New Moon Review: The Hollywood Gossip Style

The Twilight Saga: New Moon premiered Friday after months of unprecedented hype. In the end, a solid picture delivered as advertised and almost lived up to it.

Having been a part of box office history, we've got our New Moon review for you here. Tell us what you thought of the film by commenting and voting in our poll!

As is our custom with The Hills, The City, The Bachelor and Bachelorette, the THG staff reviews New Moon, awarding and deducting points as we see fit ...

The feel of the movie is better than Twilight ... the scenery a bit less bleak, the vampires less pale. There's even some sun in the Italy scenes! Plus 2.

Edward leaves Bella after a birthday paper cut nearly gets her eaten. Minus 10. We knew it was coming, but thanks a lot, Jasper, for what resulted in a movie almost entirely devoid of Robert Pattinson. Control your urges next time, jerk.

Listening to the majority-female audience erupt at the first glimpse of Taylor Lautner shirtless - when Bella wrecks the motorcycle and Jacob dispatches of his shirt to stop the bleeding - was a scene out of a movie ... at a movie. Plus 19.

In Twilight, Kristin Stewart was great as Bella discovered love and grappled with its forbidden nature. In New Moon, she just kinda stares a lot. Minus 5.

Edward: "You gave me everything just by breathing." Swoon. Plus 4.

Jacob, on how his wolf pals in all their shirtless, homoerotic roughhousing glory must look to an outsider: "It's not a lifestyle choice." LOL. Plus 3.

Bella's "visions" of Edward aren't really doing it for us. For a teenager, this guy seems awfully lifeless, like even he can't believe he's doing this. Minus only 2, though, because it's better than no Edward, and he is 104 years old after all.

Plus 3 for the convincingly bad ass werewolf special effects!

We know it's a four-part saga, but New Moon is the ultimate Team Jacob show. Unlike brooding Edward, Jake has a wicked sense of humor that adds a new element to the sexual tension smoldering just beneath the surface with Bella. Plus 7.

Bella's dad: "Love who is good for you." If only, Charlie Swan. If only. Minus 1.

Mixed reviews on these Volturi peeps. Some are hard to take seriously, but the lead guy is evil and Dakota Fanning creepily sadistic as hell. So ... Even.

Man, Bella wants to be bitten so hard. When she gets on an plane to rescue her lover, it happens to be ... Virgin Air. Think that was intentional? Plus 2.

Edward finally figures out he was wrong to leave Bella, and slow motion, shirtless drama ensues. The theater explodes again. It's. About. Time. Plus 6.

Seven freaking months until Eclipse. Minus 1,293. But Plus 1,294 because if it's true to the books, it'll be worth the wait, and better than New Moon.

TOTAL: +29! In some ways a letdown because its most popular star plays a supporting role at most, New Moon is at the same time sexier, darker and funnier than Twilight. The characters are (mostly) relatable and dynamic, and the action riveting.

Its biggest flaw was the PR machine setting the bar too high. Obviously, it's all about getting people in the door, but it couldn't possibly live up to the hype - especially for what many believe was the least awesome of the four Twilight Saga books.

What did you think of New Moon?