Oh Edward, Edward, where for art thou ...wait, wrong film.  Actually, no it's not.  It's very much the same, plus vampires and werewolves, but that's just being picky.

I really wanted it to be great.  Honestly, I did.  My main priority in going to see the movie was because I had not seen Twilight on the big screen and the scenery was so amazing I was sorry I didn't see it.  I grant you, the scenery was amazing, but did not make up for the travesty that is Kristen Stewart and/or Robert Pattinson.

Kristen's character, Bella Swan, spends the majority of this film lamenting the fact that Edward (Pattinson) has left.  Why did he leave?  I am so glad you asked.  He left because Bella cut herself and bled during her birthday party and Jasper tried to eat her.  So, Edward ...not Jasper, but Edward leaves.  How is that logical?

At any rate, the lethargy Bella goes through in the book is profound and frightening ...in the movie it's ...well, it's boring.  One has to have some serious acting chops to tackle long, pronounced depression that runs so deep you think you'll never survive.  Kristen Stewart does not have them.

On the flip side of that coin is the equally, but slightly more interesting Edward who has run off to Rome to expose himself to the human population, therfore earning him a death sentence from the Volturi (the big, bad vamps of Twilight 2).  I wondered about this in the book, and I still wonder about it.  How is taking off one's shirt and stepping out into the sunlight so you sparkle, "exposing" yourself.  In this day and age (and yes, these stories are set in this day and age), people would assume it was a truly cool costume/make-up effect/ect ...and move on, because that's just how people are.

At any rate, Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning are suitably creepy, so kudos to them.

The bright and shining star than managed to make this an average movie instead of just downright awful is Taylor Lautner who plays boy turned werewolf Jacob Black.  He manages to take his part in this movie and give it a bright, happy, friendly moment or two as Bella realizes that, yes, the world is still turning despite her grief.  Lautner clawed and fought (no pun intended) to keep this role, and buffed up big time to make sure he was able to bring justice to it, and he does a great job.  I could have done without the little girls (and some of their moms) squeeling when he takes his shirt off, but oh well, can't win them all.  Thanks Taylor, because of you, New Moon didn't outright suck.

I did like the way they kept Edward in the movie.  That was something I wondered about because he is virtually absent from the book.  As Bella begins to come out of her funk, she starts to hang out with Jacob sho encourages her to try new things.  I don't think he had cliffdiving in mind, but, you know, go with it.  Bella quickly realizes that if she puts herself in harms way a vision of Edward will appear ...and tell her to be careful (which is dorky).  Good thinking on the part of the screenwriter.  He's there so the girls can coo at will, but he's not  really there.

All in all, it's not horrible.  That's about as much as I can give you.  It's not great, but is didn't suck.  The CGI is fantastic, and as usual, the scenery is spectacular. 

Second Opinion: Eric Offhill:

I hated Twilight with a passion. The dialogue made George Lucas' prose appear Shakespearian. Catherine Hardwicke's direction was trying to be indie and hip and came off as amatuer hour. And don't get me started with the sparkling vampires, the fashion model actors and the implausible love story between Bella and Edward.

With that said, New Moon was actually a step in the right direction, but still far from remotely being anything I can call good. Director Chris Weitz's direction plays towards the melodramatic elements of the story instead of downplaying them. He also finds a way to get around the downright awful screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg by changing the rhythm of the dialogue.

But the best part of the movie is the Wolf Pack. There is so much going on with these guys that I find myself wanting to follow them around. They have a great mythology that I wish could have been fleshed out and the character of Jacob Black is fascinating. With the addition of these new characters, it makes me realize that the vampires are litterally sucking the life out of the story. All they do is walk around and brood, the worst of them is Robert Pattenson's Edward. Is it just me or does he not have anything better to do with his afterlife than to yearn for Bella? Even Sex and the City's Mr. Big does something!

Grade: 5 of 10