One year ago, the launch of the Twilight movie series got me and the missus back in the movie theater. One year later, it’s New Moon that brought us back to the big screen. So how was New Moon through a pair of even older eyes? Better than Twilight is my to-the-point review.

But first, some notes and observations.

The Non-crowd

Setting records with $140M made on its opening weekend, you know the theaters had to be packed like Ward Theaters during the premiere showing.

We didn’t dare the crowds then, but instead went on a weekday where there were like a dozen people in the theater (and two baby strollers).

Summit Entertainment’s Been Busy

Before the movie started, there was a bombardment of movie trailers, many from Summit Entertainment. This studio has been busy… and efficient. Lots of multi-purposed (euphemism for reused) themes, locales, and actors in the previewed trailers. Pierce Brosnan and Robert Pattinson in Remember Me. Pierce Brosnan in The Lightning Thief. Amanda Seyfried in Dear John and Letters to Juliet (was that filmed in Italy, same as New Moon?).

Youthful Elders

I had this complaint in Twilight with the elders looking a little too youthful and that trend continues in New Moon.

The ancient though immortal Volturi look too young to be the feared vampire royalty. Hard to be scared of pale looking pansies if you know what I mean?

A Well Matched Soundtrack

While there’s no breakout song like Paramore’s Decode from Twilight, the New Moon soundtrack is well matched to the mood of the film. Dark, somber, and depressing. Don’t try to work out or run to this downer of a soundtrack.  Each song was well placed in the movie and really accentuated the emotions of Bella, Edward, and Jacob. And there’s more variety to the music than the countless variations of Bella’s Lullaby in Twilight.

Bella Line of Sleepwear

Victoria’s Secret or GAP Body take note. How about the Bella line of sleepwear?

Taylor Launter Needs to Thank his Personal Fitness Trainers

When Bella hits her head after falling from her motorcycle, platonic pal Jacob Black is there to mend her bleeding wound. He peels off his shirt at which point the audience gasps admiring Taylor’s now chiseled body.

Taylor really needs to reward his personal fitness trainers for his new found success. How about a stay at the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui?

“Loose Change”

New Moon centered around the love triangle between Bella, Jacob, and Edward, and these characters expectedly had the most lines. Most of the other major characters in the story had such minor roles, almost like loose change compared with the benjamins of Swan, Black, and Cullen. Which of the significant characters had the least amount of lines? My guess is Billy Black who had one scene failing to stop Bella from seeing a sleeping werewolf boy.

My Favorite Character

My favorite Twilight/New Moon movie character has to be Jasper. The young vamp has to stand there looking dazed all the time with his unkempt hair. He did have his one defining part in New Moon wanting to eat Bella but other than that, dazed.

Yup, yup, New Moon the movie as with the Twilight books aren’t award winning or even masterpieces, but they sure have an allure about them. Can’t deny the appeal and box office success. So how was the movie? Better than Twilight. I’ll say 3.5 stars with more action than Twilight and flaws fixed from the first flick. Worth a watch, at least once especially now that the theaters aren’t packed with howling Twihards and wanton Twimoms. With the improvements in New Moon, there is definitely momentum going into Eclipse scheduled just seven months away on June 30, 2010.