“These violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which, as they kiss, consume.” So begins the second part in the ever-famous Twilight Saga. Fans flooded the theaters the second the movie was released in order to get another glimpse into the life of Bella Swan (played by actress Kristen Stewart) and her love for her bloodsucking boyfriend Edward Cullen (played by the actor Robert Pattinson). This time, however, there’s a twist in the story. A love triangle has been thrown into the mix, with another boy named Jacob Black (played by Taylor Lautner) vying for Bella’s affection. The story starts off on a seemingly normal basis, but increases in tension and in suspense as the audience watches the drama between all parties unfold. In a desperate attempt to keep Bella safe, Edward and his family leave after his brother Jasper attacks her, not being able to control himself after Bella accidentally cuts herself on a slit of wrapping paper. Diminished by the blow Bella recklessly does everything she can to put herself in danger, in order to make herself hear her hallucinations of Edward in her mind. While doing so Bella leans on the comfort of Jacob Black, who is slowly being drawn into what seems like a cult. Everything is not how it would seem, however, when Bella eventually figures out that Jacob is in fact not a follower of Sam Uley’s gang, but in fact a member of his pack. Jacob, unwillingly, has inherited a gene that makes him into a werewolf. As such Jacob is determined to protect Bella from two vampires, Laurent, who wants Bella’s blood and Victoria, a ruthless female bent on seeking revenge. As life goes on Edward’s sister Alice comes back, confused by her visions of Bella putting herself in danger. When word gets back to Edward that Bella is supposedly dead, it is a race against time for Bella and Alice to reach Edward before he commits suicide via the Volturi; a nasty group of royal vampires determined on keeping their race a secret.

As it was, the movie itself is far better than the original. This movie’s plot follows the book much more closely than the first, excluding very little and adding near to nothing. Even the actor’s lines are nearly word for word, only throwing in a couple of new dialogue here and there. Immediately from the start we see the growing enmity between Edward and Jacob, and the pull Bella has towards each of them. The viewer can clearly see the love between Edward and Bella up to the point that Edward abandons her, and the devastation that Bella falls into as a result is abruptly shown by the terrible nightmares she awakens from every night. The screams she gives are enough to send shivers down your spine, and her heartfelt (yet not received) emails to Alice replace her outspoken thoughts that were a prominent part in the first movie.

The relationship between Jacob and Bella is enough to make the audience grow warm with its light. It has the sense of true friendship and love for the other, mostly on Jacob’s part. The arguments they have between each other about Sam Uley and his pack of wolves fell like actual arguments, as if you were watching the squabbling between two friends. The emotion for all scenes in the movie are very clearly portrayed, not to mention the fight scenes between Laurent, Victoria and the wolves are stunning. The special effects team did a much better job than what was supposed, given such a short time span. The wolves look like actual animals, and each and every movement of both the vampires and the werewolves looks real, unlike in Twilight when you could almost clearly see the actors were using stunt wires. The coldness of the Volturi was very accurately portrayed, and the part of Aro (played by Michael Sheen) was put together exactly how many readers imagined he would be; delighted, curious, and very intrigued by the Cullens and Bella. Lastly, the music in the movie suits the scenes perfectly, with mixes of indie and cultural rock thrown into the mix of many battle scenes, and heartbreaking violin music in the sad parts, especially at the end when Bella is forced to choose between her two loves: Edward or Jacob.

The bad points of the movie are thus. When Jacob enter’s Bella’s room at night to try and help her understand that he is a werewolf, his jeans hang too loosely and the audience can clearly see the thin line of his boxers. While Bella is chasing through the city of Volterra to save her beloved Edward, her shirt is buttoned too low. Once we see Edward about to commit suicide, his own pants hang below his hip bones, just squeaking by on covering him up. Nearly every character uses the word “hell” at least once, which at first would seem like good characterization, but once you reach about the tenth time the word is used it gets a little repetitive. When Bella sees Edward in her visions, he does not appear angry about her reckless actions, like he does in the book, but somewhat detached and distant.

The overall mood of New Moon is suspense, and like all good suspense movies, it ends in a cliffhanger. Viewers left the movie feeling a mix of emotions; sadness, pain, love, regret, and excitement. The movie makers did their job, and their job was thus; to leave all people, Twilight fans or not, thirsting and howling for more.