The Concordian

With midnight ticket sales reaching over $26 million, the popular movie New Moon exceeded fans’ expectations. It is the sequel to last year’s Twilight, based on Stephanie Meyer’s popular four-book series. The midnight showing sales broke the $22.2 million record set earlier this year by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Attending the midnight showing at Marquee Cinemas in Beckley was an experience in itself. I estimate over 1,500 people in attendance just at that location. All 14 screens were showing New Moon, and the lobby was overflowing, with lines reaching the end of the theatre parking lot. So many people showed up to the theatre that they seated each screen separately by announcement over the intercom in an attempt to control the crowd.

With an atmosphere like this it is hard not to be excited for the film. I enjoyed it immensely and went to see it again the next week. Fans of the books will know that although the movie cannot compare to the book series, New Moon definitely did a better job at illustrating the book than Twilight. The new director, Chris Weitz, was a much better fit for the whole theme of the series.

Robert Pattinson as vampire heartthrob Edward Cullen is mesmerizing to watch, and his chemistry with Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan is undeniable. New Moon is different than its predecessor as Edward and Bella break up, and much of the movie depicts Bella’s attempt to cope with a deep depression when he leaves. Jacob Black, played by Taylor Lautner, then comes to the rescue as a best friend and support system for Bella. Lautner has a much larger role in this film as compared to Twilight, and he undergoes some changes as well when finding himself able to shift into a werewolf.

Throughout the movie, Bella is torn between her friendship with Jacob and her confusing relationship with Edward. She must discover how to live again after Edward leaves their town of Forks, Washington. Meanwhile, the tension between the vampires and the werewolves is building, and “New Moon” is not without action.

This movie is a must-see for fans of the Stephanie Meyer books, but it also has something for everyone: action, fighting, romance, werewolves, vampires, and both Pattinson and Lautner shirtless. Anyone who criticizes the series would probably change their opinion if they actually saw the movies or read the books. Sure, they are largely directed toward girls, but the action and fight scenes between the werewolves and vampires is undoubtedly entertaining to boys as well.

If you saw the first film and gave up, I urge you to give the new director a chance and see New Moon.  Much of the cheesiness has been eliminated, and what is left is a powerful story that anyone can appreciate.

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