The Twilight Saga: New Moon 4K Blu-ray Movie

The Twilight Saga: New Moon 4K (2009)

The relationship between mortal Bella and vampire Edward is continuing to blossom and grow even though ancient secrets are in line to destroy them. When Edward leaves in order to keep the love of his life Bella safe; she takes it upon herself to test her life in many reckless ways. Things don't go as she planned though when her good friend Jacob ends up saving her which opens her eyes and mind to many more secrets that could threaten all their existence.

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Anna Kendrick
Director: Chris Weitz

Fantasy	Uncertain
Romance	Uncertain
Teen	Uncertain
Supernatural	Uncertain

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

The Twilight Saga: New Moon 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 15, 2023

Note: This version of this film is available as part of The Twilight Saga: 5-Movie Collection 4K.

Just a few weeks after Lionsgate offered a so-called "wide release" of The Twilight Saga: The Complete Collection on 1080 discs, the studio is once again partnering with Best Buy for a series of exclusive SteelBook releases presenting the Twilight films in 4K (with 1080 discs included), offering the first chance fans of the Twilight franchise have to experience the sequels in that format (Lionsgate previously released Twilight 4K way back in 2018, and the disc(s) in this set seem to be the same as the first 4K release). Potentially adding to the value of this set is the fact that all of the 1080 versions are the two disc releases, and the 4K UHD discs have all received upgraded Dolby Atmos audio.

Martin Liebman's The Twilight Saga: New Moon Blu- ray review of the first 1080 release provides an apt plot summary and technical analysis.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate with an HVEC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.40:1. As with the first film, this was a 35mm shoot with a 2K DI, and as with many shot on film productions released in this format, tolerance for often rather thick, yellow and pixellated looking grain may play into an overall appreciation for the appearance of this version. Generally speaking, grain resolves relatively tightly, but there are still a number of scenes where the "splotchiness" can definitely be observed on faces, leading to a kind of slightly jaundiced look. Dolby Vision and/or HDR do add some subtle highlights, beginning with what I'd call a more "autumn harvest" orange-yellow for the opening shot of the moon and title card, but also extending to things like the greens in Bella's bedroom and the kind of Handmaid's Tale-esque cowled figures in red in an early dream sequence. But overall I'd argue that this 4K UHD version is, like the first film, somewhat tamped down in the palette department and at least marginally cooler looking than the old 1080 version. There are still some passing deficits in shadow detail, as in some of the nighttime forest scenes. Detail levels can be quite good, especially in close-ups.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality

The Twilight Saga: New Moon enjoys a Dolby Atmos upgrade that provides some significant immersion, even with regard to the repeated use of a piano motif, which, considering it's a solo instrument, still manages to surround the listener with its "lullaby". The more traditional orchestral cues also offer some really good engagement of the side and rear channels, while the Atmos speakers can probably be most noticeable in some of the ambient environmental effects, including the ever stormy northwest drizzle. Outdoor scenes abound in this effort, and there is enjoyable ambient environmental activity on a consistent basis. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Marty gave a 4.5 to the 1080 disc's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, and while this is another case as with the first film where I'd argue there's not a huge difference between that track and the Atmos offering, there is some passing verticality, so my score is 4.75. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras

4K UHD Disc

Filmmaker Commentary with director Chris Weitz and editor Peter Lambert

1080 Disc One

Filmmaker Commentary

The Journey Continues (HD; 1:05:28)

Music Videos (SD; 12:50)

1080 Disc Two

Deleted Scenes (HD; 18:41)

Interview with the Volturi (HD; 8:06)

Fandimonium (HD; 12:45)

The Beat Goes On: The Music of The Twilight Saga: New Moon (HD; 10:32)

Frame by Frame: Storyboards to Screen (HD; 14:24)

Jump to. . . offers access to Jacob- or Edward-centric scenes.

Extended Scenes (SD; 31:16)

Extended Interviews (SD; 21:12)

Exclusive Webcast Events (SD; 41:14)

Premiere Red Carpet Interviews (SD; 6:10)

A photo of the SteelBook cover is included in the The Twilight Saga: 5-Movie Collection 4K Blu-ray review.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation

While there are some subtle upticks in detail levels and passing highlights offered courtesy of Dolby Vision / HDR, much as with the first film, the differences between this version and the old 1080 release may be on the relatively minimal side. That said, the upgraded Atmos track delivers some appealing new immersion, and the glut of supplements and handsomely designed SteelBook will no doubt appeal to fans of the franchise.