It’s 11:59 PM and the lights go down in the theater. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve never heard so many girls screaming so loudly.The midnight premiere of “New Moon” has finally arrived, and the sold out theatres across the country are packed with teenage girls in their “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob” t-shirts. With all of this anticipation and hype, I was worried the movie would be a disappointment. While it was in no way perfect, it was far from the letdown some, myself included, had anticipated.

The movie starts with Bella Swan’s 18th birthday. The Cullen’s throw her a party, and as she opens a gift she gets a paper cut. Jasper (Jackson Rathbone), Edward’s “brother,” can’t handle the scent of Bella’s blood and attempts to attack her. Long story short, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and the rest of his family leave Forks. Bella inevitably becomes depressed until Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), a werewolf, comes along.

This is the part that bothered me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m huge Taylor Lautner fan.  But I’m not a Jacob fan. “New Moon” totally follows the book, but I thought it portrayed Jacob in a brighter light than Stephanie Meyer intended it to.  Watching the movie, I found myself feeling sympathetic for Jacob at times, something I definitely did not feel nor want to feel while reading the novel. Lautner delivered an excellent performance, but Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan) just hasn’t stepped up her acting skills since “Twilight.”

My biggest problem with the movie was its ending. Edward’s marriage proposal to Bella was not unexpected (for those who read the books) but was poorly placed. It ended so abruptly, everyone in the theater was confused. Then again, I understand why they ended the movie this way, it leaves fans hanging and excited for what’s next.

All in all, I thought the movie was a huge step up from “Twilight.” The chemistry between Lautner and Stewart was great and the new director, Chris Weitz successfully developed the characters. 

Is it Oscar worthy?  Probably not, but for fans of the vampire series, “New Moon” won’t disappoint.  The third volume of the Twilight saga, “Eclipse,” is scheduled to premiere on June 30.