This film adaptation stays relatively close to the book - so much so that it captures the book's inept handling of real relationships and its dragging plot. After getting a paper cut on her 18th birthday, and nearly getting killed by Jasper Cullen in reaction, Bella finds herself dumped by her vampire lover, Edward Cullen. For months, Bella becomes a shell of herself, only "waking up" when she renews her friendship with her childhood friend, Jacob Black. Together, they go on crazy, adrenaline-inducing jaunts that help her imagine Edward is still watching over her. However, when Bella discovers that Jacob is a werewolf, a mortal enemy of vampires, her relationship with Jacob and Edward is called into question. This is further compounded when Alice, Edwards future-seeing sister, sees Bella cliff-diving, which Edward misinterprets as Bella offing herself. Edward goes to the powerful Volturi to beg for them to kill him too, but in the end, Bella saves him, but at a price - she must become a vampire too, or the Volturi will kill her for knowing too many of the vampires' secrets. Aside from a few practical changes to the original story, the movie stays true to Meyer's original plot. The movie drags, and the actors sound forced in their relationships with one another - which is probably due to the forced feeling of the relationships in the novel. The special effects, settings, and props look better than the first movie. However, the blockbuster nature of the movie, popularity of the books, and the sugared-down love depicted in it are sure draws for teens. ( )