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'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' 2-Disc Special Edition DVD Review

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'New Moon' 2-Disc Special Edition

'New Moon' 2-Disc Special Edition

© Summit Entertainment

The Bottom Line

New Moon's 2 Disc Special Edition DVD doesn't totally live up to its name. Disc One includes the theatrical version of the film and one bonus feature: the commentary track. And the commentary track doesn't have a single actor involved, just director Chris Weitz and editor Peter Lambert. They're both interesting to listen to - director Weitz in particular has some funny anecdotes about filming - but it's disappointing none of the three leads lent a hand. Disc Two contains four music videos, and a six-part behind the scenes documentary that is the best bonus feature of the bunch.
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Pros

  • Captures the spirit of Stephenie Meyer's books
  • The actors appear more comfortable in their roles
  • Great 6-part documentary provides real insight into the making of 'New Moon'

Cons

  • The effects aren't as realistic as they should be
  • The bonus features barely live up to the 'Special Edition' tag

Description

  • The 6-Part Documentary:
    Part 1) 'Life After Twilight - The cast discusses how they've been embraced by Twilight fans.
  • Part 2) 'Chris Weitz Takes the Helm' - Weitz on his style of directing and how he let the cast know what he expected.
  • Part 3) 'The Subtle Details' - Get an inside look at the sets and costumes.
  • Part 4) 'A Look at Production' - The 1st day of filming, motorcycle riding, Bella's birthday, stunt work, and April 1st snow.
  • Part 5) 'It's Not Magic' - Inside the editing process and the special effects.
  • Part 6) 'Ready for the World' - The finishing touches including scoring New Moon.
  • Directed by Chris Weitz and rated PG-13 for some violence and action.
  • Starring Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Anna Kendrick, and Michael Welch.
  • DVD Release Date: March 20, 2010

Guide Review - 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' 2-Disc Special Edition DVD Review

Catherine Hardwicke directed the first film of The Twilight Saga while Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass) took over as director on the second film, New Moon. And although there's a different director at the helm, the tone and spirit of New Moon captured the same tone and spirit as the first movie of the series, Twilight. The main difference between the two is that New Moon had a lot bigger action scenes and more complex effects. And the challenge for director Weitz and screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg was to bring in the action element without losing focus on the central characters: Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), and Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). They accomplished that, though major dialogue-driven scenes from Meyer's book didn't make the cut in the film version.

New Moon also stands apart from Twilight in the increased screen time for Lautner as Jacob Black. New Moon gives Lautner a chance in the spotlight as he comes into his own as a major player in the Twilight universe with this film (as in the book). Lautner won a lot of hearts - and won over some Team Edward fans - with his performance in New Moon, eliciting screams from female admirers when, as Jacob, he whips off his shirt to wipe away Bella's blood. After only getting five minutes of screen time in his first outing at Jacob, Lautner was able to show he can act, and that he was the right choice to play the third side of the Bella/Edward/Jacob triangle.

Still, despite the focus on character development, New Moon is hindered from delivering on its promise by special effects that just aren't up to par. The wolves look CGI and the sparkling diamond skin effect still hasn't been mastered. Hopefully more attention will be paid to getting the effects right in the third Twilight film, Eclipse, directed by David Slade (30 Days of Night) and hitting theaters on June 30, 2010.

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