Thursday night, I pulled out my I <3 Edward Cullen shirt (it’s true) for the night I had been looking forward to for weeks. Having pre-ordered my tickets, I, along with millions of other Twilight fans, saw the midnight screening of New Moon.

It went like this: all twenty-five screens in the theater were showing the vampire flick. It was packed, mainly with Pattinson-obsessed adolescents and it was nearly impossible to find a seat. But, that didn’t stop me from fully enjoying my New Moon experience. Chris Weitz, the director of New Moon, impressed me with his newest film. An obvious step up from the predecessor, Twilight, the movie based on Stephanie Meyer’s novel perfectly summed up the book in 112 minutes. And each character had the opportunity to show their improved acting skills.

Let’s look at the New Moon’s love triangle:

Kristen Stewart (Bella) really improved her performance. She was in the entire movie, never getting a break from the camera. She must have taken critiques from the Twilight movie seriously. This time around, she really stole the show– a huge step up from her role in the first film. And, the off-screen relationship she has with on-screen beau Edward Cullen really strengthened their chemistry. After months of tabloid debates, it was pretty clear that the two were a hot item.

Robert Pattinson (Edward) was looking better than ever. Really, the only man in the world who can pull off the “I never sleep and I’m so pale” look perfectly. The second he comes onto the screen, the theatre went nuts– cheering and whistling as the newest Hollywood heart-throb made his debut. But, Edward Cullen fans– beware! Pattinson is largely absent from the second movie, which is a drawback because he has been a big reason for Twilight‘s success.

Taylor Lautner, looking good for his role as werewolf Jacob Black.

Taylor Lautner (Jacob), a Michigander who dropped out of college to follow his acting dreams in Los Angeles, had a huge role in the film, making him the second most filmed character besides Bella. As he changes from a teenage boy to a werewolf, he is constantly seen without a shirt on– and we really didn’t mind it! Taylor, who admits to working out for hours a day and putting on nearly thirty pounds for his role, did a great job. Ripped and buff, the crowed was oohing and aahing whenever he came onto the screen.

And then there’s the other characters– Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, Bella’s father, blah blah blah. Even Dakota Fanning had a small role in this movie, doing a great job as a young, creepy vampire. We saw them all for a bit, but the movie really focused on the teenage love triangle. The third movie will better include all of the characters.

I’m an avid Twilight fan. I read all of the books (so perhaps I’m a bit biased), but the movie was a great replication of the New York Times Bestseller book. And, many would agree, as the Twilight Saga: New Moon brought in nearly $73 million in its first day, taking over the single day box office record once held by The Dark Knight. And, $27 million of that was from the midnight screenings.

I thought that the production, directing, and acting were all improved from Twilight. The bigger budget and larger cast helped the movie. The special effects were dead-on, which was something I was concerned about. Showing the transformation of a young boy to a werewolf is difficult to do without being cheesy, but special effects director Cam Waldbauer did not let me down.

The film, which really focused on Bella’s relationship with vampire Edward Cullen and werewolf Jacob Black, did not disappoint Twilight fans. In my theatre, it received a much deserved standing ovation. It also ended on a cliffhanger: Will Bella accept Cullen’s marriage proposal? We’ll find out in June of 2010 when the third movie, Eclipse, will be coming into theaters.