PLOT: On her 18th birthday, Bella Swan wakes up from a dream in which she sees herself as an old woman. She expresses her distaste with growing older than her boyfriend Edward Cullen, a vampire who stopped aging physically at 17. Despite her lack of enthusiasm, Edward's adoptive family throws Bella a birthday party. While unwrapping a gift, Bella gets a paper cut, causing Edward's brother, Jasper , to become overwhelmed by her blood's scent and attempt to kill her. Realizing the danger that he and his family pose to Bella, Edward ends their relationship, and the Cullens leave Forks, Washington.Edward's departure leaves Bella heartbroken and depressed for months. However, when her father, Charlie, decides to send her to live with her mother in Florida, Bella agrees to spend time with her friends. After seeing a movie with Jessica, Bella sees a group of men on motorcycles. This reminds her of when Edward previously rescued her from an assault, and she sees his image warning her to stay away. Bella discovers that thrill-seeking activities evoke Edward's preserved image. She is also comforted by her deepening friendship with Jacob Black , a cheerful companion who eases her pain over losing Edward. When Jacob suddenly begins avoiding her, Bella discovers he has become a werewolf, an age-old enemy of vampires. Jacob's pack members are on constant patrol for Victoria , a vampire searching to kill Bella due to the death of her mate by Edward's hand, leaving Jacob little time to spend with her. Alone again, Bella returns to seeking thrill-inducing activities.Through a series of miscommunications, Edward believes Bella has killed herself after she jumped off a cliff into the ocean. Distraught over her supposed suicide, Edward travels to Italy to provoke the Volturi—a powerful vampire coven capable of killing him—by exposing himself in the sunlight. Alice , Edward's sister, and Bella rush to Italy to save Edward, and arrive just in time to stop him. It is then that Edward tells Bella that he always loved her and only left to protect her. However, the Volturi determine that Bella, a human who knows that vampires exist, must either be killed or transformed into a vampire herself. Alice stops them from killing her by sharing her premonition with Aro (Michael Sheen)—a Volturi elder who is able to read thoughts—in which Bella has been transformed. Soon after, they return to Forks and Bella forgives Edward for leaving her. The Cullens vote in favor of Bella being transformed into a vampire, to Edward's dismay. However, Jacob reminds Edward of the treaty the Cullens made with the Quileute tribe: they will not attack each other, as long as the Cullens do not bite any humans. The movie concludes with Edward telling Bella that he will change her into a vampire, but only if she marries him first.

REVIEWS: Reviews for the film have been mostly negative. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 28% of 203 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 4.6 out of 10. The site's general consensus is that "The Twilight Saga's second installment may satisfy hardcore fans of the series, but outsiders are likely to be turned off by its slow pace, relentlessly downcast tone, and excessive length." Among Rotten Tomatoes' "Top Critics", which consists of popular and notable critics from the top newspapers, websites, television and radio programs, the film holds an overall approval rating of 38%, based on a sample of 39 reviews. On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 reviews from film critics, the film has a rating score of 44 based on 32 reviews.Robert Ignizio of the Cleveland Scene described the film as an "entertaining fantasy", and noted that it "has a stronger visual look [than Twilight] and does a better job with its action scenes while still keeping the focus on the central love triangle." Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post gave the film two and half stars out of four, praised Kristen Stewart's performance in the film and wrote, "Despite melodrama that, at times, is enough to induce diabetes, there's enough wolf whistle in this sexy, scary romp to please anyone." The Seattle Post-Intelligencer gave the film a "B" grading and said, "the movie looks tremendous, the dialogue works, there are numerous well placed jokes, the acting is on point."Time Out New York gave the film 3 stars out of 5, calling it "acceptable escapism for those old enough to see it yet still young enough to shriek at undead dreamboats." Jordan Mintzer from Variety stated, "Stewart is the heart and soul of the film", and added that she "gives both weight and depth to dialogue...that would sound like typical chick-lit blather in the mouth of a less engaging actress, and she makes Bella's psychological wounds seem like the real deal."Mick Lasalle from the San Francisco Chronicle responded with a more mixed review, stating, "[E]xpect this film to satisfy its fans. Everybody else, get ready for a bizarre soap opera/pageant, consisting of a succession of static scenes with characters loping into the frame to announce exactly what they're thinking." Digital Spy gave the film 2 stars out of 5, praising Kristen Stewart for "carrying the film on her shoulders and, once again, bringing plenty of soul to a character who might otherwise come across as self-indulgent", but was critical of its lack of action, ultimately calling it "a draining experience". Roger Ebert gave the film 1 star out of 4 and said that it "takes the tepid achievement of Twilight, guts it, and leaves it for undead." Richard Roeper graded New Moon with a C- and called it a "plodding, achingly slow, 130-minute chapter in the saga". Mark Sells from The Oregon Herald gave the film 1 1/2 stars out of 5, and suggested that "the magic will have to remain in the minds of the readers as this translation fails to inspire or connect beyond the pages."