever been through it knows how time just slips away while the pain takes over – and yah, you become a shell of a person with no spark or care for who you are. I think New moon does a brilliant job of depicting that. This part of the series isn’t about girl power. I actually think Bella is very strong because she’s fully on her way to getting over her depression and Edward – something that’s not easy – before he comes back into her life. It takes great strength to pull oneself out of a dark place like that – and I think it’s a great message to girls that Bella, for all intents and purposes, manages it. Of course, because this is fantasy Edward comes back…but that another discussion about Eclipse.
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Frank Anderson
Eurisko- Do you think that it sends a message that Bella is ’strong’ when the only way she can recover from her depression is to throw herself into the arms of another man?
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shawnlovestv
I think you’re missing the greatest point in the story here – Jake is her best friend. While in the context of the whole story he may serve as potential love interest, he most importantly is a foil to the Edward character. Bella states over and over the she wishes he was her brother, so that their relationship would be accepted as conventional. While there’s a bit of tention, where she does consider “settling” for Jake just to make the situation seem Kosher, in the end she does not make that decision. When she does save Edward, she’s ready to walk away! Therein lies the personal growth. Yes, there may be some antiquated homemaker type illusions, but not every girl wants to be one of the guys. Also, let’s not forget the author’s religious/social background when accepting the story. It’s not a surprise that some of those illusions are in there and inform the relationships (especially with Charlie, as Bella often serving as his caregiver) and the Bella character as a whole (motivations, conviction, etc.) A lot of this is book (series – not just New Moon or Twilight) stuff, though. So, I understand why not all viewers may have insight into those theories and examinations that are out there. I’ve read all of the books twice myself and am sure there is a lot more for me to discover. Remember, in Twilight they allude to Wuthering Heights – a book in which the main characters are hardly sympothetic. Anywone who may truly want to explore the literary aspect to the craft of the stories may want to read the other works that are referenced in the books, or on Stephanie’s web page as her inspiration. She may have fallen short in achieving the depth she intended in the characters, but for a teenage reading level and style, I think they’re perfectly entertaining.
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Melissa
With regard to Celia’s post, I don’t think that Bella’s “drippiness” so far fetched. Her depression over her very sudden breakup with the person she feels is her soulmate is believable.
Having seen my brother go through a very hard breakup with his girlfriend immediately after high school graduation and into his first year of college. My brother nearly withered into nothing because his soulmate had decided to call off their relationship. My brother struggled to find himself for nearly a year afterwards. It was painful to watch him shut himself out from family and friends. So to say that Bella’s breakup was overly drippy doesn’t compute with me.
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K
@Eurisko, that’s not depression. I’m a psychologist, I do this by trade. Bella is not depressed, Bella is obsessed. And she’s bringing herself out of it? First off, she notes time and time again in the book that she wouldn’t have made it if it weren’t for Jacob. Secondly, she’s risking her life to hear Edward’s voice – that sure doesn’t sound like she’s coming out of it at all. Open your eyes to the reality of the story – Bella is the worst kind of female character – one who pretends to be progressive while actually setting us back.
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Deb
finally someone who agrees. I thought the first movie was good because it focused on a lot of the characters. This whole movie was basically Bella with a side of Jacob and Edward. The bright star of the movie was Dakota Fanning; in a small part she was a star and so eerily evil looking; I hope we see more of her in the rest of the movies and less of Pity Party Bella
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Eurisko
Well, with respect, I’ll just say that I’ve been through depression and that Bella’s experience was mine. The fog of nothing being able to touch you for months, the slow awakening, the dependence on the things (like Jacob for Bella) that distract from the pain your dealing with and the risky behavior that makes you feel alive. I recognize all of that in Bella’s journey and find that it rings true. Also, just because Bella finds strength in a friend doesn’t mean she can only identify herself in relation to a man. So she’s a bit conventional – a lot of women are. We can’t have and/or be it all. But in the end, she’s still a strong character in that she knows what she wants, stumbles, finds a new strength in herself, and then moves on. I’m not saying that she’s the greatest female character ever written – hardly! But I don’t think she’s a horrible role model either. She’s single minded, goal focused, she cares about those around her, she’s a good person – all excellent traits. Would I prefer she was a bit more independent? Of course. I’m not a conventional kind of girl myself and I like girl power characters. But I don’t think it’s wrong to be conventional and I don’t think that there’s anything dangerous about her as a role model. Just my opinion.
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Jordan
to be brutally honest, the fact that you have now come out and said the movie was “meh”, and still gave it a B+ and only said positive things (vague as they were) about the film significantly lowers your credibility as a reviewer in my opinion. i’m a cinema studies major, and i resent that a film review from a “top critic” would not be truthful in an obvious attempt not to go against the EW “pro-twilight” frame. my only guess is they asked you to give new moon a positive review… otherwise this post only confuses me more.
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Frank Anderson
You seem to be forgetting that Bella’s first reaction was not to go to Jake, but to jump on the back of the motorcycle of a random male. And no, she does not get bonus points for getting off. While I am sure the novels may flesh out Bella’s character more, as seen in the movie New Moon, she is a horrible example for young girls to follow.
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Cat
Shawnlovestv and eurisko are completely right. They made very good points and anybody who doesn’t agree just has some sort of weird personal vendetta against twilight, no sense at all. The whole point of Bella’s personality is that she ISN’T that type of girl who would just lose herself to guys like this, she is not that person and that’s why she is such a great main character
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Frank Anderson
I think if you look at my posts on this site, then you will see that i really liked the first movie, but did not like New Moon and hated the message it seems to tell young women.
I have talked to people who have read the books and have told me how in them Bella is much stronger, but that is not the bella we see in this movie. In this movie she was a weakling who seems to only think she has worth if she is dating a man.
Saying she would not do things like this usually seems kind of crazy when that is what she is doing in the movies. Sorry. -
Martine
I think that the point is that Bella is realistic. The movies is not an exact replica of the book, and the movie easily gives the actors room to act. I think its fair to not love the movie, but I think its very unfair to claim its a product. Bella isn’t the typical kung fu fighting, smart mouthed hero we are used to these days. She does need to be protected, and to be loved. I have news for you; so do most people. Men and women who fall in true love do feel empty when the one they love is gone. Its not an opinion. Its a fact. What Bella does is love with honor. She never forces Edward to prove his love to her, never plays games, never gives him an earful when he leaves her, just excepts him back. This is the first low maintenance female hero Ive ever read about.
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Chrissys
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CLAY
I AGREE ALSO. THANKS FOR GETTIN MORE IN DEPTH!!! BUT DONT BLAME BELLA ON KRISTEN STEWART ANYBODY CUZ SHES BEIN DIRECTED. AND WITH A GOOD ARTISTIC DIRECTOR SHES GREAT FULL OF SPIRIT, AND IMPOSSIBLE TO NOT LOVE!!! SEE THE VERY UNDERSEEEN AND UNDERRATEDDDD ADVENTURELAND!!!!!! OR HER SMALL BUT MEMORABLE ROLE IN INTO THE WILD AMONG OTHERS.
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Frank Anderson
I think your CAPS BUTTON IS STUCK!!!!
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Celia
Well if it’s the direction’s fault…then why does she act the same in every single movie I’ve ever seen her in? That’s all Kristen right there…it has nothing to do with the direction.
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sara
Agreed Celia. I’m not saying I could do any better or anything, but Kristen is always like that.
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Martine
I think Kristin did an amazing job. Who says Bella was supposed to be a role model of any kind? Besides, do you people honestly think that a role model like say Buffy helps women feel strong? Just the opposite. Pretending that we are supposed to put feelings aside, and be this perfect paragon of strength for ourselves and our friends, and always put work and friendship ahead of the men in our lives is both unrealistic, and a recipe for failure. My husbands leaving would make me want to die. Its not right or wrong. Its just true. I can say the same for my younger brother. His girlfriend left him, and he was a lot like Bella. Showing someting different in a film won’t solve that. Its just human.
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Frank Anderson
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kelly belly
I was amazed at how the first movie was directed. All the dialogue was really chopping. So many, too much pausing between words and sentences. It was so distracting. Like they were forcing angst or something. Weird.
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springs85
Agreed. I could barely believe it was the same screen writer for this film.
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Martine
I loved that. I liked that most of the interesting story was not spoken, but what you could read on the actors faces. I loved the pace of Twilight. Its perfect. Its supposed to be different then Underworld. Its not an action film.
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springs85
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Celia
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Andi
I’m actually pretty sure once at the beginning she is driving when they show an aerial view of her truck on the way to school. No, I’m 100% sure because then Edward meets her at school.
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Celia
Lisa said when the guys are in the truck with her. They’re ALWAYS driving. When she’s alone, of course she drives.
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irvin
Bella was driving with Jacob in the Car when she pulled over and thought that the pack threw one of the guys off the cliff.
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Martine
So what? Why does she need to drive? Or fight? Or play hard to get? Maybe she just isn’t like that. Its not wrong to be different.
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irvin
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Super
She said when Bella was in the truck with either of the boys they were driving, not that Bella never drove.
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Celia
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Jlei
No, Bella is driving the truck when her and Jacob see the wolf pack cliff diving, on their way to ride the motorcycles.
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jenn
Yes, but that is the ONLY time Bella drives with a boy in the car. I think the same may be true for the first movie, too.
I understand that producers were under pressure to give the tween girls what they got from the book, but the book is so poorly written I was hoping the screenwriter would take some liberties and improve upon it. No such luck. It’s all downhill once Jacob is revealed as a wolfe. My favorite part was Michael Sheen. He was more dazzling than Eddie at a Fourth of July picnic. The whole movie is just another pop culture phenomenon that sets extremely high standards for girls that normal men will never be able to live up to.-
shawnlovestv
I think there are more people who are fans of the book than are not, so it only makes sense that the people behind the movie would want to please the majority as opposed to the minority. The books are crazy best sellers. When you have a built in base like that, you don’t tick them off too much. I remember when Interview with the Vampire came out – and then Queen of the Damend. I absolutely hated the changes they made. I had loved the books. Over time, I got over them and liked the movies for being different representations of the same subject matter – like a painting and a photo of the same thing could both still be good, even if I like one better than the other. Since the Twihards are the ones who will see the movies over and over again, I can understand the business sense behind catering to that group. I’m sure the super hero flick franchises do that to a large extent as well.
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Felicia
Of course real men don’t live up to the men in love stories. Just like real women don’t live up to models who have been air-brushed. It’s called fantasy, people.
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deedee
Actually, in the books, Bella rarely lets the guy drive her truck. She kinda makes a big deal of it with them in a few instances.
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shawnlovestv
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jenn
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srk
i think when bella first appears at school, before the “incident”, she is driving, but i could be wrong.
i actually thought new moon did a better job than twilight with keeping the general story, but making it easier to digest than the book. the book was a little hard to get through, with bella’s never-ending pain…
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Katie
I think a big reason why you got such a “meh” response to your review is because EW has been shoving Twilight down our throats for so long that it seemed odd that its critic would give the film a relatively good B+ but not really give concrete reasons for why it deserved that B+.
I know that the grade had nothing to do with EW’s love affair with this franchise, and to insinuate that it was is a serious allegation, but I hope you can see why people would suspect that. It also didn’t help that the vast majority of critics hated/disliked the film, and a B+ was one of the nicer grades it’s received. If you had given it a B+ and that grade was roughly in line with what other critics had said about it, I don’t think it would have been that much of an issue.
But anyway, thanks for explaining the review a little more, but it’d have been nice to see what you wrote above in the actual review, not after it. -
chris
The book was Meh. Not enough edward/bella.
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Mo
I have to say I don’t have a problem with the review, but with the letter grade. I could tell Lisa felt very tepid about the movie (because really, all she could say about it was that it followed the book faithfully, that the guys were hunky, and pretty much that it was shot in focus – she is a much better reviewer than that…) This article confirms it. What was way out of line was the letter grade. A B- or C at least is what I would have expected from reading the review and this companion piece. That it got a B+ instead I think is, in fact, proof that EW is catering to the rabid Twilight contingent who will keep buying magazines as long as their heartthrobs are featured on the cover and nothing inside falls short of adoration or, at least, extremely earnest respect.
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Jason
I agree with you. By her comment above, she basically said that for a blah movie it was pretty good. I am not sure EW made her change it or anything but she really took the wrong approach. She went in expecting something that would not be a good well made film (like the Lord of the Rings) and found something that excited her a bit. If not for her poor expectation, I am sure there would have been a worse letter grade.
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jess
I agree as well…. I expect the reviewer to shape their own opinion “before” submitting them.
the movie is what it is….an ode to a book.
very suspicious to write a “2nd review” to offer up such witty comments on important topics such as “bella is a drip” and “it was a challenge to write on this movie”.
too bad lisa, that is your job and they all come with challenges.
ps….I know you are DYING to rip this movie into shreds. I have been reading you for years!
we deserve the truth. -
kate
The point might be a bit clearer than is being seen. Its a bit of an understatement to expect that the average adult would be as excited to watch a teen genre’d movie in much the same way that a teen would. There are obvious exceptions in this cases, the Twilight Saga is a fascination for many, but as a screenwriter I write for the story, the characters. I don’t think too much about the critics reactions-I am a tremendous movie-goer. Everyone has an opionion, Twilight and all of its entanglements are a moving money machine. Since when is it a shock that any major ‘anything’ would select it to be a major point of address and support? Just thinking out loud…
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DarkLayers
Given Lisa’s comments, I do think a B+ is high, but I don’t think she had to give it a C. I agree with the person who said she might go for a B or B-. She should give at most a C to a movie she thinks is okay with a story and premise she accepts? Firstly, she said she was surprised by how hard a lot of folks were. Personally, I do think Lisa could say more than ‘the movie shows all of that.’ She could have talked about performances. Were they adequate? Dialogue? Did it work or was it too cheesy? Pace, was the middle too slow? Everybody experiences break-ups. Does New Moon effectively tap in to how it hurts?
Lisa’s clear that she didn’t think it sucked horribly. She said it was an okay movie and she accepts the story. She might not be in love, but she’s clear she doesn’t see many awful things that she wants to knock it for. Moreover, if she was dying to tear it to shreds, why would she voice disagreement with the critics who did.
Also, as far as expectations go, I don’t think she looked at it as a ‘blah’ movie starting out. Rather, she was seeing it through the prism of a franchise.
A lot of people here are looking for validation for their view that New Moon sucked and feel like she’s holding back from offering that sharp negative view. Between the review, follow-up, and comments, she doesn’t really seem inclined to trash it.
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Jason
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chris
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rebecca
Bella is one of the worst characters in the history of literature!
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Mireya
True dat. She’s incredibly dependent on Edward to do anything and everything for her. She also has no personality. I mean, she doesn’t like music. She just not normal. One of the most unrealistic woman characters ever, and that is taking consideration that these novels are fantasy.
That being said, I’m still a huge Twilighter. It’s inexplicable.
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Brittany
She doesn’t like music because she doesn’t want to be reminded of Edward in any way when he leaves, which is why she wanted to see the zombie movie…the book explains that.
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Elizabeth
She’s just not normal? For crying out loud she is a fictional character! Edward is a vampire and Jacob is a werewolf–neither of those constitute “normal people”. I don’t understand why people are being so hard on this movie (or series for that matter). It is fiction. Not real. So what if a bunch of screaming girls go crazy over it. Let them have their fun. I understand people getting annoyed by all of the fuss, but overreacting (either positively or negatively) is not something I understand since it is not real.
I understand what you were saying, though, and am not saying any of that towards you, it just seemed like a good starting ground for my reply.
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Mexichick
Of course she’s a fictional character, but just think of the wealth of strong, nuanced fictional characters that teen (or tween, or whatever) girls could be reading about. Thomas Hardy’s Tess gets walked all over by two men just like Bella, but at least in the very end she stabs one of them.
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Brittany
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Kimmy M.
Bella is not the worst character in the history of life shes the best.
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Frank Anderson
OOH BURN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How long did it take you to think of that one?
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Trevor
Bella is a Mary Sue, an empty shell of a character that the reader/viewer can insert themselves into. Obviously you think she was a great character, she was you.
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katie
Yeah not so much. Rosalie and Alice are much more appealing characters. As a matter of fact, I imagined myself in Alice’s shoes as I read, not Bella’s. What does that say about her as a character? Aren’t we supposed to want to be the heroine?
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Frank Anderson
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Alli
I did not like the character in the books, and thought New Moon was the book where she was at her worst. There are a lot of people that dislike Kristen Stewart in the role, but I prefer her version of the character. There is something very strong and assured about her, which makes Bella feel like less of a drip, well, to me anyways.
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Frank Anderson
I agree with you about Stewart’s version on Bella, as least for the fist movie. In this one she really seemed just as weak as the Bella from the books (at least the chapters I read of the first one). She just seemed so vacant in this movie. I don’t know how much of that is Stewarts fault, either. The role is just a pathetic one. Bella has so little personality. She claims to be independent, but none of her actions are the actions of an independent person. She is almost a total hollow shell.
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DT
Kristen Stewart plays her like a stoned person with Asperger’s syndrome. Why that is supposed to register as “misunderstood, troubled rebel,” I have no idea. She’s self-serious, too. I used to think she was kind of hot, but now I hate her.
And Rob Pattinson is no Johnny Depp. He’s more like Richard Grieco. In 20 years, girls will either be embarrassed to say they liked him or say, “Who?” That is all.
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Frank Anderson
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Celia
Exactly. I’ve never read a book with such a WEAK, annoying, whiny main character. It’s even worse because she’s a female and the main audience of the books are female. I love how in the books Bella states over and over again that she thinks differently than other people…that she’s different. Really?! Because I sure can’t tell…if by different she means she’s a pushover then yes then it’s true. A character can be caring and “motherly” without being weak. She continuously puts her own beliefs (whatever they may be) on the back burner and just lets everyone else control her life. It’s disgusting. And what I love the most is in the books Bella claims her favorite books are Jane Austen and Wuthering Heights. Those novels contain some of the STRONGEST female characters I’ve ever read and yet Bella is so weak. I’m not even going to comment on the other characters because their development is so poor that I’ve completely forgotten all about them.
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Rush
Oh, but she’s strong in her devotion to Edward, right?
Yeah, I agree with the sentiment that Bella is a drip. Meyer never outlines any specific talents for Bella to explain why she feels this sense of “specialness.” In the first book she certainly seems to become the popular girl, so it can’t be an outsider thing.
So can Kristen Stewart really be blamed when she coughs, sighs, and skoffs through her role?
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Celia
Rush–You can call it “devotion,” but I call it an unhealthy obsession. And she’s not really that strong when it comes to him. If she was she wouldn’t let him just control her like she does. That’s one of the things I hated the most in the books, she just lets them carry her (literally) all over the place and treat her like she’s some kind of toy for them all to play with. Occasionally she will say what she wants, but then Edward will just pretend to listen and do what he wants behind her back or trick her into it. If anything, he makes her weaker not stronger. I see what you mean about Kristen…maybe she plays herself in the film because Bella is such an underdeveloped character that Kristen has no choice, but to play herself or use her weird mannerisms to bring some kind of uniqueness to Bella. But she still does that in every film.
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Rush
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ash
Please this is not literature. It’s badly-written trash with very questionable messages.
Has anyone seen that one interview where Kristen talks about what a strong girl Bella is. Ha Ha Ha Ha Haaaaa.-
Celia
I haven’t seen it and I won’t see it. I already know it’s a joke. She must’ve been high when she recorded that.
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Celia
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Mireya
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Bri
Nope, Bella drives Jacob in the truck when they go past the cliff divers. So there’s 2 out of 4 or 5 times that she wasn’t driving her car. Its not a crime.
Chris did a phenomenal job of sticking to the book; I only took note of 3 major differences. One, the motorcycle ride in Port Angels. Two, the emails to Alice which gave incredible perspective into Bella’s brain that the audience would be deprived of on screen. Three, the fight in Voltara did not exist in the book, but I agreed that there should be some fighting. Actually I would’ve liked more of a fight from Edward.
Also, I can’t say how thrilled I am with the perspective Chris brought to New Moon! His camera angles were different and better suited for the distance growing between the two stars. Twilight was so close to their faces, it was uncomfortable. This backed away to get a bigger picture, which I was hoping for. -
Fatima
I hate to be a skeptic, and I really do actually like Lisa as a critic, but is she getting to share a more truthful opinion now that it already opened with giant numbers? B+ is way too high for this opinion and I honestly refuse to believe the pro-Twilight editorial staff didn’t have a thing to do with that.
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DarkLayers
In terms of being pro-Twilight, did you see Jennifer Reese’s review of Breaking Dawn. It was scathing, and while some reviewers shared those views, Time gave it an A-. Not too pro-Twilight.
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Frank Anderson
Yeah, I don’t think that EW’s current trend of trying to be the Cosmo of entertainment magazines really effects Lisa. I think the review was how she honestly felt at the time. She may have had more time to think about the contents of the film now, and this post certainly gives more light to her developing opinion on the movie. I would have personally gone for a B or B-, but I was also expecting to really like the movie. I, for one, would rather Lisa get praised for letting us be part of her dialog on the movie, rather than try to bash her over a certain score. It seems like Fatima comes from the anti-Twilight camp, this probably makes her want the film to get lower scores. I think that makes Fatima the biased one in this equation.
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Fatima
True, I can’t lie. Bad scores do please me, but that’s only because I feel so strongly about the content. I never called Lisa biased even, I theorized she was pressured or overruled by a magazine that seems to have a lot tied into the franchise. I do believe her when she says she wasn’t. It was hard to see a review so apathetic (and if that’s how she feels, that says something about the movie) with such a high grade. It just didn’t match up. I just need to say that I really do respect her opinion and writing. Considering what a lot of people write about her, I’d say my thought was tame. Although I suppose I questioned her integrity. Sorry Lisa!
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DarkLayers
I would have given it a C+. I liked the first movie too. What got me with the second one was I couldn’t get into the feeling. The middle was drawn out and the stuff felt like a routine to cover because it was all in the book rather than stuff driven by Bella’s internal tension. I didn’t feel the highs or drama towards the end. That made it less satisfying for me.
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Frank Anderson
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DarkLayers
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Amanda
Good stuff. Honestly, while I do love Bella in the books, I think KStew’s portrayal is just what Lisa said, dazed. While I really enjoy the movies and books for reasons passing understanding, this does not aaaalways inhibit my ability to admit that they’re pretty mediocre. I totally get the beef with Kristin Stewart’s performance – she plays Bella soooo awkwardly, but I kind of get the feeling that that’s just her! But props to Chris Weitz on his faithfulness to the material, and great feel – except that I did feel like I needed dramamine after the first half hour!
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BilbrosB4Hos
Yeah, I’ve seen Kristen Stewart in two other movies (Adventureland, Into the Wild), and I agree, it’s just her. The way she delivers her lines, her performance, body language, tics, quirks – she’s the same in every film that she does.
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Celia
It is just her because she doesn’t act. She plays the same character in every film that she’s in. There’s no emotion there. She just shows just and plays herself.
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BilbrosB4Hos
Exactly, Celia.
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Sis
I don’t understand what you all are referring to about Kristen Stewart’s acting. I’ve seen all those movies and her Bella character was so different, I thought at first it was a different actress. I had to go back and watch Into the Wild again to check. All actors have minor mannerisms that hold from one character to another. I did not see any significant actions with Kristen. Jack Nicholson seems to always play the same character in all his movies and consistently uses the same mannerisms. Meryl
Streep tends to roll her eyes and slant her eyes to the side a lot.
Whats up with that?
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BilbrosB4Hos
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A.
I enjoyed the Twilight books but the second one was my least favorite of them with Breaking Dawn being my favorite. The movies however, are terrible. They are truly products and poorly written and cast. I feel that Robert Pattinson also played Edward from the wrong perspective because in the books he’s not so brooding and is more mild mannered and wise and also smiles more. I too also got annoyed with Bella while reading the books but I feel like she redeems herself a little in Breaking Dawn so maybe that’s why it’s my favorite. I’m just really sad that these movies are making so much money though because it’s just telling movie executives that garbage makes money and they will be even less inclined to spend money on making good movies with good stories and dialogue. It’s sad.
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ash
the books are also ‘poorly written’
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Deb
I think the books were well written and I read them and I am not a teenager…and any books that get kids to read today are fine by me. That is why these series like Harry Potter and Twilight are so popular; they aren’t just one book but a succesion of books that keep people reading; beats sitting in front of a TV or video game any day.
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Deb
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kate
I remember being Bella’s dipicted age. Hormones amok! And I grew up in Nome, AK where anything awful seemed a real plausiblity. Nicht on the vamps, tho. Fiction people, fiction. Don’t we all know someone a bit like Bella? I was so Bella at that age (minus the fictional vampire, of course). Brooding, depressed, a bit of a shrub humper. Yeah, like Bella. But its a fictional story that has been adapted to film. ADAPTED!! Please look up the definition if unaware of its meaning, it might help enlighten the few.
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ash
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birdy
funny, most critics are middle aged men who couldn’t be further from twilight’s target audience. that would be like sending me to rate a strip club. one such critic said he couldn’t understand why the movies weren’t made to have a broader appeal. does he mean broader than 142.8 million at the box office opening weekend? why should summit water down something we like a lot, possibly ruining it for us, so that some old guys might like it a little? i wish they’d just criticize the film for what it aspires to be. i don’t go to a chinese restaurant and complain they have no pad thai. they’re not supposed to as they don’t aspire to be a thai restaurant!
and my god.. how many years have women movie goers been assaulted with a close up of the female genitalia? all these movies with gratuitous sex scenes getting high marks from male critics. then we get one movie with some buff boys who have their shirts off for a reason and the critics can’t shut up about it!! check it out.. every single old male critic that hated new moon had at least a paragraph to complain about the shirtless wolf boys. too hilarious and what a double standard. at least the boys shirtlessness was actually integral to the story line and wasnt just thrown in to get attention.
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BilbrosB4Hos
Well put.
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Lisa Schwarzbaum
Birdy and Bil, you’re right, the whole topic of guys-without-shirts, women-in-undies (as observed by a male vs female critic) is a great one. I hope to write about it soon.
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invaliduser
how is that a good point? i doubt any movie with gratuitous sexuality in a empty is plot is applauded by any critics. ryan reynolds and megan fox are both half naked in practically every movie they are in. Do you think critics honestly are put off by their overt sexuality over the poor quality of the films?
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BilbrosB4Hos
Invalid, did you or didn’t you see New Moon??? You have no business commenting on whether the movie was of poor quality unless you actually saw it. Troll.
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nzblue
very well said birdy! spot on!
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Lisa Schwarzbaum
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Celia
I see where you’re coming from, but not all the critics who gave it low ratings were male. However, I do agree that it is a bit of a double standard to complain about the shirtless males in the film when there are endless movies in which women are objectified and used basically as scenery. I watched the movie online and I will honestly say…I hated it…but the shirtless dude was pretty much the only thing I liked about it. At least they kept his pants on in the movie because he’s completely naked in the books. But regardless of how it’s a double standard for the critics to diss the shirtless males…the film deserved a low rating because it was horrible.
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Paige
…In YOUR opinion.
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Richard
OBVIOUSLY it’s her opinion, Page.
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Paige
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jeannie
Thanks birdy for your comments about the double standard–it is so true and accurate. That said,as a twilight “mom”, I’m not going to say it was the “best movie ever”, but I still enjoyed it very much. OK, so it moves a little slowly, when compared to the loud action movies that are the norm these days. The scenes with the volturi and Edward and Bellas reunion were the best and the most emotional.
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dbth
imagine if miley cyrus who will be turning 17 was paraded around in a movie like taylor lautner? Not only shirtless for no reason but marketed for that very reason. i don’t think critics have any issue with men being shirtless in any movie but that fact is pretty glaring.
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BilbrosB4Hos
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Judy Bradley
Bella did like music until after Edward left, then the music was too painful, have you never felt that pain? Bella prefers to drive herself, read the book, but Edward thinks she drives too slow and when Jacob is driving, she had nearly drowned, give it a break!
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DT
I’M SAD, SO NO MORE MUSIC! Incredibly lame bit of “character development.”
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DT
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birdy
i hope this does tell movie studios they need to make different kind of movies with different subject matter. i’m sick of the exlosions/scantily clad women vehicles and the character sstudies trying to be ironic. i’m bored of the old recipes. i never care about watching movies or even watching tv but ive gone to see new moon twice already.
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invaliduser
you mean like women in love with vampires?
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invaliduser
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Trish
I’m a Twilight fan, and my issue with the review is that it didn’t actually tell us anything.
You realize that there are fans of the books out there, who don’t like the movies at all, nor do we think that they actually convey the emotions of the story. Just because someone “accepts” what the story is about, that doesn’t mean that they’ll enjoy the film. I’m a fan of the books, who accepts the premise of the story (as you put it), but still did not enjoy the movie.
My point is this: a lot of us wanted this to be a quality film, and we wanted a review that explained whether or not it was actually a good movie.
From your review, nobody (Twilight fan or not) would know whether or not the film was good, or featured good performances.-
Trish
This is random, but I just want to add that I wish SO BADLY that a bigger studio had picked up Twilight. Maybe they would’ve given it a bigger budget, a better screenwriter, and would have taken more time (hopefully more than 8 weeks of filming) to make these movies good.
Seriously, even MICHAEL SHEEN (who is an incredible actor) was bad in New Moon. To me, that indicates a serious problem that goes beyond the actors.-
Kelsey
While I understand that Summit had to limit Twilight’s budget because they weren’t sure how successful it would be, there is NO reason for them to have a second film look almost as cheap. The film made almost three times its budget over the first weekend. I know Summit wants to turn a profit, and Twilight is really their only profitable/successful property, but it would not have broken their piggy bank to give New Moon some more legit production values.
Then again, they know that hardcore fans will turn out and see the film no matter how bad it is or how cheap it looks. So I guess fans deserve the cheap-looking films they get, if they don’t give Summit any incentive to improve them. I’m not expecting a Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter-sized budget, but they could have done much better and still made a ton of money over and above their investment. -
jeannie
Trish—I mostly agree with you, especially regarding the movies budget. But seriously, you need to reread the book–the movie is faithful to the book-obviously they can’t adapt everything in the book, and the addition of the fight scene with the volturi made sense to me. And I disagree with you in regards to Michael Sheens performance—he was Aro!:)
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ash
that wasn’t michael sheen’s fault – it was the fault of the costume designer, the director, writer etc.
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Pamela
Michael Sheen was the perfect Aro. How you thought that was bad acting is beyond me. And you are a fan of the books? Boggles the mind.
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kate
Were you aware that Summit had Twilight pegged as “Indie”? No one, to include the studio, had any idea of the following the movie would have. If people knew a little more about the process of funding and production of a film, then perhaps their comments would be more intelligent about their given subject. Not trying to offend, just educate.
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Kelsey
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Trish
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stella
What kind of movie gets a B+ for being “meh”? More like a B- at the very most.
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The Twilight Saga
'New Moon,' 'Twilight,' Bella Swan, and me
So with the opening weekend hoopla over, I want to confess two things — the first being that New Moon was a particular challenge for me exactly because I felt so unusually mild about the product. (One thing I’m sure about: The movie is first and foremost a product, not an artistic enterprise.) Rarely have I seen a movie so entirely, earnestly, carefully beholden to the book on which it’s based. And while Stephenie Meyer’s girl-and-vampire saga is a teen-romance doozy, I begin my analysis of the movie, naturally, by accepting the story. So if Bella Swan is a bit of a high school outsider in the rainy town of Forks, and if Bella is madly in love (and lust) with a handsome vampire who abstains, and if, in the handsome vampire’s absence, a handsome werewolf is also drawn to Bella’s moody, independent nature, well, then, what can I say except that the movie New Moon shows all that, plus the rain? I remember what it was like to be a moody teenage girl who had a crush on an impossible guy. I don’t, however, remember the impossible guy having sparkly skin or a taste for blood. Just cheeseburgers.
My second confession is this: I think, at least as I see her on screen, that Bella is kind of a drip. And not a very independent-minded chick at all. She may drive a funky pick-up truck, but she always looks dazed that she’s the owner of the vehicle. In fact, one of my EW colleagues, an editor with two Twilight-aged daughters herself, swears that every time Bella rode in the truck with Edward or Jacob, the guy was driving. Is this true?
I guess shift happens.
Photo Credit: Kimberley French