Saturday, April 18, 2009

New Moon

I can't help it. I'm excited about this....




However, I am NOT excited about this...



Robert Pattinson ... Edward Cullen

Ashley Greene ... Alice Cullen

Peter Facinelli ... Dr. Carlisle Cullen

Nikki Reed ... Rosalie Hale

Jackson Rathbone ... Jasper Hale

Dakota Fanning ... Jane

I did NOT like Nikki Reed as Rosalie. Her acting was fine. But the most beautiful woman in the world? NOT. EVEN. CLOSE.

And no cast choice disappointed me more than Alice's (Ashley Greene). The worst acting in the entire Twilight movie (and that's saying a LOT). I really hope she has taken some acting lessons since Twilight. She has the look, but she blew it as soon as she spoke.

I am bummed about Robert Pattinson as Edward. I guess it would have been a stretch to change the actor at this juncture (although they pulled it off with Batman, like four times!). It's not that he's a bad actor. But he pulled some really weird faces in Twilight. The bigger problem is that he's just NOT good looking enough. Or manly enough. Or buff enough. My husband, who, bless his soul, brought home Twilight to watch the other day--OF HIS OWN FREE WILL AND ACCORD, with no suggestion from me--said right off the bat about Edward, "Could they have picked anyone faggier?" I think they could have. I can think of a few faggier choices. But Robert Pattinson just doesn't cut it in my book. Hopefully he'll stop being so brooding in this movie (what little he's in it.)

I could NOT buy Peter Facinelli as Carlisle. He was handsome enough. But he looked about 20 years old! Just way too young to be a doctor. Unless this is a sequel of Doogey Houser M.D. I wish they had changed him. He had such a small role that no one would have minded, I'm sure.

Jackson Rathbone did a fabulous impression of Edward Scissorhands in Twilight. Unfortunately, not so good as Jasper. Stiff, mechanical, robotic, blank-faced....YACK! And since he said maybe 5 words during the whole movie, I know he would not have been missed. Why, oh WHY did they keep him??

And finally we come to the most puzzling choice for the New Moon cast. Dakota Fanning as Jane???? Um, Dakota Fanning turns 15 this year. Did anyone get the impression from New Moon that Jane--powerful, vicious, cold-hearted vixen--was 15? And a cutesy blond? How they are going to pull THAT one off is beyond me.

I am, however, pleased to see a few people back: I really liked all the high school friends' actors. They're keepers. I liked the choice for Charlie, I liked Jacob, I liked Emmett and Victoria and Laurant. And I even liked Bella. There was a bit more stuttering and sighing than I thought necessary, but I thought overall that Kristen Stewart did a good job.

I'm also excited to see what director Chris Weitz (Director of About a Boy, American Pie and The Golden Compass) will do with it. I think the directing was one of the biggest problems with Twilight. Hopefully Chris can pull some better performances out of Jasper and Alice. (And let's all pray that the budget is big enough to make the special effects less absurd.)

What about you guys? Any thoughts on these actors, the upcoming movie, or your expectations for how this second book in the set will turn out on film?

12 comments:

Just SO said...

Oh I SO agree with you on this. In fact the showing I went to in theaters had more people laughing than anything else.

And to be honest I think that the only actors they got right in Twilight were Esme, Bella's high school friends and then the "bad" vampires. But my daughter wanted to know how Laurent could be "pale". Good question and does he sparkle as well?

Actually I can see Dakota fanning as Jane. It should be interesting to see who they cast as the the Volteri.

I hope that the director does a better job with this movie.

Notme said...

Carlisle is about 20 years old though isn't he? I don't like the guy who plays him. He is in a movie called Can't Hardly Wait, and that is all I see him as. I am actually growing on who plays Edward, I hated him at first, but at least his acting is as bad as the others.

Chelsea said...

The problem is that they didn't know if the first movie was going to be a success, so they couldn't get the best actors for the job. That's my theory anyway for why some of the casting was so bad. I've heard they are filming the rest of the movies pretty much back to back from here on out, because they don't want the vampire actors to age too much.

The one part I disagree with you on is Dakota Fanning. I think she'll be a great Jane, she has a creepy quality to her even though she's so cute. And wasn't Jane supposed to be like 12 years old?

The Payne-Rinne Family said...

As the newest obsessed Twilight fan, here are my opinions...

Edward? You are blasphemous. Robert P. is the hottest man on the planet, next to my husband.

Bella? Gag. I thought Kristen was the worst actor in the whole thing, and that's saying a lot given how much I love bad acting.

Anyone else? Didn't really care.

Oh, but I totally agree with you on Rosalie? Give me a break..most beautiful woman on the planet? They could have done way better than that.

I'm glad that we're both so excited for the new movie...along with every 13 year girl along the wasatch front. :)

Nicki said...

There were so many things about the Twilight movie that bugged me, but Robert Pattison was the worst. I'm truly hoping they do the book good on this one - not like I wouldn't watch it anyways :)

veronica said...

It's always interesting to see what they do when they make a book into a movie. Sometimes they get it...sometimes they don't.
By the way...I am not a Robert Pattison fan. At all.

mCat said...

I wish I had something to say. Really I do, but this is one of those times that I really have NOTHING to contribute. I do hope you enjoy the movie.

Christie said...

I wish I read Twilight so that I could participate in these discussions. Maybe I should start reading Melissa's blog, because she and I seem to be spot-on in the commoents.

Mia said...

I like Dakota Fanning for Jane too, I did get the impression that she was pretty young.

I saw on EW.com the guys they cast for the wolf pack... HOT!!! I may switch teams after all ;)

Financial Aid for College said...

Is anybody out there just a teensy bit over-obsessed about these movies and actors?

I liked that someone ADMITTED you are all 13 year old girls!

I confess, I DID read the books: Nicki tricked me into it. And I would really like to see someone else play almost everyone on the cast. Or at least Edward get a haircut.

CaraDee said...

Yes, Edward made some stupid faces, but Robert Pattinson is the ONLY reason to watch the movies. Twilight was TERRIBLE. I mean, they are making a movie out of a terrible series, but still. One look at him walking in the cafeteria, and I knew I would not die in the theater from the stupidity of the movie. He is something to stare at.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for warning us that this was Twlight related so I could skip the post :D Jen told me the writer is having legal problems as someone said the author plagiarized...Maybe you won't have to worry about the new movie after all.