“New Moon” is on the Rise

At midnight Nov. 20, the lines were clearly drawn between Team Edward and Team Jacob fans. The second installment of the teen vampire flick, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," opened to impatient fans.
     Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year, you are already acquainted with the sparkling vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and his human desire Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart).
     However, young love goes astray, much like the heavily referenced "Romeo and Juliet," when Edward leaves Forks, Washington and Bella after a nearly fatal incident involving a paper cut and Edward's hungry vampire brother.
     Thus enters Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), who becomes a third peg in the ultimate mythical love triangle. Bella gets wrapped up in a new world filled with werewolves, and the vengeful vampires Laurent (Edi Gathegi) and Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre).
The movie takes off from there, with director Chris Weitz straying little from the book. Weitz provided "Twihards" with a great follow up to Twilight, making it a pity that Catherine Hardwicke held the reigns in the first movie.
     As for the cast, the acting has vastly improved. Some well-known names, such as Dakota Fanning and Michael Sheen, even signed on to play members of the Volturi, making the movie slightly more legitimate.
     Lautner has grown up since "Twilight" and sprouted some abs, which he spends a majority of the movie showing off, much to the adoration of the hormone-consumed female audience. And when the rest of the wolf pack isn't in lame CGI dog form, they are sporting the same half-naked look.
     Of course, some things haven't changed. Stewart still has an uncontrollable blinking problem when facing an emotional scene. Pattinson still makes those awkward, strained vampiric facial expressions. And Charlie (Billy Burke) is endearing as ever playing the part of a father with a lack of know how when it comes to the female teenager.
     If you were a fan from the get go, "New Moon" will not disappoint. If the idea of sparkling vampires and eternal love with a lack of sex was laughable to you in Twilight, well, it will still be laughable to you.