did you hear about the morgans? no? good!

*cough, cough…gulp*

This…won’t take long. I only have a short time to write this to you before I lose consciousness. I was faced with a bit of a dilemma yesterday. I needed to review a film for today but I had trouble finding one that hadn’t been covered by my Babblebros already. So I did what I normally do in this situation; I looked at the weekend’s top 5 money makers and make a selection from there. Can’t be the 33 year-old dude, alone at The Frog Princess, so I chose movie number four, Did You Hear About the Morgans? This is where my tragedy begins.

Hugh's face says "I'll never work in Americer* again." *British pronunciation

Did You Hear… is an attempted rom-com by Miss Cogeniality writer/ director, Marc Lawrence, about Paul (Hugh Grant) and Meryl Morgan (Sarah Jessica Parker), a married couple, estranged by Paul’s infidelity. While out trying to reconcile, the couple witnesses the murder of one of Meryl’s clients. The murderer identifies them and they are forced into witness protection. They are relocated to Ray, Wyoming and a ton of clichés are recycled while the plot takes a nap and SJP teaches us that New York is different than Wyoming. The end.

There’s honestly nothing redeemable about this movie. There was no chemistry between the principle characters, the comedy was stale and mistimed and the script was clumsy. The director even abused the use of the beloved music-laden montage. Had I known it would do this much damage I’d have walked out after the first ten failed comedy scenes.

Sarah's contemplating if a jump would hurt worse than this script.

I wish I could tell you that I escaped this abomination with my life and dignity intact but thats not reality. I was maimed by close ups of SJ’s long face, bombarded by looks of shame and discomfort on Hugh Grant’s beleaguered mug and what they did to poor Sam Elliot (Tombstone), Wilford Brimley (Cocoon) and Mary Steenburgen (The Proposal) would shame a GITMO warden. I’m glad I lived long enough to warn you of the comic death trap this film is.

Sam Elliot: "This was more fun with Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer."

*cough, weeze…gasp*

I can’t hold…on much longer so let me say, once you’ve seen Sherlock Holmes, The Frog Princess and Avatar (twice), if you’re looking for another movie to see this holiday, don’t follow me down the boulevard of broken film. Save yourself and find a showing of An Education starring Peter Sarsgaard & Carey Mulligan. It’s sure to be the “where-did-that-came-from” film when Oscars nods are doled out.

Sarah Jessica Parker has the history and future of Sex and The City to help her rebound from this resumé blotch, Hugh Grant may never recover. With my final breath, I say to SJP, I know this was just an effort to get public again before SATC2, I hope it was worth your soul. I give Did You Hear About The Morgans? a rare and painful 1 out 5 Babbles.

*choke…gasp…flatline*

James Cameron’s AVATAR is worth the wait

*no spoilers*
James Cameron’s last film set sail in 1997 and it was an unparalleled success in the box office. 12 years and $300-500 million dollars later, Cameron is back in an attempt to be ‘king of the world’. The absence of Cameron has been felt in Hollyworld and has left room for the Michael Bays to stake their claim in a new era of filmmaking. Well it may have taken a while for Avatar to come to fruition, but it was unequivocally worth the wait.

The story is a familiar one about greedy earthlings that need a precious element found abundantly on a planet called Pandora. The problem is that the tree hugging natives, called the Na’vi, stand in the way. The science branch has developed anl avatar technology that allows a marine named Jake (Sam Worthington) to inhabit a test tube Na’vi in hopes of negotiating a peaceful solution to their dilemna. As expected that doesn’t work and the military decides to do its thing and Jake must decide which world he will side with.

At this point, we can’t go any further without commenting on the visuals of this film. The graphics are almost another character in the movie with a life of it’s own. Today, special effects are so overused in most films that it’s less ’special’ and more just effects. Cameron has created a whole new experience and has pushed the bar higher than anyone has ever gone before. The imagery is visceral, complex, and vibrant. The art direction was brilliantly conceived and this has to rank as one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Visual, Avatar gets an A++.

I am usually pretty apprehensive about 3-D films. It’s usually not necessary and the gags get old after while. However, I can now see why Cameron pushed for this new technology for this film. It’s an immersive force and immediately makes you a believer. The 3-D is less in your face and more about creating depth of field. There is finally a real sense of dimension to the 3-D experience. There were several scenes were I felt I was right in the same room with the actors!  Bravo Jimmy.

Unfortunately, there is a weak part in the Avatar machine and it’s a pretty big one. The script is terribly unoriginal. It’s a futuristic Dances with Wolves set on another planet. Everyone plays their parts from  the military fanatic, greedy scientist, brave leader, native princess, and noble chief. Its done fine but the all too  familiar story has a strange juxtaposition against the immensely original backdrop of Avatar. James, you should have spent less time in front of Photoshop and more time with pen/paper in hand. Shame on you.

Still, despite the screenplay short comings, I had an incredibly wonderful time during the meaty 2 1/2 hours. It moves well, has spectacular action, and is an inspirational escape from reality. I don’t think it matches up to the titanic pieces like Aliens and the Terminator but it can stand solidly on it’s own right. Avatar is an amalgamation of Cameron’s past works. If you are a fan, you will see familiar elements from past his favorites represented in Avatar. Overall, I would highly recommend this film. Welcome back James, you have been missed and we are all looking forward to you setting new standards in filmmaking in the future.

I would have given this a 5 Babble rating, but I had to penalize Avatar for it;s unoriginal storyline. So I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

Check out our other posts on Avatar

brothers

Peter Parker’s married to Luke Skywalker’s mom. She finds out that he died and she finds solace in the arms of his brother, Donnie Darko. Or, a much less geeky synopsis, Toby Maguire plays decorated Marine, Captain Sam Cahill. His helicopter is shot down during his 4th tour of duty in Afghanistan. Sam’s wife, Grace (Natalie Portman), and their two daughters face living life without him. Sam’s younger, drifter brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), fresh out of prison, tries to renew his self-image by caring for his lost brother’s family. The trauma of the loss gives Grace and Tommy common ground that was never there before.

Just as Grace and Tommy experience a spark of reluctant relational fire, Sam returns home unexpectedly. He’s was rescued from a Taliban prison, but not before experiencing dehumanizing psychological damage. What should be a glorious return for a military hero, proves to be much more complicated.

The trailer for this film was a little over-informative and slightly misleading, which is pretty hard to do. Not knowing much history on the film, I thought it was more of a “Daddy’s home!” type thriller that picks up where Castaway left off. I was wrong. It plays much more dramatic and cerebral than that.

Brothers is adapted from a 2004 Denmark film, Brødre, starring Gladiator beauty, Connie Nielsen. At a slight risk of giving away too much, the story is more about the effects of war, á la Deer Hunter, than it is about the awkward relationship between Grace, Tommy and resurrected Sam. Whatever it’s about, the main story here is the performances of the young dynamic cast. Toby Maguire’s eccentricity comes to full light amid the lovely emotional range of Natalie Portman. Jake Gyllenhaal defies his good guy image as a believable societal deadbeat in need of redemption. Even the minor roles are memorable in this movie. Sam Shepard (The Right Stuff, Steel Magnolias) plays the Cahill brothers’ former Marine, self-medicating father. He stirs the tension between the polar opposite personalities of Sam and Tommy.

I really enjoyed this film, although, my hot date of a wife felt irreconcilably let down by the story. Brothers, in the pantheon of brother movies, is much better than the swift kick in our collective crotch that was Step Brothers. So I give Brothers a 3.5 of out 5 babbles.

Invictus

*no spoilers*
Tis the season for warm-hearted movies about reconciliation. First The Blind Side, then Precious, and now Invictus (I have a feeling Avatar will be the same). All these movies share the common themes of hardship, cultural barriers, and racial healing. I guess there is no better gift than that during the holidays.

Invictus tells the story of Nelson Mandela as he is released from prison and is shortly elevated as president of South Africa in the early 90’s. Mandela, played by Morgan Freeman, recognizes the opportunity to unite his fragmented country together using rugby. His plan was to inspire the World Cup underdogs to victory and his country to greatness.

Invictus is an enjoyable film, one part politics, one part racial reconciliation, and one part sports. Like The Blind Side, there is a little bit for everyone to enjoy. While the story is nothing less than amazing, Invictus is better in parts than as the whole. There are many strong scenes that make you shake your head in amazement because of the inspirational leadership of Mandela. However, despite memorable moments, Invictus leaks momentum throughout till it builds to an anti-climatic sports conclusion. It wasn’t bad enough to ruin the film but definitely you couldn’t help but feel the lost opportunity.

Morgan Freeman successfully channels the regal spirit of Mandela, without him there would be no movie. Matt Damon does a fine job as the rugby Captain Francois Pienaar. It wasn’t a stellar performance but he fit the part of the reluctant leader adequately.

My main complaint about Invictus falls on the shoulders of its director. As talented as Director Clint Eastwood is, you can see his inexperience with the sports genre. Being unfamiliar with rugby (like the rest of the western world) I found myself lost in the action of the game. I had no idea if a play was good or bad or what was at stake. It also didn’t help that some of the scenes were drawn out because of slow motion. So while the human drama was strong, Eastwood ‘dropped the ball’ with the sporting element of the film.

I am a sucker for true stories (actual photo above) and this helps it become a mild success. Without it, I think this would have been fairly forgettable. Like The Blind Side, you are a little more forgiving of the movie knowing it’s true life origins. So if you like one of the following; rugby, politics, racial reconciliation, Morgan Freeman, confusing sports scenes, or excessive slow motion- then go see Invictus.

I give it 3 out of 5 Babbles

If you are interested in reading the poem in which the movie is named after, check it out on my other blog.

Dexter: Season 1 DVD

Cold.

Calculating.

Emotionless.

Disturbingly likeable.

But enough about me, today I want to talk about Dexter, the star of the original Showtime series of the same name. I realize that the show first aired in 2006, but I have just discovered it, thanks to the Black Friday machinations of my fellow Babbler, Johnny. He, Jeff, and I have been unfolding Season 1 over the last couple of weeks, and I think I can speak for them as well as myself when I say that I like what I see.

Dexter (Michael C. Hall) is a forensics expert, employed by the Miami police department. His specialty is in blood, and his expertise comes not only from his professional work but also from his personal pastime. Dexter, you see, is a serial killer. He kills cleanly, carefully, and conscientiously; only the bad guys who go unnoticed by the law or escape the hands of justice end up on his radar and in his collection. He avoids detection himself by maintaining a façade of caring brother, loving boyfriend, and all-around nice guy.

Therein lies the rub. Dexter is a cold-blooded killer, liar, and probable psychopath. For all of that, you can’t help but like him! Mr. Hall skillfully wields both sides of his character’s personalities such ambidexterity* that you can never forget his true nature, yet you are willing to overlook it. In fact, despite his complete lack of societal ethics, it is hard not to cheer for him as he accomplishes what the police cannot.

Dexter is supported by a cadre of clever characters: Harry, his foster father who (via flashbacks) helps Dex understand his place in society. Deb, his foster sister, a rookie homicide cop who swears like a sailor and has no idea what her brother really is. Rita, his emotionally fragile girlfriend with a dark note in her own past. Sgt. Doakes, a hard-nosed detective who senses something awry with Dex. Masuka, a fellow forensics expert is played to comedic effect by C.S. Lee (whom you might remember as Buy More manager Harry Tang from TV’s Chuck).

I highly recommend Dexter, Season 1, even as I haven’t finished watching it myself. Be advised that the show does contain adult themes, strong language, violence (duh), and occasional sexual situations. That said, Dexter is extremely well-written, acted, and produced, and fully deserves its 3.5 Babbles.

3.5 / 5 Babbles

*Pun fully intended, and no doubt what the writers had in mind when they named the character.

armored

The world loves heist films! American and international cinema has embraced this genre and explored almost every possibility. A group of people, a big payday, a hitch in the plan, maybe even a hold out in the group and you’ve got the basic formula for a heist flick. It’s been a little while since Hollywood has hoisted good heist. Director, Antal Nimród (Neemrode) and actor, Matt Dillon round up a crew for one big score.

Columbus Short (Stomp The Yard, Cadillac Records) plays Ty Hackett, a decorated war vet and rookie armored truck guard. Ty is coerced by five of his coworkers to join them in stealing their $42 million cargo and making it look as though they had been robbed. Their foolproof plan meets a deadly wrinkle, the group begins to unravel and Ty finds himself a lone holdout amid desperate thieves.

Hungarian-American director, Nimród (Vacancy 2007)*, takes a very manly approach to this film. No romance or women to clot this testosterone cannon of a film. He keeps the pace thumping with chases, knuckle busting action, guns and explosions. He also keeps the visuals gritty with special effects, leaving the CGI in the tool box. Nothing new, but a decent redux of vintage guy film elements.

The cast does a good job of selling a mediocre story. Columbus Short fights for his Hollywood life to deliver a performance worthy of a leading role, though he seems, at times, to be a grad of the Denzel Washington school of facial expression. Despite that, he handles the protagonistic call well. The heist crew is comprised of Matt Dillon** as the leader, Laurence Fishburn as the heavy (the pun is in FULL effect here), Jean Reno (fresh off of Couples Retreat), Skeet Ulrich (Scream) and Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break, Max Payne). Milo Ventimiglia of NBC’s Heroes fame joins the fun as the curious Sheriff Eckehart. I’m now a former Heroes watcher and can safely say this is the most interesting story line Milo’s been a part of in a couple years. That show’s on the skids.

This film may not appeal to many women (except my wife, who thinks limb breaking and exit wounds make a movie “awesome!”) but it will quench the adrenaline thirst of teens and middle-aged guys looking to cleanse the palate after taking the wife to see The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Heist films have a very strong legacy. Armored doesn’t measure up to greats like Heat or Oceans 11 (either one), but it didn’t rob me blind like The Ladykillers did, so I give Armored 2.5 out of 5 Babbles. I would have ranked it higher if it was straight to DVD.

*Antal Nimród is currently directing Predators featuring everyone’s favorite dreadlocked alien game hunters.

**Matt Dillon is also starring in an upcoming heist film called Takers. That film has a higher profiled cast.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is..well, Fantastic.

So Fantastic Mr. Fox came out over Thanksgiving and I finally got around to seeing it. Wes Anderson is arguably my favorite director and so I am surprised it took me so long to see this movie, however, last Saturday I finally completed this task so mission accomplished.

Going in I had heard good reviews of this movie but was unsure what to expect. I love Wes Anderson’s clever and playful style but I didn’t know how it would transfer to the big screen. I was not disappointed.

This movie is good, really good. It’s very entertaining and fun to watch. The story is based on the book by Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach) and follows the exploits of one dashing and daring Mr. Fox who made his living by dangerous raids on local poultry farms, that is until, after almost getting caught, his pregnant wife made him promise to stop.

Seven years later, Mr. Fox is feeling restless, pent up and poor and longs for his days of youth, and so it is that he plans one last major raid on series of three that have recently moved in. These of course are no ordinary farms, but are the estates of Boggis, Bunce and Bean, three of the meanest, toughest and well off farmers around. After the raids take place, the farmers decide to get revenge and chaos ensues.

In their attempt to end Mr. Fox’s reign they devise a plan that ends up endangering ALL of the animals in the forest, who in turn, take out their frustrations (rightfully so) on Mr. Fox.

Additionally Mr. Fox’s son Ash and his cousin Kristofferson get into quite a bit of trouble along the way. As if all this isn’t enough, the worst of the worst happen, Mr. Fox must deal with the irate but lovely Mrs. Fox, who tells him in no uncertain terms, that their marriage was a huge mistake. Eventually Mr. Fox releases he has one of two choices: A. Turn himself in or B. come up with a cunning plan to save them all, that eventually requires everyone’s help.  He opts for option B.

Anderson pulls out an all star casts of voiceovers. In addition to his usual suspects of Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Willem Dafoe, Mr. Anderson adds the talents of George Clooney, Meryl Streep and even himself, forming a narrative that is entertaining to listen to. Clooney is as smooth as ever and you could argue this movie even resembles an animated Ocean’s 11.

Mr. Anderson continues to display his brilliant panache for soundtracks as he mixes in multiple original tracks of folksy. banjo laden, thigh slapping, back porch twang with an iconic set of classic rock and roll. (Who else could put the Rolling Stones and Beach Boys in a kid’s movie?) The culmination of which is the performance of campfire jam and narrative performed by the local Folk singer Petey. It is brilliant and I plan on buying it.

Anderson does a magnificent job of mixing in his quirky, dry humor with his playful and ironic story telling. In typical fashion he manages to mix in his deeper themes of the need for family, friendship and the struggles to be something we are not versus accepting what we are.

 Of course any Wes Anderson fan will love this movie,  but it is so well done that any adult should be able to as well. I will say kids can enjoy this movie but mainly elementary school kids, not preschool or kindergarten. It would be a little above the younger children’s level of understanding.

I almost gave this movie a very solid four Babbles but as I thought more and more about it, this movie is really well done and a four seems a little too low. So it is I will agree with my fellow Babbler Johnny and give this movie a 4.5 Babbles. After all, just like Mr. Fox, this movie is fantastic.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon Podcast

Our latest podcast is up! In this episode we review New Moon and the overall Twilight phenomenon that is sweeping the nation. In this podcast, we not only discuss our critical review of the movies but it’s impact on pop culture, the next generation, and morality. Since none of the Babblers are big fans, we brought in two experts, or ’Twi-hards’ to help us understand what all the hype is about. Check it out and leave us your thoughts.

The Twilight podcast can be found here.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Late Thanksgiving thurs. I went out excited to see ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ after persuading a friend not to see Twilight: New Moon. I am relieved that I succeeded. Not only did I avoid wasting money seeing the terrible phenom known as Twilight, I manage to see one of the best movies this year.

The story simply is about a retired fox eager to make one last ‘heist’ before old age renders him unable. There is a lot to be said about how clever the dialogue was written. It was very smart, funny, articulate, and a bit quirky.

Fantastic Mr. Fox had so many elements packed into the film to enjoy and appreciate. Strong music, detailed animation or ‘claymation’, dialogue, and excellent voice talent. The film is absolutely humorous, well paced, and visually fun to watch. Wes Anderson has artistically adapted Roald Dahl’s brilliant story into a visual masterpiece that many will enjoy.

I would highly recommend seeing Fantastic Mr. Fox and for the added difficulty of making this genre of film a success I must add half a babble.

ninja assassin

Let me be frank. I would love to eat steak, duck, lobster or some other fine cuisine each day. The reality is, I settle for much simpler fares like burgers or grilled chicken and enjoy it quite a bit. To follow this theme, Ninja Assassin is an “In-N-Out burger” of a film. It’s fairly quick and semi-digestible, yet satisfying on a Saturday night..and, yes, there is cheese.

Korean born actor/dancer/martial-artist, Rain (Speed Racer 2008), plays Raizo, an orphan taken in and trained by a deadly ninja Clan. Raizo rises to the top of the class of killers but when his friend is brutally murdered by the clan, Raizo abandons the group and plans to exact revenge. Later, in Berlin, Europol agent, Mika Coretti, played by Naomie Harris (28 Days Later, Pirates of the Caribbean), traces a series of political murders to the ninja clan that was supposed to be a myth. Mika becomes the target of the Ozunu Clan and Raizo comes to her aid. Together, they try to stay alive long enough to bring down an enemy that operates in the shadows.

This was a fun film that wastes no time giving audiences what they’ve come to enjoy in martial-arts films; fast paced, choreographed violence, enhanced with oceans of bright red, Tarantino-like, Hollywood plasma. The first half-hour of the film lulls slightly, but like many action flicks, the final hour rolls along until the final stand-off. The lead actors in this film don’t have much chemistry (tragically normal for martial-arts films) but they deliver good performances for a film centered around action. The director makes a good attempt to make the fight sequences unique but he seemed to over use CGI to depict the shadowy movement of the ninjas.

The body count and gallons of blood are excessive, and the throwing stars pop off like bullets from a semi-automatic weapon, but that’s all part of the charm of this movie. If you can check your gray matter at the door, this film can be pretty entertaining. It’s head and shoulders above Ninja Cheerleaders, so I give Ninja Assassin a good but not great, 2.5 babbles out of 5.

New Moon from a Twi-hard

A friend of mine and Twilight fan wrote a review of New Moon for BabbleOn. We thought it wouldn’t be fair not to get a perspective of a ‘Twi-hard’ and how the movies compare to the books. Thanks Ashleigh for your review! 

Tony asked me, a “twi-hard” fan, to write a review for New Moon.  I was more than happy to oblige.  After all, at this point, there is no shame.  I’m almost 30 years old, have three children and yes…I’ve read all of the books and already seen New Moon twice in the theater.  I told you.  No shame.

I actually saw the first movie before I read the books.  So I wasn’t one of those to lament on how much Twilight strayed from the original book.  I actually enjoyed the movie and then decided to read the books this summer.  And let me just stop and have a self-indulgent moment…THE BOOKS ARE FANTASTIC.  I know, I know…I am NOT the intended audience.  I found that out the hard way as I walked into a bookstore looking for the third book and was told they were in “teen fiction”.  Oh.  Got it.  Because…um…my niece just LOVES these books.  Thanks.

I digress.  But I devoured the books and was eagerly anticipating the release of this second movie.  To be honest, New Moon was actually my least favorite book of the four.  It was semi depressing and Meyer took a lot of time trying to build Jacob’s character since we didn’t see much of him in Twilight.  And during the middle third of the book, she switched from Bella’s perspective to Jacob’s.  I have always been on “Team Edward”, so the heavy focus on Jacob felt like I was just putting in time to get back to the REAL story.

Nevertheless, I gathered a few more middle aged moms and we purchased our midnight showing tickets.  Oh yes we did.  Right there next to the 13 year old girls who screamed every time Jacob took his shirt off.  The highlight of the whole experience was when the little girl next to me called me ma’am.  I still haven’t lived that one down.

New Moon not only did not disappoint, it brought the story to life in a way that didn’t make you roll your eyes…and that is no easy feat.  I found myself enjoying Jacob’s character, which is what Meyer’s intent was in the book, but I never really got there.  Taylor Lautner (who had to re-audition for the part of Jacob due to the dramatic physical change in his character between book one and two) did a fantastic job portraying the mature 16 year old who found it hard to hide his feelings for Bella.  He did a great job balancing the playfulness of a teenager and the responsibility of well…a werewolf. 

And the whole werewolf vampire thing is fine when you are sitting by a pool reading a book – but I definitely wondered how that would come off on-screen.  I mean, wolves the size of horses?  Vampires faster than speeding trains?  But the combination of EXCELLENT music and special effects made the supernatural not only fun to watch, but almost normal.  I thought for sure I would roll my eyes at the blurred visions of a red headed vampire running from werewolves, but that actually ended up being my favorite scene. 

Honestly, it felt like they actually had a budget.  The first movie was fine for what it was, but after watching the second you almost feel like they saw how successful the first was and decided to cut them a decent check this go around. 

There were very few things they changed from the book – and none of those things compromised the story at all.  Now granted, when you are reading some of the love story in the privacy of your own head it’s not embarrassing.  But then sitting amongst your peers and 13 year old girls, you realize that there is some cheese involved.  I’ll own that. 

But you know what, I like cheese.  I need a little cheese.  Not like, go the ballpark and order nachos and it comes out of that nasty silver machine like syrup.  But like, “would you like a little cheese with that glass of Chardonnay?”  Yes.  Yes I would like a little cheese.  Thank you for asking.

I give it a 5 out of 5 Babbles!!!

Listen to our podcast on New Moon and the Twilight phenomenon

Thanks Ashleigh, wow you might be the first reviewer to award a movie with 5 Babbles- but I sure you weren’t partial You can follow Ashleigh on Twitter @ash_carroll 

Twilight Saga New Moon

You can read my first review of Twilight here

As I begin this second review of the latest installment of Twilight, let spend some time going into the complex and intricate *smirk, smirk* story of New Moon:

A year or so passes since the last movie. Edward leaves because he doesn’t want to endanger Bella. She is sad and find solace in the arms of a hunky Jacob who runs with a pack of dogs. She is reunited with Edward but they get in trouble by the vampire police. Narrowing escaping they live happily ever after…for now.

I was EXTREMELY apprehensive about seeing this second part after my disappointing first exposure to Twilight. Especially since it would cost me $11 this time versus a borrowed DVD. Sitting in a theater of what can only be described as a giant 13 year old girl’s slumber party, it did not help ease my already waning,  semi-open mind. So you should be just as shocked as myself to read the following lines; To my surprise, about halfway through the movie, I actually thought to myself ‘this is not half bad’. After I realized the ceiling was not going to collapse in on me for thinking such counter intuitive thoughts, I settled in for the rest of the movie.

Under the new direction of Chris Weitz, New Moon went from a vapid shell of a movie to genuine guilty pleasure. Sure, it is far from quality cinema but at least it presents itself with a little dignity and some self-awareness of what it is. While the general premise doesn’t change at least the rest of the movie elements catches up from the first outing. Acting, dialogue, cinematography, score, and pacing soars to a sub-par level. New Moon has a resemblance of an actual movie instead of feeling like Dawson’s Creek meets Buffy. The same criticisms still linger from the first movie like overly drawn out, angst filled moments, nose grazing, excessive slow motion, and so on. However, this time there is a little more balance to help you keep your popcorn and soda down. After a year, it felt like the handling of the material matured along with the actors. It could be so much better but at least it allowed me to focus on the story instead on constant eye rolling or checking my watch.

Personally, I felt the story was strongest when the two mains, Edward and Bella, were apart which was for about 2/3rd of the film. The political tension between the vampires, wolves, and humans actually drew me in. I did find myself aligning with factions and hoping for certain outcomes. Weitz does a good job forcing you to sympathize with the carefully orchestrated love triangle of Bella/Edward/Jacob. I found myself to be siding ‘Team Jacob’ which is grossly embarrassing to admit. The story takes an odd leap near about the 3/4 mark to Italy where it turns into a spectacle version of Matrix meets Angels and Demons. It was an interesting layer but awkwardly handled. This is probably much better fleshed out in the book.

I was a little surprised to read the RottenTomatoes gave this one a 30% verses a 49% like its predecessor. New Moon was a more complete package offering a little bit to everyone instead of to the exclusively simple, 12 year old, mopy female.

In conclusion, I am intentionally resisting my thoughts on characters, motive, message, and culture for my “Twilight phenomenon Special” to follow soon. Thanks for reading and let me know what you thought of it.

I had to stretch to give New Moon a 3 out of 5 Babbles

Listen to our podcast on New Moon and the Twilight phenomenon