?The Twilight Saga: New Moon?
D: Chris Weitz
S: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner

MANILA, Philippines ? The ?Twilight? saga continues to sweep romance-struck tweeners and adult viewers off their feet: Last week, we saw how Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner made moviegoers shriek and swoon?and we can only imagine this ferocious adulation escalating when the franchise?s third installment, ?Eclipse,? has the hunky Jacob Black (Lautner) traipsing into the ?dark side.?

In ?New Moon,? the lovesick human teenager, Bella Swan (Stewart), is in dire emotional straits once again: After her 18th birthday party with Edward Cullen?s (Pattinson) family goes awry (she cuts herself and instantly becomes prey to her boyfriend?s blood-thirsty siblings), Bella?s 109-year-old paramour suddenly decides to keep her out of harm?s way?by breaking up with her!

Brooding heroine

After she shakes off a major bout with depression, Bella maps out a plan to lure Edward back?by doing exactly what he begged her not to do: Get reckless. Enter Jacob, who no longer looks like the scrawny, shy guy he was in ?Twilight.? And, he is apparently attracted to our consistently brooding heroine.

But, as Bella warms up to her eternally shirtless friend and new admirer, it doesn?t take long for her to discover there?s more to Jacob than his chiseled good looks, gym-sculptured physique and foxy countenance?Jacob is a werewolf, and he?ll do whatever it takes to help Bella forget her runaway vampire boytoy!

Like ?Twilight,? the franchise?s second installment follows a flimsy story that its predominantly prepubescent target audience can easily comprehend and embrace. But, while we enjoyed the simplicity of the original, the second film?s charm-baiting posturing and audience-pandering ?Marry me? moments are a turnoff.

True, viewers shouldn?t take a movie like ?Twilight? too seriously. At the same time, a film cannot merely rely on its audience?s goodwill to let its characters? naivete and puerile motivations slide without scrutiny.

Effortless charm

If you get past those lapses in judgment, however, we don?t see why you won?t enjoy the production?s more engaging elements?not the least of which are the believable performances of Pattinson and Lautner, whose effortless charm and youthful demeanor are major factors in this sequel?s success.

Also notable are the feisty turns of Michael Sheen and a grownup Dakota Fanning (as members of the esteemed vampire group, the Volturi), as well as Ashley Green (as Edward?s adorable sister, Alice) and the actors who make up the rest of the Cullen family.

Unfortunately, beauty and charm aren?t the only criteria for an effective movie?otherwise, you?re just selling the sizzle, not the steak.