This review contains minimal spoilers.
I am going to be very honest in my review of Twilight. Thus, it should first be known that I went to see the film not expecting to be overly thrilled.
We have been waiting on this movie for months. People have scoured the internet and fansites for every photo, soundtrack clip and interview there is. There are t-shirts and perfumes and merchandise for this movie long before it is even out, or anyone has seen it, or anyone has even had a chance to decide if they like it. The fact is that it has been so hyped, it almost seemed as if there was no possible way it could live up to the expectations that I and thousands of other fans had.
But then, it did.
The moment that the opening titles of the film appeared, I was transported to the world that Stephenie had created. I don’t know exactly how it happened: whether it was hearing Bella’s voice, or the words we all know so well from the prologue. But I suddenly felt this was the film that I, and thousands of others, had been waiting on for months. This was Twilight, and it was finally here.
The details of the movie will speak for themselves when you see it (hopefully, more than once). But I will say that everything from the book is there: from meeting Edward in the school, to Edward saving Bella in the alley, to the trip to La Push, to running from James, to the prom scene. Everything is there — and even more. As I watched the movie, I felt an urge to call my friends still waiting for midnight in a different time zone, and tell them to brace themselves for what they were about to see.
I certainly did not go into the theater expecting to laugh while watching the film. There are a few laughs in the book, but I thought the movie would be a strict romance and leave no room for embellishment. But Charlie, Jasper, Mike Newton, and Eric Yorkie made everyone in the theater laugh endlessly. Michael Welch was a wonderful actor, and made his character leap right out from the books. I can easily see Catherine Hardwicke’s influence in keeping the film from being overly serious business, and yet delicately keeping with the plot of the story.
The sparkling was everything I had expected it to be. The meadow was just as I had pictured it. Vampire baseball was exactly as I had imagined: with the added effect of the perfect music selection in the background (you’ll recognize it when you hear it).
All of the vampire action was amazing. It is impossible to put to words the feeling you get when you see Bella trapped in the alley, and then see Edward suddenly roar in with his shiny silver Volvo. Robert Pattinson was able to portray Edward so well: I could feel how angry he was, and how close he came to killing them.
There was of course some awkwardness along the way. The flying Edward didn’t quite click with me. Bella seemed to fall for Edward very quickly, despite what her outside feelings seemed to portray. But each of these were so minor they were hardly noticeable.
As for any doubts on the soundtrack, they have all been wiped away. I didn’t get a few of the song selections when I first heard the album, but when you actually see the film and where each song is placed, it is far easier to understand. And, for any doubters still out there, Bella’s Lullaby sounds far better when it is seen in the movie.
It would really be impossible to pick a favorite scene without spoiling it for those who haven’t read it. So, I have prepared my three favorite scenes in only 2 words, so people who have seen the movie will know what I’m talking about, and those who haven’t will not:
Three favorite scenes:
1. Edward… alley
2. Cullens… baseball
3. Edward… piano.
And my three favorite funny scenes:
1. Mike… window (ha ha)
2. Jasper… sniff (he he)
3. Charlie… gun (BAHAHA)
Also, there was a whole lot of pointing and whispering when it came to the scene with Stephenie. She was typing at a computer — hopefully, working on another book.
Of course, people have already started to complain that the movie doesn’t follow the books — but they are vastly wrong. This is one of the most loyal films I have seen before. Unlike many book-to-films, you can actually tell that this is based upon the novel — every major event in Twilight is covered, in nearly the same exact order in the books.
The thing to keep in mind is that it is very hard to transpose a novel onto the screen, since they are two entirely different mediums. Tiny details like Bella having an iPod or the exact dialogue are simply details that have to be shifted into film. It is very much like translating from English to Latin, where certain words must be moved and rearranged to make it understandable.
I was particularly surprised that the movie turned out so wonderfully on such a small budget. This definitely attests to Catherine Hardwicke’s directing, as she was able to create a studio-quality film with nearly $100 million less than the first Harry Potter.
Any doubts that I had of this film being a success have vanished. So congratulations to Stephenie, and Catherine, and everyone else who was involved in the making of this movie. Twilight was worth the wait.
For the comments: What did you think of the Twilight movie?! What were your favorite parts? (people who haven’t seen it, be warned: spoilers will be in the comments!)
NOTE: Huge news! twilightguy.com just passed TWO MILLION HITS!
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300 Responses
I’m going to see it again next week lol
Thank you for the review, Kaleb. I agree with you wholeheartedly. I went Friday night with my 13 year old niece and my husband – we are 42. He is not a fan of the books. We ALL enjoyed the movie! Then, my niece and I went again on Saturday – this time to a better theater with a humongous screen and better sound. It was like watching a completely different movie. My advice – see the movie in the best and biggest theater – you will thank me. Rob Pattinson is pure genius as Edward.
When I first found out that Twilight was going to be a movie I was so disappointed. I was the first person in my school to read the series. I’m always ahead of my time. Sometimes I really hate that. I wanted Twilight to myself. (I know I’m selfish!) I didn’t really think that the movie would be all that good. Also, I thought that after the movie I would be sad that Twilight was all the hype.
I went to the midnight showing. I wasn’t really that excited. I had my popcorn and pop and was just waiting for the movie to start. When it ended my mouth was hung open. OME! I had never ever thought it would be this good. For all the haters remember this the movie is NEVER as good as the book.
(Note: The audience cheered every time Washington was mentioned. That’s where I live!)
I loved the movie. I went to go see it with two of my friends. I had to go in with a fresh mind because I knew that in order to enjoy a book to movie adaption. One has to go in with a fresh mind. You cannot expect every scene word from word to be in the movie.
I enjoyed the movie (despite one of my friend’s complaining through the movie). I loved every moment of it. The intensity, the hilarity. Everyone was just at their best game.
Two words: Cullen…cooking
I laughed for like two minutes during that scene. I thought everything was amazing and everyone who worked was passionate about this. It was just an amazing movie. It was a fabulous effort and they went past my expectations.
Good job, guys.
Also, I noticed that some people thought Jasper looked odd. I thought he was played perfectly, actually. He would have been in pain.
I saw it on the 21st at 6:15 pm at the Loews theater. I liked the all of the actors except for bella. she just didn’t seem right, she didn’t click with me. I liked all of the following parts:
Charlie and gun
Mike and the window
Tyler pulling the chair out from under mike and mike falling over, then getting up to chase him.
Anything with Mike and Eric
Fight Scene!
Beseball
I thought the actors for the cullens were perfect, but Jasper looked kind of wierd but he acted fine. Bella’s friend were perfect! Jessica was just as stupid as I imagined. Eric was the perfect geek and Agela was really nice and Mike was the puppy. I’m not sure about Jacod though…….
Ashly Green(ALICE)is AWESOME!!! >.<
okay, I don’t know if anyone mentioned this, but the part where Edward and Billy were glaring at eachother had me laughing for a full minute. I don’t know why it struck me so stongly, and people were staring at me, but I just thought it was hilarious.
On another note, the one thing I regretted in the movie was how Bella spent no time at all getting away from Alice and Jasper, she just walked out of the hotel…
Great review! Those were exactly what I was thinking when I sw it!
I’m going to repost what I said in an earlier news feed plus a little more I thought about….
I’m not going to lie. I was a disappointment. I went in knowing that it was not going to be like the book. i had low expectations but after seeing it and settling down from all the excitement I was able to sit and think about it. The actors were wonderful they really we’re good despite the what they had to work around. The direction was ok I agree with what someone else had said. It seemed like at moments, and there are a few…Where it seemed that Catherine didn’t know what to do with herself…. Like she wasn’t in her element especially with the action sequences that could have been much better. The special effects were….ehh….. well I totally understand that they had a set limit to the budget so the special affects we’re not going to be the greatest but since Summit has decided to go ahead with the New Moon they will definitely increase that budget and get some real effects =)
And now the moment is we’re I tear down the screen writing. It was truly awful. It was too cheesy and at some serious parts where I know from the book I was totally entranced…. well I laughed. It was too silly. And I just got to say Melissa (screenwriter) I know it is hard to show the movie when it is from Bella’s point of view, but did you really have to rush it. It was strange I felt like at times it went by sooo sloooooowwwww and it just needed a teeny bit of something to spice it up, but then it also went by too fassstttt. I mean one second Edward’s saying we can’t be friends and the next second they spit out “so the lion fell in love with the lamb” line. NO. That was totally ruined. The only scene that truly frustrated me was the meadow scene. And some of you will know what I am talking about… When they lay down in the meadow…. come on that was too cheesy… way too cheesy and totally random. And the background music. At times it was just …umm too much…. It was distracting.
~~My final verdict is a B+ the only serious downfall is the writing. Seriously Melissa next time if you only have a limited time to write this script please just wait until things are finished up before you decide to “rush” a screenplay out. 6 Weeks is not enough to transform our beloved book into a movie. Please if you write New Moon TAKE YOUR TIME…… REREAD AND PROOF…. I know you might seemed rushed to get it out for us Twilight fans but please it will do you a world of good for us and for you. I’d rather see a movie well done and out later than a crappy movie rushed out and released earlier~~~
I hope all you Twilight fans do not get mad at my opinion. I know there is a lot of you that loved the movie and that’s great. But then there are lots of people who were disappointed in the movie mostly because of the screen writing.
Like a lot of other people I went in with low expectations. I expected to be disappointed, not that I thought the trailers were horrible or that I didn’t like the actors, but movie adaptions are never as good as the books they are based on, also I was browsing online beforehand to find out what the early reviews said about it and they were ranged vastly. So I went in trying to keep an open-mind and remember that the movie is not the book and should be seen as its own thing. Even so, I have not actually liked any of the Harry Potter movies thus far either in staying true to the book or on their own merits. They just don’t seem to catch the essence of the books.
The Twilight movie caught the essence of the books. The character personalities, their little quirks, their mannerisms were spot on. Alice was graceful, Esme motherly, Carlsile dreamy. Edward was Edward, but with Robert’s own unique take on him w/o the heavy Bella filter we see in the book. Bella was Bella. she is not a very emotional girl, she’s really pretty practical she is always fighting to NOT be overwhelmed by these sudden feelings, and that was portrayed spot on by Kristen. Rosalie and Emmett were caught perfectly. All the more minor characters were awesome, you can see they had a lot of fun and were great sources for comic relief.
I just have to mention that I didn’t expect much from the baseball scene from the previews but it was done perfectly, one of my favorite parts of the whole movie.
I do have some concerns that the movie didn’t quite explain the heedless, overwhelming feelings. The truelove found only once-in-a-million-years. The depth of it understood by someone who’s read the books for themselves, will probably be lost on someone who hasn’t. They could have included more of the banter betwixt Bella and Edward. Especially the classic ‘Edward’ lines and portrayed more of his chivalrous side. Hopefully the next movie will smooth out the finer subtleties out of their characters now that they’ve been established. I also hope they’ll explain more about the rules for Stephanie’s vampires. I do think they should have included Edward explaining the differences between myth and reality. Something they need to include is Jasper’s ability, more of Edward’s backstory(when he went through his rebellious phase), Alic’s backstory(though I’m ok if they leave out James’ involvement) and Carlsile’s because they have to explain how and why he doesn’t drink blood. They cannot get rid of that, though I’m fine with it not being in this movie specifically, as long as it comes out in future ones.
Overall I loved the movie.
I was immensely impressed overall and am definitely going to try to see it again in theaters. Sooooo glad they’ve decided to move forward with the next. Looking forward to it already.
I totally loved the movie! Sure, it was different from the books, but it was so good that it could stand by itself and I would fall in love with the series. I have to say that my favorite pastime (while int he theater) other than watching the movie itself was watching Edward’s expressions. They were different from what I’d imagined, and yet they fit as nothing else would have the way the Robert Pattinson played him. At times it seemed as though you were right there with them, an unseen spectator as the events in the movie happened, as if they were truly REAL. I truly believe, and always have, that he was THE BEST choice for Edward, despite what others say. He played the character to the best of his ability, studied up for it by not only reading Twilight, but by reading what he could of Midnight Sun, so that he could understand the part. And he pulled it off without a hitch in my opinion.
I cant’ say that I have a favorite scene, but I really love the way that all the characters are played, and the fact that Charlie seems to have a bigger role, or we get to know him better, or something like that. You could really tell that Bella and her dad love each other even though they don’t come out and say it, like with the vampire couples. They’re quiet about how they feel, but it permeates everything they do around each other. And it’s that way with Bella and Edward. They just want to be with each other.
(Sorry, big ramble. I’m not even half done with what I could say, but I’m stopping here.)
eh…i thought it was ok…way better than i thought it was going to be thats for sure…some parts were hilarious! the whole theater laughed throughout the entire thing…i dont know if we were supposed to or not…
i really didnt like that they cut the meadow scene…that was one of the most pivotal parts of the book…oh well…
I seriously havent heard of anyone who hasnt liked this movie!! I LOVED it soooo much. I was literally (and i mean literally) on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was intense when it need to be, sorrowful when it needed to be and funny in little bits of places which i loved!!! I was seriously clutching my friends hand all the time and holding my breath it was soooo AMAZING!!!! ok ok favorite scenes…definetly the baseball scene!! when muse came on i literally yelled “AWWWWW YEAH!!!!” hmmmm the whole ballet studio scene was picture perfect. exactly wat i pictured it to be. my heart was hurting sooo bad when edward couldnt stop sucking the blood out of bella :'( rob did an excellent job portraying his agony. and kristen…OMG!!!! amazing actress!!! :DDDDD o goodness i am in love. i cant say anything horrible about it!!! it was THAT amazing and awesome and good. pure adaption, awesome acting, amazing camera work, the perfect setting. eerie and romantic and i could say more if i wanted to but i wont because i gotta eat now. Amazing movie lets just put it that way!!! :)))) It lived up to all my expectations it really did :)))
It was great and everything (did I miss Jasper sniffing?) but New Moon had BETTER have a bigger budget.
TO: #182 Charlee
YES I am an actor. I’m one of the BIGGEST Twilight fans there is and I’m every informed. I didn’t think they would match up exactly, they could have been closer, Edward wasn’t even HOT. I did say at the start “I wasn’t expecting much when I went to see it”, I went w/an open mind. I’m going to see it one more time, because friends said that it was better the 2st time.
I was on the literal edge of my seat for the entire opening showing. I feel as though I hung on every word, and yet I walked away knowing that seeing it a second time would help me organize and finalize my response to it. Today I saw Twilight during a matinee showing and know now, what I wanted so desperately to believe all along; this movie remains absolutely true to the heart and soul of Stephenie’s world. I can’t explain in mere words just how much I enjoyed it, and will many more times. So many scenes stand out in my mind, so many funny moments, all the intensity, but what I am quite grateful for was Kristen Stewart’s ability to horde her emotions. She left Bella a new level to escalate to in New Moon. We also saw a glimmer of the burning man Rob is going to have to eventually (well, hopefully) play. I am so proud of the actors for leaving themselves somewhere to go … that inandof itself screams sequel. Thank goodness they solidified New Moon. Thank goodness Catherine rocked her job. Thank goodness there is room for cinematic improvement. Thank goodness we have somewhere to go and we’re going finally, honestly there!
I’ve seen it twice already, once at midnight when it was released here, and then again last night. I have to say that both times were excellent, but the audience wasn’t nearly as much fun the second time! XD
1stly, congrats on the hits!
2ndly, in my opinion, the film adapted the book as best as was possible, but some parts i wasn’t a huge fan of (namely the 1st time they kissed. no pants? c’mon!) but i absolutely loved the baseball scene and when ella meets the cullens. also, before the movie i didn’t really like jasper all that much (the film one) but he reallly grew on me. i mean, who didn’t love his face in the cafeteria? and nikki reed as rosalie was amazing. the fact that i saw it at 12:01 at a theatre named Edwards Cinema made it all the more enjoyable. The 2nd time round was very fun also. 🙂
I saw the movie this afternoon, and the only thing my mind can summon up is: WOW.
I never expected myself to be swept up into Twilight’s open arms. It was always a title I saw on TV, and Edward Cullen was just a name I always heard slipping through a giggling classmate’s lips. I never knew what all the commotion was about, and I wasn’t exactly in a rush to find out.
However, one day while I was scoping the net about the latest info for the (used to be) upcoming Harry Potter movie, I noticed a lot of hype going on about Robert Pattinson—whom I recalled playing Cedric Diggory—in particular, and that Twilight lately seemed to follow his name. My curiosity finally got the better of me, and it was off to Wikipedia (shameless plug?)! Let’s just say from then on I was hooked.
It was also through my fandom that I discovered you and Bailey. Thanks to you two, my Twilight knowledge expanded! I think a “thank you” is in order. THANK YOU!!
I found myself being one of those schoolgirls fan girl-ing over the series (although I think I was a lot calmer about it than most) and Jacob and Seth, instead of the dazzling Edward. I was making recommendations left and right to my friends, one of them being my coworker. She was yanked in right away as well, and we made plans to see the movie together.
The day we had been waiting for finally came, and we left early to snag the best seats (to our success—we were the first people there. :]). The lights dimmed and movie began. There was only one thing that shocked me more than the movie itself, and that was all of the reactions coming from my older sister—whom wanted absolutely nothing to do with Twilight at first, but decided to tag along because she “didn’t want to stay home.” She kept gushing over Edward’s words, and poking my coworker’s arm to note how “hot Jacob was!” She also wanted me to fully understand that “Jacob was now hers” and apologized about how she was taking him from me (I cracked up at that!). I think I’m supposed to let her read my copies of the books now….
But back to the movie! I admit I was a bit afraid that it wouldn’t do the book justice, but I was wrong. Aside for two or three MINOR goofs, it was very true to the book. I couldn’t wipe off my silly grin when Jacob (and the tiny role of Embry)appeared, and—to my surprise—found myself laughing a lot more than I thought I would! I think my favorite comical scene was Charlie and the gun. The whole theater loved that bit! My coworker and I snuck knowing glances at each other all through the movie whenever we saw something from the book that we loved; and when Stephenie made her cameo.
The credits came too quickly, but I was extremely happy. I adored the movie! The cast was amazing, and the music was awesome! I even went and bought the soundtrack afterwards! I’ll probably go see it again for my best friend’s upcoming birthday (Yay!).
With New Moon on the way now, I don’t think my “Twilight mode” will die down any time soon (although I may shift back to the anticipation of Harry Potter’s arrival). I’m looking forward to waiting for the next movie’s first appearance with you!
oh my goshhhh!!!!! it was absolutely fantastic! phenominal. and honestly, i agree with every single thing you said in your post. what was funny is that my brother and my mom loved it! but i thought robert was so perfect especially during the biology scene when he first smelled bella’s scent. and the cullens were awesome! especially alice! i loved it so muchhhhhhhhhhh!
I sometimes wonder how much of the rushed feeling of twilight reflects Melissa’s rushed time in trying to finish the twilight sceenplay before the writers strike started? she only had a couple weeks to do the screenplay
I enjoyed your review. You have a knack for words. Your whole site is very well done. Thanks for sharing it with us.
While I did enjoy your review, I completely disagree with it. The movie missed its mark by a lot. Poor directing, casting and script play a major part in its failure. What should have been a great film, turned into nothing more than a rushed romance between two people who we were never given a chance to know (if you had never read the books of course) or care about. Not only was this film rushed, they completely threw out key plot points and added in random sub plots that didn’t help move it along.
I am hoping that theydo a much better job with NM, atleast get someone else to direct it and maybe some new cast members… a better Edward maybe.
I think the movie was decent, but not as fantastic as it was hyped up to be.
Robert Pattinson is truly not hot enough to be Edward, and I don’t think Kristen Stewart is a great actor. However, Taylor Lautner did a fabulous job as Jacob, even though he didn’t get enough screen time. (Seriously, what was up with her Google-ing things when we could have been staring at the hottest face in the movie as he explained it?)
Alice and Emmett were also fantastic, though I wish they could have bothered to touch up Rosalie’s roots.
Billy Black was also hilarious, and, while I wasn’t a fan of Charlie for most of the movie, once Bella threw her (pathetic and badly acted) hissy fit and left, I forgot all about hating his mustache. The actor for him was much better than expected.
The fight scene was ridiculous. And Edward’s face when he was drinking Bella’s blood? What was with that? Again, though, Alice was fantastic in that scene.
You r SO dead on about the funny parts. fav scene in the movie was the baseball or when the nomads are hunting. Jasper was awesome with the bat, even though he = pyscho. Laurent was so smooth, “James, lets not play w/ our food”, and I cant let James by w/o comment either, due to the fact that my friend is obsessed w/ him. The only thing wrong w/ the movie was that there was not enough EMMETT!!!
Okay everyone, the film won’t be as yo imagined it but remeber we all have diffrent ideas on how every thing looks. But I loved the movie. I was practically telling my cousin what everything meant in the movie.(Now she and my friends are reading the books.) I really enjoyed the baseball scene. Who didn’t? Alice has great throwing technique and Jasper playing with the bat was priceless. I was in awe with the kissing scene. And when Edward had to stop himself, I screamed “No!”. Kristen is a great actress hence the scene where she has to leave Forks. She really made it seem that she was angry at Charlie.The scene where Edward saves Bella in the end was unbelieveable.
Robert made Edward seem like he was really ready to snap those guys necks.
The only thing to me that I was a little sad over is how quickly everything went. But I know how hard it is for a 500 page book to be a 120 page script. I wish there was more Cullen scenes, like more Esme and Jasper, but the house scene was great. I kind of laughed when Edward talked about a vampire frenzy and I laughed at how in a movie Taylor did (Sharkboy and Lavagirl) where he had said “Shark Frenzy!!” Speaking of Taylor, I wish there was more of Jacob. I was thrilled to see the stare down scene with him and Edward.
The camera angles were something that I have never seen before. And the way were there was bearly sunlight fit the eerie theme well. Back on Robert, I did love the Bio lab scene and how he tried to avoid the smell of Bella’s blood. Or maybe that he was trying to block out the smell of the sardines I had earlier? But my favorite scene of his was when he tried to scare off Bella when she found out the truth. He tried to make it seem like he was a monster but she just kept being brave. The scene where he was in the sunlight where he was suppose to sparkle wasn’t as good as I expected. He looked like he was just sweating alot. The soundtrack did fit well into the movie and you have to listen really close to the scenes where Robert is singing.
Overall, the film was great and I’m seeing is again. As soon as I can get ten dollars after blowing allowance on this really cool mp3! Go see the movie!!!
Okay, so i went to watch it with my friend and honestly, i didn’t like it overall. But i enjoyed some scenes, such as when Emmet said bella was italian just cuz her name was bella, or when it looked like mike was humping a bush outside the window. i loved the baseball scene. but when bella as bitten it seemed like she was having a baby or something. and whenever edward was mad he looked constipated. which was funny^^ i liked Jasper though, and Jessica when bella was telling her about her dress. ans when Alice snapped James’ head it was AWESOME!!!
Very well said, Kaleb. I agree.
Oh and I was surprised too at the amount of times I laughed during the film.
I have to say that I agree with you mostly. There are some things that were left out though: Carlisle’s story, being one of them.
I was disappointed with the sparkling. I couldn’t tell that Edward was sparkling until I the close-up. I imagined rays of light actually coming off him. And when he said, “This is the skin of a murderer,” I almost burst out laughing because I thought it was funny that a murderer would be so glittery.
Those were the two biggest disappoints I had, along with the fact that the meadow scene wasn’t really a meadow scene, but some random time that Edward and Bella decided to skip school.
Other than those three things, I thought that the movie was pretty good and I’m looking forward to seeing it again, hopefully soon.
And I am soooooooo jealous that you got to go to the premiere!
Yeah i didnt mind the movie, but i had better expectations, and i would have sat theough a 5 hour movie at midnoght if they had actually used the book as the script, and I’m a little sour cuz they took out my favorite part-when he atacks her on the couch-but over all it wasnt that bad. I just wish that Jasper hadnt been that in-pain, Jacob had been in it more, and that comercial for the unborn hadent been there. I was very suprized that Kaleb hadnt included when Emmett waved at bella….with a knife in his hand. But I agree with the rest of the funny scenes i just dont remember Jasper sniffing. I absolutely HATED the movie the first time (at midnight), but the second time with my friends it was better ( i also wasnt critiquing everything) but my friends did get asked to SHUT UP!! And the lullaby could have been more complex (i could play it, and I took a year of piano lessons…in kindergarten). Over-all it wasnt that bad-unfortunately I’m expecting A LOT out of New Moon which is my favorite.
They butchered it, it was awkward to watch and it felt like the movie took itself too seriously. I didn’t believe the chemistry between Edward and Bella, and really, that’s all I was there for. Kristen Stewart was acceptable, but Rob P was too over-dramatic and always looked startled.
And seriously, 15 Step by Radiohead for the credits? WHY?!?!
though I haven’t seen the movie as of this writing (it shows in the Philippines tom Nov 26)
am still and hopeful and excited about it…despite reading these mixed motions and comments about it…
thanks Kaleb for this review!
and am so looking forward to commenting and giving my take after watching the movie…oh about 3 times haha
Kudos!
I thought the movie was amazing. The actors were the characters. They portrayed the parts just perfectly. I think in translating Edward and Bella to screen was hard but Kristen and Rob did a perfect job.
I was so pleased with the entire movie.
My main complaint about the script is that they cut out essential dialog and inserted a lot of silent awkward stares instead. Bella and Edward do get to the point in twilight where they are comfortable enough with each other for witty banter, but there was none of it present. You don’t see them reach that point with each other. Also, many opportunities were lost for humor or to get to know the characters. One scene I am thinking of is at the prom when Bella asks Edward why he brought her there. he explains that it is a right of passage and he doesn’t want her to miss it. Her response is awkward silence. In the book she says something like, in what alternate universe would I ever go to prom? That is funny and lets you know a whole lot about Bella in one short line.
I went into this movie with low expectations for a TRUE-TO-THE-BOOK adaptation. (If you’ve read Lord of the Rings, you know how adaptations can cut HUGE parts out). But for $37mil they did an incredible job. Personally, I hated the field trip scene … it totally needed to be replaced with the blood-typing biology lab. But, as an older reader (edging on 30 here) I have to say I did enjoy the movie, albeit a noisy one from the audience. I’m waiting for another week or so (once things have calmed down a tad, let’s say?) before I see it again, because I really do need to see it again. I dragged my hubby along to the show, and he didn’t entirely hate it, but was lost a few time, nudging me gently for a quick clue. I think for people who haven’t read the book there may have been some more background story that was needed for a few characters. Just my opinion though.
Sorry, people, but I really did not like the movie at all. They KILLED it! In the first biology scene Robert Pattinson (I refuse to think of him as Edward) looked like he was about to be sick! And Jasper looked like he was constipated the entire time! On a positive note, I LOVED James, Charlie, and Rosalie. They were perfect, exactly as I imagined them. And I loved the ballet scene. You can ask my friends, I was literally shaking from the adrenaline. Awesome! But then they had to ruin it with Carlisle being all like, “Remember who you are”. I expected him to follow that with “And everything the light touches will be yours”. And then we hear “Circle of Life” in the background. Honestly. Also, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MEADOW SCENE????? Bella just randomly walks into the woods? What is up with that? And the sparkling? They threw some glitter on Rob and called it a day? NO!! I don’t know if anyone else thought this was weird, but why wasn’t Kristen Stewart wearing pants when Rob kissed her? I mean, whose idea was that? And they threw in the absolute corniest moments, too. Like when they start dancing in Rob’s room. Or “This kind of stuff just doesn’t exist” “It does in my world” and the aforementioned Carlisle line. Oh, and how come Laurent was, like, Jamaican? It says clearly in the book that he’s supposed to have olive skin and black hair. Unless that was a typo no one knew about? Sorry, that’s it for my long rant.
Last thing: How come Jacob didn’t tell Bella about the “cold ones”? I was so looking foward to that part! And Rob didn’t tell her anything on the ride home from Port Angeles. That was my third favorite scene, after the ballet studio and the meadow (which they also cut out)(not that I’m bitter at all) OK, now I’m really done.
I thought the movie was amazing, in a way. It would have been much better if there wasn’t a book to compare it too. Through the whole movie i was pointing out the tiny details and things that could have been better. The movie was amazing, and definatly one of my favorite movies, but it doesn’t even come close to the book. The meadow scene was not at all what i was expecting, i was waiting through the movie for that scene, and it wasn’t as good as i was expecting. Edward/Rob should have been sparkling more, in the book it describes it like he throws rainbows off him, but in the movie, if you didn’t know he was sparkling, you might have missed it.
My favorite scene would definatly have to be charlie with the gun. Or the prom scene. (Even though details where off)
You probably think i am too picky and details dont matter, but for me, i think they where some of the most important parts of the book, and they are what make a good movie great.
And, i think its pretty great that you managed to mention Harry Potter in your post because Rob played Cedric in the 4th movie (;
I have so many things to say about this movie. But, I just want to say I am so glad that there is ARE twilighters (or, in your case, someone who has/is read/reading the series) that appreciates the film as much as my friends and I did.
Pretty much anything you had to say, I agree with. No kidding. I think the only REAL complaint I had about the movie was I would have liked to see the blood-typing day scene, but eh. You win some you lose some. I really think Catherine and Melissa did a great job with what they had.
Overall…while I love-love-LOVED the baseball scene…Muse is amazing and if you guys liked that song, please check out more of their music. But, I really like dthe “dream” sequences. I loved gothic/emo Edward and Bella, I thought that was hot. I also liked the dream sequence when he was sucking the venom out, and Rob’s song playing. I saw it twice this weekend, and it gave me chills both times. But, I really enjoyed all the scenes you pointed out.
I guess I am just so relieved that there are more people out there like me and my roommate that thought the movie was amazing. One of my friends actually thought the movie was better than the book.
Kirsten is getting a lot of backlash from the fans, and I think that is unfortunate. She did a wonderful job playing a socially awkward teenager in love for the first time with a vampire. I think if you can understand that about Bella, it’s easier to see why K Stewart played it the way she did. There were complaints that Bells didn’t cook for her dad, etc etc. But, I think her character in the movie is actually stronger and more relatable than her character in the book.
Idk, there have also been a lot of complaints about both the romance getting too rushed and that Bells and Edward didn’t say “I love you.” But, I felt the movie did a good job at protraying the earnestness and urgency of first love.
I could gush about Rob, but I won’t. I didn’t think Rosalie was quite pretty enough, but what she lacked in pretty (though, Nikki Reed is gorgeous) she made up for in BITCHY…I liked that.
Overall…very very pleased with the movie and I’m hoping to catch it a few more times before it’s out of theaters. I also can’t wait for the DVD release, because I’m sure the special features will be stellar.
My wife and I saw it on Sunday and we both thought it was pretty good. Not great, but good. I agree that they did a good job adapting it from the book. I’ve read/seen plenty that couldn’t or wouldn’t do it, i.e. Bourne series.
We both thought the sparkling skin in the meadow was lame & not what we imagined and the running, climbing, jumping, etc. could have been better. Hopefully they’ll have the budget to do a much better job on New Moon.
It seemed weird that all the teenage girls were laughing at certain parts of the movie, like there was some inside joke… we all read the same book & I just couldn’t figure it out.
The worst part was not due to the writing, acting, or directing. It was the theater! The sound cut out at the action scene in the ballet studio! It couldn’t have happened at a worse time.
All that being said, it didn’t disappoint and was a good adaptation, which is rare these days…
Ok…so i saw the movie friday night @ 10:40…my cousin && i are completely obsessed with the whole series so we were expecting a great movie…we came out dissapointed…overall it was an okay movie…there were some parts in the movie that didn’t follow the book && some characters didn’t act like they would have….some parts were good but other parts you expected alot more….the meadow scene which in one of my favorite parts of the whole book was disappointing to me when we glittered in the sun i was also disappointed…i’m trying very hard to like the movie but its just not happening…am i going to buy the movie..yes i will, will i go && see it again….yes i am (tonight) maybe i’ll like it better….thats what happened with me when i read new moon…overall go see the movie just to see but if you read the book you may be disappointed.
One of the things that annoyed me about the movie is that from what I could tell, there was no mentioin of Jasper’s power whatsoever. Also, other than Edward and Emmett, the character development left more to be desired. Overall, the movie was decent, the cinematography and special effects were good and they portrayed the character’s personalities well. They did a good job of making the Cullens more human and the humans like regular people. I’d probably watch it again.
I was preparing myself for disappointment, but I had no need to… It was AMAZING! All the girls in my class went to see it together, and we all screamed our heads off when Edward first appeared. The actors were true to the characters, but more importantly, the movie was true to the book… I loved it.
My only complaints:
1. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MEADOW SCENE??!?! Waaa! I know it was sort of there, but not really….
2. No movie in biology or fainting in biology.
3. No Edward/Bella cafeteria scenes! Those were some of my favorites in the book.
4. Not long enough! Lol
overall I really enjoyed this movie. For a movie based on a novel I thought it was really done well. Certain things needed to be changed so the actors could act like haveing Bella and her talk on the phone instead of email. But I do have to say that I was really looking forward to the Cullens home after reading all four books I could picture this house and the open meadow leading up to it and though the movie house was very nice it was also very Northwest Modern which doesn’t seem like the type of home Esme would choose.
My biggest problem though had to be prom. I feel that Bella’s tantrum once she realizes they are going to prom is one of the scenes in the novel that really tells us a lot about Bella and was one of my favorite scenes as was the prom itself I was looking so forward to the dancing at prom even though it was only mentioned in the novel it made such a strong picture that there is definitely something different about these Cullens and I really missed it.
Like I said earlier though I really liked the movie and it was very well fine especially on the budget it was shot with.
I am a big fan of twilight, so I was very excited about this movie. It was a big disappointment frankly. The romance was completely unbelievable and that was the best part of the book. I did not buy edward and bella’s relationship at all. Bella had no warmth to her at all, she was monotone and cold for most of the movie. At some point they were suddenly stating “you are my life now” and “i love you”, with absolutely no emotional warmth, or believable relationship development so that you were just confused. Bella’s best acted scene was the ballet studio at the end of the movie when she played scared and in pain – she actually showed some emotion other than blank. Edward looked the part – totally hunky – but soooooo overacted to the point of being absurd. His brooding, prolonged, melodramatic stares were ridiculous, and when he was sucking the venom out of bella’s arm, or staring dramatically at billy black, or sparkling randomly to cheesy music with the meat of the meadow scene missing, the whole theatre was in stitches with laughter – totally not the effect the scenes were going for. Carlisle’s bites were similarly cheesy.
Hardwicke is used to exploring the action, drama, dark sides of teens. She brought this to Twilight the movie, and lost twilight’s heart in the process. Instead of Jane Austin we got 13.
Seriously, I could not suspend my disbelief and get into this movie – it was just…hokey is the only word that works.
I would say wait for the rental – but I know from experience that fans of the books won’t be able to wait that long. You were warned. The critics were right, this movie sucks, and not in the way it was intended.
Hello… I do check in on your website here once in a while. It is very entertaining to read. I just wanted to say that I am a 35 year old who loved the books… I know, I am too old and all that, but they were a fun read. I have seen this movie twice. The first time I went with my father of all people (he wanted to see what all the hype was about) and I think I was distracted by the slight differences from the book to screen and had too many extra thoughts going through my head about what I wished was in the film or how they did a scene vs how I had seen it in my head when I read it. Anyway… I decided to go see it again tonight after work. I really enjoyed it more this time as I was not distracted by my own mind/thoughts while watching the film. I liked it the first time, but I liked it more the second. Still, there are things I would have liked to seen done a little differently or scenes from the book I wish were in the movie, but over all I enjoyed it and I look forward to the next film. I kind of hope that there is a director’s cut/extended version of the film put out on DVD with scenes that maybe they had to cut for time or something.
heya!
watched the movie last night!
and it was good…not exceptional nor great…but not bad either
and I’d like to share my take on this
http://tikisoka.blogspot.com/2008/11/my-twilight-review.html
eagerly awaiting for the sequel!
oh and I plan towatch it 2 more times
haha
I went into the movie with no expectations either way.
I was really enjoying it until the scene where Bella tells him she knows that he is a vampire… then the special effects started to kick in. They just weren’t good. There is no way to gloss that fact over, the effects were so sub-par it ruined most of the movie for me! Not to mention the stupid little twinkling sound that popped up when he was sparkling in the sunlight! I hated that part more than anything else, it was so hokey!
I thought the acting was well done but the script itself and what it contained I don’t believe stayed true to the characters. Some of the love story was lost b/c there just wasn’t enough of that back and forth between Bella and Edward that makes them so great! They were so awkward with eachother when in the book they play off of eachother very well even in awkward situations! Edward’s character was pretty cardboard, they didn’t show him well, he was nothing more than a hot vegetarian vampire who brooded alot. The script never gave us the opportunity to see the Edward that we all fell in love with! We didn’t really get to see who the Cullens were either!
The meadow scene was pretty much nonexistent, it was there but it was not all at the same time. The meadow scene was not just about them sitting there staring at eachother, it was about the conversation that they had, the declaring of their love for one another! I really wish they could have made that scene more what it was in the book, didnt they know that was the most important scene in the whole story?!
No, I didn’t hate the movie, I know it cant be just like the book. It wasn’t a bad movie, its just that I didn’t feel the love story was portrayed as well as it could have, there were just key things in the book that make the relationship between the two so potent, and i just didn’t see it in this movie. It wasn’t the acting, it was the content that was lacking!
I wish to see it again, so I can better form an opinion. This is my raw, first hand reaction after seeing it today. Like I said, I didn’t hate it, it was an okay movie, its just that it didn’t really feel like the Twilight I have known and loved since first reading it.
The movie rocked! I loved all the scnes, no favorite. But I also do have to say I am extremmly jelous of Angela now, in the movie I fell in love with Eric! I was peeing myself whenever he came on I espeically loved the green house scene when he was like hahahaha its a worm hahaha, I was craking up!
i hated it. i was really really disappointed in the acting. edward tried to hard to have an american accent and ended up sounding mexican, bella was too awkward, and the sparkling skin? it was not as corny as I feared but it made him look sweaty, not beautiful.
overall, i was extremely disappointed. but now i just appreciate the books even more for their wonderfulness.
Did anyone else switch Teams after seeing the movie? Before I saw it (@ 12:01AM Friday), I was on Team Bella, but it took the visual of Alice, and Ashley Greene’s wonderful portrayal to get me thinking about Alice. And throughout the movie, with each line, Greene had me loving Alice’s character more and more.
I switched to Team Alice.
P.S. Does anyone know where I can get a decent t-shirt, or something I can iron-on to a tee?