“The Twilight Saga: New Moon” is the second film based on Stephenie Meyer’s vampire romance novels. It follows Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) through a year of absence from her vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), who leaves town to keep her safe from danger. The film runs 126 minutes and was directed by Chris Weitz, who replaces Catherine Hardwicke behind the camera.
Trailer, via The Twilight Saga.
Bella’s Year Without Edward
Bella spends most of the film isolated, working at a hardware store and drifting through school while her friends move forward without her. Her best friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) becomes her only steady companion, and his feelings for her grow increasingly complicated. The film slows to a crawl during these stretches, spending long scenes on Bella’s loneliness rather than building toward any real conflict.
Edward’s absence is meant to drive the plot, but the film leans too hard on quiet, sad moments rather than tension. The middle section drags badly, and viewers who came for spectacle will find little of it here.
Jacob Black’s Rise
Taylor Lautner’s Jacob Black is the biggest draw in this installment. His werewolf transformation near the end of the film is a highlight, a physical change that finally gives the story some visual excitement after a long stretch of talking and walking away from each other. The scene earns its runtime, showing Lautner’s dedication to the role through extensive makeup and prosthetics.
The shift in Bella’s affections is central to the film’s climax, and it plays out with genuine stakes. Bella must choose between two men who love her in very different ways, and the film handles the decision with enough weight to make the final act feel earned.
Where the Film Falls Short
The pacing problems start early and don’t let up. The first hour is a slow, deliberate build that works against the urgency of the threat hanging over Bella. Characters talk around the problem instead of facing it head-on, and the film’s attempt to ratchet up tension through absence and worry never quite lands.
Chris Weitz’s direction is competent but unremarkable. He doesn’t bring much new to the material beyond a few wide shots of the Pacific Northwest, and the film feels like it could have been made by anyone working from the script. The dialogue is stiff in places, particularly in scenes between Bella and her parents, and the emotional beats often land flat rather than moving viewers.
The Final Stretch
The climax, which brings together the Volturi, the Cullens, and Jacob’s pack, is the film’s strongest sequence. The action is modest but effective, and the film’s themes of loyalty and sacrifice are given room to breathe. This is where the film finds its footing and delivers on the promise of the earlier setup.
The film’s weakest moments come from its own excess. Too much time is spent on Bella’s despair, and the film’s attempts to make her absence feel unbearable sometimes cross into indulgence. The story is simple enough that it doesn’t need this much padding, and the result is a movie that feels longer than its running time suggests.
Key Facts
- Title: The Twilight Saga: New Moon
- Director: Chris Weitz
- Runtime: 126 minutes
- Release year: 2009
- Score: 6.0/10
The Twilight Saga: New Moon is a solid, if uneven, entry in the series. Its strengths — Jacob’s werewolf transformation and the final confrontation — are strong enough to carry the film through its weaker stretches. But the middle section is a slog, and the pacing issues are hard to ignore even during the film’s better moments.
Fans of the books will recognize the film’s fidelity to the source material, and newcomers may find themselves confused by the slow start. The film’s ending, however, provides a satisfying payoff that justifies the wait.
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