‘Bite me Edward’: fans hit LA for Twilight sequel

Thousands of teenage fans, some of them waving 'Bite Me Edward' signs, crowded into the Westwood district of Los Angeles for the premiere of the new Twilight sequel, New Moon. Many had queued overnight - some for days - to get a good position from which to spot the stars on the red carpet at the Mann Village Theatre.

They were not disappointed. All of the cast were there, including the English heartthrob Robert Pattinson (above right) who plays vampire Edward Cullen, the 19-year-old American actress Kristen Stewart (Bella, centre) and newcomer Taylor Lautner (left), a native American actor who plays Bella's rebound boyfriend Jacob.

Best frock award went to the dazzling Ashley Greene, the 22-year-old who plays Alice Cullen in the movie. She wore a clinging red Prabal Gurung gown.

In the run-up to Christmas, the film - which opens in the US and Britain this week - has already broken records in advance box office takings and is expected to be be one of the biggest hits of the year.

That's assuming the crowds who turned out to scream for Pattinson take no notice of the reviews - the first of which are lukewarm.

One London film critic even wonders whether newcomer Taylor Lautner might appeal more to a gay audience than to teen girls.

"He spends most of the movie stripped to the waist and wandering into the forest with like-minded guys, all of them heavily muscled and naked except for shorts," writes Chris Tookey of the Daily Mail (see below). "Such scenes seem to be aimed more at confirmed bachelors than at teenage girls."

Does Tookey not realise that Lautner is considered a hunk in Hollywood? He's even rumoured to be dating the hottest young country singer around, Taylor Swift. Sacrilege!

WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING:Tim Robey, the Telegraph: "The movie is best enjoyed for its dowdy sops to teen culture - vampires with email addresses, lycanthropes with six-packs - but for anyone on the outside looking in, the insulation of the characters from real danger makes it a bit of a drag."

Chris Tookey, the Daily Mail: "This is a mere six minutes longer than the first Twilight movie, but it feels like six hours. I gave the original four stars, but the sequel is tedious, long-winded and not so much undead as almost entirely devoid of life."

Chris Weitz, Time Out: "New Moon is little more than a skilful soap opera, but it's still enjoyable escapism - even if you're old and wise enough to see through it." ·