TEENAGE girls rejoice: Robert Pattinson is back breaking hearts in the eagerly anticipated The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
Picking up from the first instalment, Bella (Kristen Stewart) and her vampire boyfriend Edward (Pattinson) continue their problematic relationship until an incident at a birthday party forces the 109 year old blood drinker to realise he must leave to protect her.
Caught in a spiral of depression, Bella finds comfort in old friend Jacob (Taylor Lautner) and sets down a rocky road of life-endangering antics.
But Jacob has a strange secret himself which may be connected to sightings of a large beast in the woods.
Can Bella find love with her best friend or will Edward return?
Teen lust
Author Stephenie Meyer’s adapted Twilight series has added a dollop of teen lust to the vampire genre and made international sensations out of the cast.
Amidst the hysteria, in New Moon the leads fall back into their name-making roles with calm proficiency.
Kristen Stewart slips into her cripplingly shy characterisation while Pattinson once again nails the forlorn and smouldering look which has seen him adorn many a bedroom wall.
But New Moon is very much Taylor Lautner’s film; splitting the Twilight camp down the middle into Team Jacob or Team Edward followers.
Aside from the eerie muscle bulk he has thrown on for the role (much to the delight of tween followers), he brings a much-needed softer tone to the film.
Nice touches
Director Chris Weitz maintains the look of Catherine Hardwicke’s original by keeping the cold blue pallet intact, while employing some nice cinematic touches.
A long tracking shot to denote the changing seasons demonstrates his subtle hand in moving the narrative forward, while the numerous special effects shots work nicely in tandem with the pace.
Where the film falls down is with the plot.
Not stand along movie
New Moon is very much a book adapted for the screen; and suffers because of it.
More a continuation rather than a stand alone movie, there is no real climax or complicated action which needs concluding.
The episodic nature may appeal to fans of the literary basing, but for the uninitiated it is very much a joining film; nodding to the previous release while teasing with the next chapter (which is due in 2010).
Nevertheless, with a record breaking box office opening the Twilight phenomenon is sure to continue.
5/10 - Tween-age angst with bite.