Ever since the 2005 release of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, self-proclaimed “Twilighters” have been roaming about this earth eager to read the next book in the saga and hope Twilight will soon be able to be seen on the big screen. Luckily for them, Meyer held promise that their dream would be coming true in late 2008. The next book in the series, entitled New Moon, has also brought about an uproar among Twilighters, perhaps more than Twilight itself. Less than a year ago this book set out on the same journey as the one before it and the response was nothing less than insane. But, is this a movie really worth losing your mind over?

This flick stars the infamous Robert Pattinson (R-Patt) as Edward Cullen, the all too pouty vampire, Kristen Stewart (K-Stew) as Bella Swan, the clingy love interest, and Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black, the werewolf hottie with abs of steel and a bad weave. Unfortunately for them, this film didn’t quite sell them as adequate actors. All throughout the movie R-Patt kept a cold, hard look on his face, hardly showing any emotion at all, while K-Stew, done the exact opposite. Her awkward facial expressions scarcely matched her monotonous voice and her constant blinking makes the viewer lose focus on what she’s attempting to do. Then there’s Taylor Lautner. For him, walking around while trying to look incredibly attractive is easy, but his tone and presence never matched the feeling the lines were trying to convey. But, nonetheless, he and R-Patt show potential unlike K-Stew. If any of the actors in this movie deserve to be shown in a good light, it’s Dakota Fanning, who played Jane, one of the young Volturi, and Cameron Bright as Alec, Jane’s twin. Their charisma simply flew off the screen. They held a great, frightening appeal as vampires should.
In New Moon, Edward Cullen (R-Patt), the brooding vampire boyfriend of Bella Swan (K-Stew) ends their relationship after his brother tries to make a meal out of her. In doing so, Edward treats Bella as he did in Twilight — grimly and with a twisted look on his face. Months pass and Swan falls into a deeper depression while all her friends are missing her and wanting to help. She becomes unattached to everything and everyone with the exception of Cullen’s memory. But, she can only “see” him when she is doing something dangerous or reckless. Needless to say, she almost kills herself at least ten times in the movie.
Eventually she befriends Jacob Black (Lautner), the often shirtless man-wolf, and he falls for her. Bella tells Jacob that they can only be friends, but nevertheless, he pushes forward towards a relationship. When he begins to feel the change of the wolf, he tells her that he could mutilate her if he gets the least bit angry. And what does she do? She continues to spend time with him, even though he warned her of how dangerous he could be.
While some find fault in the handling of female identity in Disney movies, New Moon comes across as far, far worse than a flock of vulnerable animated princesses. Bella’s reliance on men who physically and emotionally abuse her is disturbing. Not only that, but we are meant to dismiss questions about the unhealthy nature of her situation because, to her, what she is experiencing, is teen puppy-love. If girls should be learning anything, it’s to be independent. No man is worth the wallowing she intentionally endured, especially since she is a senior in high school.
But why do “Twilighters” love these despicable characters so much? Cullen fans must see something in this character other than Pattinson’s carefully windblown hair. Perhaps they project their own fantasies onto the character’s blank canvas, as the teen vamp really doesn’t have much to say aside from the occasional empty statement. Either way, New Moon isn’t worth the two hours it takes to watch it, no matter how bored you are.