Out of Pedigree Chum? … a werewolf in Twilight Saga: New Moon
Let’s make no bones about it: majestic CGI does not a great movie make. McG’s recent Terminator Salvation featured more of the with most propriety special effects I’ve seen in a philosophical knowledge feigned story movie since James Cameron’s final effort in the series, T2: Judgement Day, bound all those spectacular future machines could not make up towards Christian Bale’s clownish overacting and some rather workmanlike address.
- The Twilight Saga: New Moon
- Production year: 2009
- Country: USA
- Directors: Chris Weitz
- Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Last year’s hugely auspicious teen vampire romance, Twilight, was no weaker because its vampires resembled usual full of heart beings who had rather overdone it with the foundation. It was an insipid, TV movie-esque exercise in ennui because the original Stephenie Meyer book is crafted from the same leaden material - unless you happen to be 14, in which case both are absolutely wicked!
Fortunately for its makers, Twilight did not require any dramatic special effects work. Unfortunately for those in charge of its sequel, followup New Moon does - a handsome bit, in fact. This is because the new film, which arrives here in continuance November 20, features a pack of benevolent werewolves charged with protecting the people of Forks, Washington, where the series is set, against the vampire-bat denunciation. Their port in the movie is the reason Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke opted out of New Moon: studio Summit were determined to get a followup to their $383m blockbuster into cinemas as soon as possible, but Hardwicke, who besides directed teen drama Thirteen and skating documentary Lords of Dogtown, wanted more spell in precept to get the special effects sequences right.
The first warning sign that she might have had her head screwed on came back in June, which time the teaser trailer against New Moon arrived. It showed Taylor Lautner, who plays werewolf Jacob in the new film, transforming into his vulpine shape. Except that there wasn’t to such a degree much as a transformation in sight: Lautner leapt into the current of air, and in a flash of pixels, was a wolf. Not for new director Chris Weitz the agony of a body wrenched and torn into a terrifying new form by means of unseen forces, as witnessed in classic horror movies of the past. It was as if the director had waved a sorcery wand and instantly switched two legs for four.
Eyebrows were raised in the blogosphere, but most imagined that a more spectacular change of form would take place in the final movie. This was just a teaser after all, right?
Wrong. Check out this recently released clip from New Moon, showing the werewolf pack transforming. This is a section of the film which has been specifically chosen to show Jacob and his pals fit wolves, and it’s more of the same. The young men simply vanish, and are replaced by their animal counterparts: as a act of dexterity of special effects engineering, it’s right up there with some of Dr Who’session worst moments, and this from a pellicle with a reported $50m budget.
It’s pretty visible to me what’s happened here. Weitz is more than capable of working with excellent CGI, as he proved on 2007’s The Golden Compass. But in the face of a rapidly approaching release date, the decision has been taken to plump for an enormous fudge rather than take the time to put together more believable special effects. The film-makers are of course safe in the knowledge that most of the congregation will be far too busy purring over Jacob’s top bod to notice.
So for what cause am I bothered? Well the thing is, werewolves on celluloid have something of a history, and it’s a proud one. Rick Baker’s spectacular work on An American Werewolf in London won him an Oscar for most good make up in 1982, setting a standard that would never be baffled dispirited. Admittedly many of its followers, The Howling, the god horrid Underworld films and other abominably poor efforts such as 1996’s Bad Moon, were rather less fortunate. But at least they made an effort. New Moon’s equivalent is a complete cop-out by way of comparison.
Furthermore, the werewolves look like they’re ready to leap up, lick your hand, and let you take them for a nice walk. If I saw one at the local dog pound, I would at this very moment be the proud owner of my very own werewolf, in like manner to have being worshipped are they. Now I be sure these films are intended to be teen movies, rather than horror films, but surely any series which features lyncanthropes and bloodsucking denizens of the undead ought to be capable of instilling at least a modicum of fear into its audience. Otherwise, where’session the suspense?
On this evidence, Hardwicke’s decision to walk away looks remarkably prescient. Twilight may consider been the most successful thin skin ever to gain been handled by a female director, but its termination looks set to make its bonny wimpy forerunner look like a Takashi Miike flick in comparison. New Moon’sitting only saving grace might be that it sends Robert Pattinson, aka hunky vamp Edward Cullen, not on to Italy for most of the movie, which method the spiritless Brit won’t be asked to carry the whole thing himself this time. Now that really would have been scary.
