2nd `Twilight` Film to Open in Korea Tomorrow

“The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” a film depicting a love story between a vampire and a teenage girl, will open in Korea tomorrow.

The movie is based on the phenomenally successful “Twilight” novel series by Stephanie Meyer. Following the successful release of “Twilight” last year, the latest movie opened in the U.S. Nov. 20 and topped the box office with 72.7 million U.S. dollars in one day.

In Korea, the four books of the Twilight series have sold a combined 1.3 million copies.

Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) love each other but are physically incompatible. Edward thinks that he cannot transform Bella into a vampire and let her feel the pain of immortality. He tells her he will break up with her at New Moon.

Korean movie critic Park Yoo-hee said, “The beauty of the original novel is the maximization of the emotion of first love and first sexual relationship,” adding, “The movie satisfies the notion of romance and fantasy of love dreamed about by women through abstinent love.”

USA Today labeled the movie “Brain Porno.”

Edward is 109 years old but as a vampire, he looks like a 17-year-old boy. He only drinks animal blood because he does not wish to harm humans.

Twilight fan Pyo Mi-seon, 26, said “It is charming not only because he does love only `me,’ but also because he uses his mysterious power only for a woman.”

“New Moon” enhanced the role of Jacob, a friend of Bella who proves to be a werewolf. Possessing power beyond imagination, Jacob boasts his manhood by showing his upper body, with his long hair seen in the first movie cut short.

American fans of the latest Twilight movie are divided, with the “Edward faction” pitted against the “Jacob faction.”

“New Moon” required double the budget of the first movie, which was 30 million dollars. Whereas the first film was a holly queen romance, “New Moon” has been raised to the level of a fantasy blockbuster, featuring the Volturi family, who lead the vampires, and werewolves.

In a media preview screening of “New Moon” in Seoul Nov. 22, viewers wowed and booed at Bella, who looks treacherous, and at the excessively pretentious words used by the characters.

The U.K. daily Independent said in the article “Is ‘Twilight’ the new ‘Harry Porter’” that what is new about this movie is that it appeals not only to horror fans but also to the emotions of teenage girls.

salthj@donga.com