Review of New Moon Versus Twilight - Comparison of New Moon to the Original Film

For fans of the Twilight series, last night was certainly a night to remember with the release of New Moon to theaters around the country. My wife and I went to see the film at South Coast Plaza in central Orange County, California. We were lucky to have purchased our tickets for New Moon online as every showing for the night was completely sold out. The popularity of the film was obvious due to the hundreds of Twilight fans standing in lines outside of the theater. Here is an review of how New Moon compared to the original Twilight film.

Feel of the New Moon versus Twilight

The first thing that I noticed was the overall feel of the movie. It seemed to differ somewhat from the original film which was released in 2008. I could immediately tell that the directing style for the movie seemed different, and was not surprised when my wife informed me that the director had changed from the original. Catherine Hardwicke, who directed Twilight, had been replaced with Chris Weitz, known for his work as producer of the American Pie series.

Flow from Twilight into New Moon

New Moon takes off right where Twilight ended. With the exception of the different directing styles from the two films, New Moon could have easily followed Twilight without viewers knowing that it was a separate film.

In the original film, the story touches briefly on the tensions between the Cullen family and the Indians of the La Push Reservation, but does not go into deep detail. The focus of the Twilight series transitions in New Moon from being primarily being about the Cullens and Bella's relationship with Edward to exploring the world of Jacob and the werewolves. The film also reveals the Volturi, the royal family presiding over the vampire world. The new information in New Moon seems to set the ground work for the next film to come out in mid-2010.

New Moon action sequences

New Moon is loaded a with many more action sequences than the original film. This should be a treat especially for the guys who are dragged reluctantly to the film by their wives and girlfriends. Primarily, New Moon's action focuses on the tension between members of the werewolf pack to keep the secrecy of their group, and their efforts to protect Bella from Laurent and Victoria, vampires from the original film. The movie also features a great fight scene between Edward and members of the Volturi.

Romantic aspects of New Moon

The romantic aspect of New Moon compared to Twilight was very different. The original film was packed full of mystery and romance that surrounded Bella and Edward's relationship. While New Moon focuses on Bella falling for Jacob in Edward's absence through most of the film, the sequel was definitely less steamy than the original.

Film Overview

Overall, New Moon was a pretty good film. On it's own, I feel that the movie wasn't as good as the original film. However, New Moon is definitely an important piece of the Twilight series puzzle. As a continuation of the first film, it is definitely a perfect fit. It was interesting to see how the story unfolded from Twilight. If you are a fan of the original film or the popular book series, New Moon is definitely a must see.