The Twilight Saga: New Moon

The big box office draw this weekend will probably be the second volume of the teenage, vampire ridden, angst-fest, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

As we learned in the first film ("Twilight"), a polite family of vampires lives in home in the woods in Washington. Their son Edward (Robert Pattinson) has fallen in love with high schooler Bella (Kristen Stewart). It's a chaste love. No biting.

In fact, this vampire clan has sworn off blood. But they've been in the town too long. People have noticed they aren't getting any older, plus Edward thinks it best if he and Bella part, because she wants to be turned into a vampire and live with Edward forever. He's so upset, that he decides to go to Italy and meet with the Volteri—a kind of vampire supreme court, led by Michael Sheen, and have himself killed.

Meanwhile, Kristen puts herself in danger, just so the spirit of Edward will return to protect her. Meanwhile she takes up with Jacob, a nice, buff, Native American—it seems none of the boys wear shirts--who has secrets of his own. Of course, he also falls for Bella.

It's all safe foreplay, that goes nowhere, is really uninteresting, and even the romantic looks are too long. Wholesomeness is fine, but here it's boring. When Kristen decides to go to Italy to find Edward, she even flies on Virgin Atlantic!

The tearful tease turns into the long goodbye, says the New York Times. Only 2 ˝ out of 5 from the Arizona Republic. I say 2 out of 5.

New Moon is rated PG-13.