I saw the romantic vampire flick New Moon last night, and unlike the first movie, it didn't stink. My wife read the Twilight book series with some friends at work and really enjoyed it. She practically dragged me to the last movie and apologized when it was over. This time, I was willing to go and told her that I was glad that we went (and that they hired a new director for this one). She got all excited and started telling me about what happens in the next one.
 
Twilight: New MoonThankfully, she didn't go crazy and start plastering posters of Robert Pattinson (the actor who plays the vampire Edward in the films) all over our bedroom. Nonetheless, after listening to a bunch of shrieks, giggles, and applause come from the younger female audience in the movie theater last night, I've observed that teenage girls are crazy about Twilight. I don't know that it's good to be that obsessed with anything, but I have noticed some redemptive elements in the Stephanie Meyer series.
 
First of all, this isn't a critique. Let me say that I'm not advocating for New Moon to win "film of the year" or anything like. It's a teenage melodrama, full of cliches and unbelievable moments, but what do you expect in a movie about high school, monsters, and love? Early critics are pretty much trashing it (see Rotten Tomatoes for ongoing reviews), so if you want a critique, go there. Second of all, the reason I'm writing this is because a friend on Facebook asked me more about it and if he should take his daughter to it. I gave the following response to him (which I thought might be relevant to others):
 
Hey So-and-so,

I didn't have any issues with it. There's some sexual tension between the two main characters (basically, every time he tries to kiss her, he wants to suck her blood, too). However, one reviewer that I read said that New Moon shared a good message of abstinence, which is true. I haven't read the books, but my wife has, and I believe that the two lead characters wait to have sex before marriage. While the film is far from Christian, if one were intentional about it, it could be a great teaching moment. The series has already caused some teenagers to wait for their own "Edward" (i.e. true love) before having sex.

The message of the movie is about sacrificing for the person you love. Yes, there are vampires and werewolves, but all in all, it's just a love story and a better one than a lot of the preceding vampire romances (i.e. Interview with the Vampire, Bram Stoker's Dracula, etc.), which were all pretty sexually-charged.
 
In regards to the love story, I think that our culture puts way too much stock in romantic love, and this film plays to that to a degree. The two characters resemble Romeo and Juliet (which they're actually reading in school at the time). They're obsessed with each other to the point that they don't want to live without the other; however, there are also some redemptive elements in the love story that would well be worth discussing. For example, when Bella steps in to volunteer to die in place of her Edward, all of the vampires are taken aback by her sacrificial love for him. One says something along the lines of, "You would die for him, a soulless monster?"

The two male figures have their shirts off a lot, which explains part of why teenage girls swoon over these movies. I don't completely understand the phenomenon, either, but at the same time the film has some positive things going for it. There were some implied sexual undertones and a general distortion of romantic love, but it's not a bad conversation-starter. The idea of losing one's soul and going to hell comes up in the movie. In fact, it seems like the vampires believe more in this than Bella does. Another good discussion lead-in, if you ask me.

Personally, as a guy whose eyes are easily led astray and can start thinking lustfully without much help from a movie, I surprisingly didn't find any of the romance / tension in the movie tempting. I often rely on reviews on Christianity Today about mainstream movies worth seeing. This one was good, as was this article on the abstinence issue broached in the film.
 
Perhaps, the most teachable part of New Moon is the complications of the love triangle between Jacob, Edward, and Bella, and how each character needs to learn to love more selflessly. In the interview below, Kristen Stewart (Bella) explains how each character is acting selfishly, and this is my wife's least favorite part of the series -- how she "plays" both of the guys who have a love interest in her. In my experience, young ladies do this often, and it would be a good example of not what to do.
 
All in all, I thought that New Moon was a good movie, and if I had a daughter, I would consider her taking her to it, but not without following up the movie with a conversation over a milkshake afterward.

Hope this helps!
 
Jeff