The Twilight Saga: New Moon hits theaters today, which means it’s time to reflect on the 2013 movie that kicked off the highly popular series. That movie was pretty good, but there are some serious questions about its ending that need to be answered.
Is The Ending Predictable?
One of the major issues with The Twilight Saga: New Moon is that it completely disregards logic and makes the ending extremely predictable. We knew from the trailer that Edward (Robert Pattinson) would sacrifice himself for Bella (Kristen Stewart). And that’s exactly what happens in the movie. After a massive battle with the Cullens, Jasper (Michael Landon), the Volturi, and a whole lot of wolves, Edward gives everything up and lies down in front of a massive bomb to protect Bella. But just because he gave everything up at the end of the movie doesn’t mean he has to stay that way. The showrunners could have decided to leave some room for Edward to change his mind, not to mention the fact that his life could be in danger without Bella. But we’re talking about a PG-13 movie here, so you know what they had to do. The only way I can describe this scenario is by comparing it to a love story between two kids. It’s cute and it makes sense in a way that a twenty-something-year-old can understand. But it lacks adult supervision and makes me question the thought process that went into creating this ending.
Is Edward’s Descent Into Madness Predictable?
Another issue that has been bothering me since the beginning of the Twilight Saga is how disconnected Edward’s descent into madness was from the rest of the story. I know that it’s supposed to be part of his growth as a character and it’s supposed to be dark and scary, which it was. But for me it dragged and it didn’t feel like it belonged in the same movie, let alone the same series. I get that Edward is a very complex character with layers, but I don’t think that complexity can come at the price of predictability. We understand that he’s a vampire and that he has issues, however, it doesn’t mean that we have to like or respect what he does. If we’re supposed to sympathize with Bella because she’s a helpless human who is under the impression that Edward is some sort of superhero then let’s make it interesting. Let’s give her a character arc that we can understand and connect to, even if it’s twisted. Let’s give her a rival who she has to overcome, not just a villain who she has to fight. I understand that Bella is supposed to fall in love with Edward and that he’s supposed to save her from certain death, but let’s not kid ourselves. Some of us are still vampires and we still need to drink blood. It’s just that in this case, I’m not sure that Bella’s blood will do the trick.
Why Did Edward Stay In Wolf Form The Entire Time?
The last issue I have with The Twilight Saga: New Moon is that, at the end of the day, Edward still prefers being a wolf. He’s never shown any affection for humans, despite their constant pleadings, and I think that this aversion to humanity hinders his ability to connect with others. As previously stated, he’s a very complex character with layers, but this aspect of his personality is something that he’s never given much thought to. It doesn’t help that the writers haven’t, either. It was an easy way for them to write him off as yet another villain, but I think that this is a lose-lose for Edward. Either way, the audience isn’t going to like or understand him. It was much easier for the writers to just make him a wolf and move on (not that it’s a bad thing), but it doesn’t excuse them from writing an ending that makes at least a little bit of sense. I mean, let’s be real here: who wants to see a movie about a guy in his mid-twenties who still lives with his mother? It sounds like an episode of Family Matters, if you ask me.
So, is The Twilight Saga: New Moon a good movie? Yes, it is. Is it bad that it disregards logic and makes the ending extremely predictable? Yes, it is. Does Edward still prefer being a wolf the entire time? Yes, he does. Does this aversion to humanity keep him from connecting with others? Yes, it does. Is it worth seeing? Yes, it is. Would I recommend it to others? No, I wouldn’t. It’s cute and all, but it has its flaws.