Vampire film attracts Batswana teens

GASEBALWE SERETSE
Staff Writer | Thursday January 7, 2010 00:00

Some of the most talked about movies that premiered around that time include 2012, Avatar and The Twilight Saga: New Moon. One of the things that make New Moon Stand out is that it attracted younger audiences.

This reviewer got the chance to join scores of lovey-dovey teenagers in watching the latest instalment from a series written by American writer, Stephenie Meyer towards the end of last year. Back then, a reliable source at Capital Cinema at Riverwalk mall told Showbiz that the newly released movie attracted more viewers than its nearest rival, 2012, which is an apocalypse story derived from the Mayan calendar.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which is about vampire teenagers appeals to young people all over the world as it tells the story of lovelorn teenagers who try to overcome all hurdles to be together despite various factors working against them.

In the film, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) fight for the attention of Isabella 'Bella' Swan (Kristen Stewart). What makes this story even more intriguing is that both boys are not human as they appear and they are vying for the love of a human girl making it a modern-day version of Romeo and Juliet.

In the first film, Twilight, Edward and Bella are consumed in love but they cannot be together as often as they wish simply because theirs is forbidden love. While Bella is only human with no supernatural powers, Edward is an ageless vampire with amazing gifts. In New Moon, when Edwards is compelled to desert Bella for sometime, her long-time friend Jacob steps in and propositions her.  Bella has feelings for the dashing Jacob but her true love is Edward and she becomes lovelorn despite Jacob's efforts to try and cheer her up.

Now, this sets off the latest craze with some teens either vying for the Edward Cullen team or the Jacob Black team. Perhaps it is worth-mentioning at this point that the werewolves are the sworn enemies of the vampires and this adds fuel to the fire in the rivalry. However, the 'feel' that one gets when watching this movie is that Jacob is the one who is really there for Bella when she needs love and protection the most because he is always readily available. Jacob is a lovable character, no wonder his female fans are likely to swoon over him as the muscular, tall, dark and handsome lad who turns into a werewolf whenever provoked. Unlike Twilight, New Moon puts Jacob's clan, the werewolves in the limelight and they are portrayed as aggressive creatures and the chief enemies of the vampires.

On the other hand, the elusive Edward is also tall and handsome vampire albeit not as dark and muscular as Jacob, a fact that even his most die-hard fans would concede and that is why this latest instalment is likely to make Taylor Lautner on par with Robert Pattinson as a teenage heartthrob.

While Jacob has declared his undying love for Bella, it looks like the she is more interested in Edward who has partly abandoned her preferring to appear to her in a ghostly form to warn her of impending dangers.

At last towards the end of the film, she manages to be fully embraced by the Cullen clan when she saves Edward. As, Sasa Majuma, pointed out elsewhere in Mmegi, it is the delayed gratification- the fact that the passionate teenagers never get the chance to really go beyond occasional hugging and kissing- that makes the saga have a large following.

As mentioned before, New Moon greatly appeals to teenagers though the young at heart would love it also. The rumoured off-screen relationship between Pattinson and Stewart seem to make the series even more appealing and teenagers are likely to lap up every instalment in order to see what eventually happens between the lovebirds Edward and Bella as the former's rivalry with Jacob intensifies.

It is reported that the Twilight series has made, Stephenie Meyer, a Mormon who hates the limelight a multimillionaire.  

The author who claims to have 'dreamt' about the characters in her series is said to have gotten the 'wrongly' spelt first name from her father who had insisted that it should be spelt that way.

Given the number of young people who came to watch the New Moon last year, it can be assumed that young people all over the world, including Botswana, are eagerly waiting for the next installment from the franchise.