Twilight: New Moon

Unless you've been living in a cave populated by only the likes of CNN and Bill Maher, you'll know that the Twilight series about vampires has a new edition out: New Moon. New Moon occurs after Edward leaves Bella alone to fend for herself. "New Moon" refers to the fact that there are not only vampires around, there are werewolves. And you have to wonder about Edward's value system when he leaves the woman he loves behind so that they can prey upon her.

But "prey" is a word to be defined. There are vampires who want to kill her, and apparently werewolves who wouldn't mind the same, but there is also a werewolf who loves her, Jacob. Jacob was born on an Indian reservation, but cuts his hair and bulks up so that he can run with the pack of local boys. It takes Bella awhile to figure this all out, but she was slow on the uptake about Edward in the first movie/book, if you'll recall.

I found this movie not only slow but turgid and downright full of itself, arrogant. The only time it seemed worth paying attention was during the fight scenes, which were brilliantly shot with some decent CGI but all too brief. Add also the scenes between Bella and Jacob; I knew Kristin Stewart was a good actress, but had no idea that Taylor Lautner could hold our attention. He does. But both of them are not enough to save this serial.

Look out, there's another one around the corner, a development that leaves us holding our throats and howling at the moon.

Thumb's down.