So, the final New Moon trailer premiered during the MTV Video Music Awards tonight. If you haven’t seen it for yourself yet (unlikely, I know!), then you can check it out below:
What did I think? Personally, I was blown away. I’ve been saying for awhile that I think New Moon will be even better than Twilight, for many reasons. The new director, Chris Weitz, has truly impressed me with his understanding of the book in interviews. I’m also a fan of his filming style; the previous New Moon clips have been excellent. Also, it doesn’t hurt that New Moon has a much bigger budget than Twilight.
But this preview was even better than I expected. It did all the right things: it showed the scope of the plot of New Moon (which is so much bigger than in Twilight, especially with the werewolves and the Volturi). It showed hints of strong performances by Rob, Kristen, and Taylor. It has a darker tone, it has more action, and it’s just one pretty looking movie, in my humble opinion.
If there was one thing that it maybe did too well? It did cover all the highlights of the movie, even key parts near the end. Still, it’s hard to promote a movie based on a book, since everyone who’s read it already knows what happens. Also, most trailers give away the best parts of movies nowadays, whether they’re based on books or not. So even though it showed some pretty spoiler-filled scenes, that didn’t bother me much. (Personally, it just made me even more excited to see the entire movie!)
My favorite parts:
The first few clips of the Volturi = If you look closely, these are parts of a flashback. The Volturi are executing a vampire with Carlisle looking on. It’s during the 1700’s, so they’re all in full period costume. Visually, it’s gorgeous, especially the set and costumes. Plus, it adds just the right amount of historical texture, while Edward is explaining who the Volturi are.
Jane’s line = Dakota Fanning’s performance looks amazing so far. She definitely captured Jane’s creepy side! I can’t wait to see the demonstration of her powers in the movie.
Cliff diving = I thought the visual of Edward in the water, with Bella being pulled out by Jacob, was truly beautiful. It was such a haunting illustration of what happens in the book: Bella is pulled into this deep, dangerous depression because of her obsession with Edward, and Jacob is the one to rescue her.
Edward’s suicide attempt = Nice abs aside, I still think Robert Pattinson’s performance is impressive here. With just his facial expression, he conveys the despair and heartbreak Edward is feeling perfectly.
Laurent and the Werewolves = Okay, I’m sorry, but I love ALL the action sequences! And this one looks especially awesome. I think the CGI has improved leaps and bounds from the first preview. Plus, Laurent’s smirk is deliciously dangerous. (Way to go, Edi!)
Well, I have to say, I am one happy fan. After all, even the best movies based on books are still adaptations. They can’t keep every detail from the books, and some things HAVE to change, or they won’t be good movies. (Some things translate differently onscreen than they do with words on a page.) But so far, this appears to be one of the most faithful adaptations of a book that I’ve seen. It has ALL the key scenes that fans loved from the book, with a few additions that look like they’ll just add even more excitement to the experience.
Personally, I can’t wait until November 20th! And judging by the response on Twitter, I don’t think I’m alone. 
Kudos to Chris Weitz, the production team, and the cast for doing an outstanding job on the preview footage. Based on the clips I’ve seen, I think my prediction about New Moon is well on its way to coming true! 
