Don't kiss me deadly... The Twilight Saga: New Moon

The Twilight Saga: New Moon
(Chris Weitz): Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner.
Running time: 130 minutes (12A)
Rating: 3/5

Vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) walks out of the woods with those vulpine eyes and Heston jaw and he might as well be baring a full moon – the cinema erupts in girly screams. The wolfish Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) spends his time topless as if he's wandered into an audition for 300. The ladies around me were howling. New Moon, part two in Stephenie Meyer's romantic vampire saga Twilight, is custom-designed to fire electrons into the brains of female teenagers. The second instalment follows the break-up of Edward and Bella (Kristen Stewart) and does its best to keep them apart until the final reel.

You can laugh at the chastity sub-text. You can bemoan the fact that Bella is a poor heroine for women – she's so reliant on having strong men around, feminism might as well never have existed. But the fans won't give a hoot.

Part two is directed by the safe hands of Chris Weitz. Its surface is lovely: the rich, natural setting gives the story a layer of authenticity. Much like Catherine Hardwicke's first film, he keeps the camera in tight on their faces. All the better for Stewart – for the camera drinks in her earthy presence.