"The Twilight Saga: New Moon"

Kristen Stewart
Robert Pattison
Taylor Lautner
Billy Burke
Ashley Greene
Anna Kendrick
Michael Welch
Micheal Sheen
Dakota Fanning
Jackson Rathborne




PG13          130min           2009




After the events of Twilight, Bella has embraced Edward in her life and looks to celebrate her birthday with his family. When a minor accident leads a intense situation, the Cullens leave for Bella's safety. Leaving her broke and unprotected, Jacob Black comes in to fill the void left by Edward.

As their relationship deeps, events lead to Bella and Jacob being torn apart. Leaving Bella to create another accident that leads Edwards to do the near impossible. That leads to a race against time to save Edward.

I have read the entire series and this is my least favorite of the four. This is my least favorite of the two so far. This movie is truly for the fans, but can be enjoyed by others. I was disappointed with this outing.

IF you have read the series then you will understand. For the first two were the hardest for me to get through it to much longing looks and wanting. Its going to be the same thing with the movies if its faithful to the source material, only visually. I did like some of the changes that they did visually to represent some of the mental stuff Bella was going through.

If you're like me you sit down and go through it. I have seen worst films than “The Twilight Sage: New Moon” by far. It does set up the triangle very well. This is what New Moon is about. Jacob Black is the contrast to Edward Cullen.

“The Twilight Sage: New Moon” is a movie faithful to the material but translated for a visual medium, a lot of stuff was left out of the film that doesn't make sense unless you read the book. Too truly appreciate this film you do have to have read the book. Its something that can't be help.

At 130 minutes, “The Twilight Sage: New Moon” is kind of long for a teen drama. I think it need every minute just to set up the other two films. Anyone who has read the books will agree it gave you everything it needed to in that 130 minutes as soon and as fast a possible without compromising the story, that the fans love.

As a fan of the series I was disappointed in this film. “The Twilight Sage: New Moon” did have its moments for me. Three moments for me included the two cougars at 1 p.m. showing on Friday November 20 at the Goldsboro Premiere Theatre 12. You know who you are, you know what you said, and you should be ashamed.

Overall “The Twilight Sage: New Moon” is a sequel and like most sequels its inferior to the first. New Moon does stay faithful to the source material. Which the fans do appreciate by the ticket sales. In its 130 minutes it does everything it visually can to setup the next two films so stop complaining about the time people.

I give “The Twilight Sage: New Moon” 3 out of 5.

"Twilight"

Kristen Stewart
Robert Pattinson
Cam Gigandet
Billy Burke
Ashley Greene
Nikki Reed
Jackson Rathbone
Kellan Lutz
Peter Facinelli
Elizabeth Reaser
Taylor Lautner







PG13           120min           2008


Based on the international bestseller by Stephanie Meyer's Twilight is about a teenage girl moving to a small town in Washington and falling in love with a vampire.

A couple of years ago I came across this web site that named books that were being turned into movies. It had a description of the book and information on the film. Two of the films that happened to be on it were Jumper and Twilight. I read there description and thought they would be interesting reads and they have not disappointed.

This is a faithful adaptation of the book and is one giant shout-out to the fans of the book without leaving out the uninitiated. The angst and drama is all there. The changes made by Melissa Rosenberg and Catherine Hardwicke really make Twilight fresh and new for fans of the book. This going to be a global phenomenon.

There many little things that the fans will recognize from the book. Its these little details that will make fans of the series see it again. But it also a film that girlfriends will take their boyfriends and they can enjoy. There is more action and less of the introspective dialog from Bella that will make most men uncomfortable. Most who are new to the series will not be disappointed.

The angst and drama from the books is there. Pattinson plays Edwards as a younger version of Angel without the curse. Stewart plays Bella unabashed love for Edward rivaling Juliet's love for Romeo. Just as in the book the movie romance scream for a sequel.

The changes made to the screen whether it was in the adaptation of the screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg or the ideas that Catherine Hardwicke made, Twilight is familiar but totally fresh unlike the first two Harry Potter that were almost direct adaptation from the book. It follows the overall plot of the book but makes changes to the story that makes it more accessible for live action. Being a fan and knowing the story I can wait for the next ones to come out.

If you have not be introduce to the Twilight Universe here are the books for purchase:

Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)

New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2)

Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3)

Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)
I give Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) 4 out of 5.

Trailers at the beginning of my screening was Knowing, Push, and 7 Pounds

I give Twilight 4 out of 5.

"Rise: Blood Hunter"

Lucy Liu
Michael Chiklis
James D'Arcy
Carla Gugino
Cameron Richardson
Allan Rich
Kevin Wheatley
Mako



Unrated           122min           2007


Female reporter Sadie Blake (Lucy Liu) wakes up in a morgue to find herself a member of the undead, the victim of a brutal vampire ritual. Trying desperately to fight off her thirst, Sadie prowls the dark city streets, armed with a crossbow and hell-bent on staying the twisted vampires that made her this way. – from the back cover

As a film “Rise: Blood Hunter” is a standard action film that threw my expectations out of the door. It’s abandons the normal vampire lore. It’s a film with a film big-named stars and notable cameos. Lucy Liu takes some daring steps in this film.

This is a film that threw out my expectations and the vampire lore. I thought this was going to be a stylized action film with the vampire world as a backdrop. It turns out to be a character driven film with action sequences. Some of the vampire lore is present and others aren’t and I think that is because of budget reason. Which at some points takes you out of the film.

Lucy Liu is an unwilling turned vampire out to kill the ones who turned her. She is aided by Michael Chiklis as a rogue cop out hunting the ones who killed his daughters. Carla Gugino takes another part that is a waste of her time but caters to her talent. “Rise: Blood Hunter” has a cameo of a former boy band member that if you blink you will miss him because the next time you see him he’s unrecognizably dead.

I think Lucy Liu takes a daring depart from her normal comfort zone in this film. A film that is more erotic than gory than I would have thought. She looks amazing to be close to forty at the time of filming this film. It would have been a better film if it had more money for more special effects.

There are a few featurettes that are thrown together for the sake of putting something on the disc. The behind the scenes featurettes focus on: Blood, Sex & Murder, Location, and Stunts. It has a feature comparing the storyboards to the filmed scenes and a theatrical trailer. There are loads of movie trailers: “Resident Evil: Extinction”, “Boogeyman 2”, “Hostel: Part 2”, “Resident Evil and Resident Evil: Apocalypse Deluxe Edition”, “Pumpkinhead & Blood Feud”, “Closure”, “Urban Justice”, “Kaw”, “Ghost Rider”, “The Company”, “First Snow”, and “Fearnet.com”

I give it 3/5 Gs.