Ladies and gentlemen, I have a confession to make: I am a Twilighter. While this is not as serious as being a Twihard, I am still a HUGE fan of the book series. I vociferously devoured each and every line of all four books (and the online unofficial partial fifth one). I own posters and shirts and my mother and I forced my piano-playing brother to learn how to play “Bella’s Lullaby” (sorry, Connor).

Though I am hardly the only young girl in the world who feels this same way, I am classified into a smaller group: I am a film reviewer. While preparing to write this review, I was conflicted as to what I should say about it. My critic side is ready to pounce, while my Twilighter side is dying to voice an opinion as well. So in order to be fair to both parts while trying to maintain certain level neutrality, I will be writing this review as though both personalities are a person. Almost a schizophrenic critique if you will. There will be Kathryn the reviewer and Kat the Twilighter. First a basic background of the story and then I will let the two have at it.

New Moon is the second installment in the Twilight series. The story opens up with Bella’s birthday, which is also the start of the senior year. She does not like the idea that she is growing older while her paler-by-the-second vampire boyfriend Edward stays forever young. During her birthday celebration at the Cullen’s, things take a terrible turn and the next day Edward tells Bella that he and his family are moving from Forks without her. She has lost all happiness and becomes depressed. The only person who starts to cheer her up is the young and buff Jacob Black. He and Bella have a blossoming friendship until the craziest thing happens; Jacob turns into a werewolf (Bella sure can pick ‘em). With the love of her life gone and Jacob off doing his own wolfy-thing, Bella is alone to sulk in her sadness and try to find away to be with Edward again.

Okay, so first off, this movie was a vast improvement from the first film Twilight.

Yes true, but the bar is not set that much higher in this one. The film felt so bare-boned. The plot itself wasn’t even compelling until after Jacob becomes a werewolf. The dialog was almost as though they let actors Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart wing it, and with Stewart’s talents, or lack thereof, it was hard to watch.

Kristen is improving slowly. I personally never pictured her as Bella Swan when I read the books, nor did I picture the way she portrays Bella’s personality, but she works with what she is given. As for Pattinson, he was barely in the movie. He is not the central male in this book. Jacob, who is played by Taylor Lautner, showed Twilighters all over that he is truly committed to the films. He gained almost 30 pounds for the role and I don’t mind that he flaunted it for half the movie.

Yeah, you and a theater full of screaming girls didn’t mind. I just had to roll my eyes each time a squeal came out. Though I must admit, Lautner was the most convincing of all the actors in this film. I believed everything he said and every expression he gave. He makes a great puppy dog face.

One thing that did bother me however was the fact that they tweaked the trip to Italy a little bit. In the book there is no fight scene and I thought that they only added it in for spice and did not care to stay true to the story.

Honestly, that was one of the better parts of the movie! I am glad they added that in there to try and keep the neutral movie goers happy. You have to remember that movie companies are just like any business and want to make a profit.

All I have to say to them then is “don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

Wise words, they definitely need to remember who really likes going to these, and that is the fans. I just feel like there should have been a written disclaimer to the apathetic audience members that there will be squealing, giggling, shirtless men, glittery guys, melodramatic actresses, and molasses-speed story buildup.

Harsh, but that is what people should know going in, minus the last one, the plot worked like the book did. It is not my favorite of the series, but it did what it could.

Now to put me back together again!

This film is rated PG-13 for violence and action. While this installment is a little more violent than the first, it is just fine for a 13 year-old to see. I would recommend this movie to two people. First, the fans of the books should go. Chances are, you aren’t even reading this review because you have already seen it, but just in case one lost soul still isn’t at the local theater—go now! It is something you will definitely want to talk to your gal pals about come Monday. Second, boyfriends. I am not saying you should go on your own, but you will definitely earn brownie points by sucking it up and going with your girlfriend. Granted you will witness her eyes glazing over every time Lautner comes on the screen shirtless, but she will appreciate that you took her nonetheless.

I give New Moon two out of five broken down motorcycles.

And I give it three out of five Ferraris.

Why an extra point?

Three words: Shirtless Taylor Lautner.

I can hear it. Can you? ...The screams...they haunt me! Oh wait, that's just millions of prepubescent girls wailing for the ever so beautiful Edward and Jacob in the new Twilight installment: "The

Twilight Saga: New Moon". Iiiiiit's baaaaaaaaack.
Fortunately for Chris Weitz, up is only direction he could go from the first film directed by Catherine Hardwick. As a fan of the books, especially "New Moon", my hopes were high (expectations low) for this new Edward, Bella and Jacob saga.
However, it seems as though someone finally has a grasp and a vision for what a teenage love story is supposed to look and feel like. I understand why these teenage girls swoon over their beloved characters on the silver screen. You have modern day romance, young teenage love, shirtless Native Americans (all with 6-packs mind you), the undead and werewolves. What could go wrong?

In the first film - EVERYTHING! In "New Moon", it all seemed to fall into place.
As the teenage girls oohed and ahhed over the looks of Jacob (Taylor Lautner) and Edward (Robert Pattinson), their acting was nothing to feel giddy about. As just a movie goer without reading the books, I am sure it came off as just another hack acting job. But to someone who has read the stories and knows Jacob, Bella, and Edward, they all did their characters justice. That being said, there is still that something special missing from the acting. The passion of the characters seemed to wane at points were I wanted it to shimmer like the sparkly chest of Edward. Nevertheless, as a fan, not a movie analyst...I didn't care. They all took a step up from the original.

This film, like that of "The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day", was not made for critics, but rather their millions upon millions of fans across the globe. So sure their acting wasn't Oscar worthy, but this is a teenage love story involving vampires and werewolves...what did you expect, "Pride and Prejudice"? I think not people.

My main complaint about the original film "Twilight" was the adaptation, direction and seriously annoying distractions to include shoddy camera work, intrusive (and just plain bad) music sound tracking every move, and the absence of very important information and scenes that make the story pivotal, etc, etc. The list goes on. Chris Weitz and Martha Rosenberg took note of past mistakes and gave us a complete "New Moon" story with apropos adaptations and suitable special effects. Instead of rolling my eyes throughout the film and saying in my head "WT*?!" when it came to the story, "New Moon" actually took me through emotional ebbs and flows like a movie should and I was sucked in. I felt anxious, nervous, sad, happy, and lascivious. All appropriate emotions to feel during a love story of this caliber. There was never a part to where the music (or Bella narrating) was such a hideous aberration or where the camera work was so bouncy and unbalanced that I wanted to walk out of the theater. They took heed to the last review I wrote (assuming they read it - rather presumptuous of me, isn't it?) and just let the story tell itself and gave "New Moon" a more classic look

. "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" like "The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day" is a difficult film to just give one rating to. Critics would laugh at me and fans would say I am unreliable if I give it just the one. So again, I am at this point of two ratings. As a critic, I have to give it a lofty 3.25 stars. As a fan, I give it 4.5 rock hard, six-pack abs. Remember this is a movie for the fans, especially readers of the series. If you aren't either of those, you will more than likely be disappointed. But fans, Team Jacob especially, watch out! You will be more than pleased with the outcome of this film!