As with most everything on this site, I hope I agree with it tomorrow when I feel better (or different).
Things you should know about my background with Twilight
*I've read all the books
*I own all the books, and bought them new (which for a cheapskate like me, that is a huge sign of love)
*I've read all the extra info about the books on Stephanie Meyer's official website
*I've read the partial draft to "Midnight Sun", the remake of the first book from Edward's perspective
*I've read the books around 8 times each (lots of time in bed, remember)
*Reading the twilight books is as good as a narcotic to me. If I'm in pain, they are sure to take my brain away from it.
*Knowing the above, my husband let me read them aloud to him one painful night.
*Before the end of the first book, he was reading them on his own. By the end of the month, we had mostly read aloud to the very end.
*I live in the Northwest, and love it here.
*I like independent films and artsy films
*I won't watch rated R, or other scary or overly sexually suggestive films
The Good: Review
Like I mentioned before, I'm a cheapskate. I enjoyed the movie enough that I felt it was worth my money. I enjoyed the movie enough that I plan on going again. And not only spending the money, but spending my only two hours sitting up a day in a theater. I also enjoyed the movie enough that I will buy the DVD. And I will buy my tickets early for the next movie, "New Moon". It was officially announced here
I love how they made Edward sparkle. It was a pleasant surprise. Grant wondered why they didn't just roll him in glitter. We, myself and other twilight moms I've read, are very glad they didn't roll him in glitter. I guess that could be a spoiler, but it's pretty basic twilight knowledge. Even Grant knew that vampires sparkled.
I loved the cast of high school students. There was much more development and range in the school chums. It made the first day much more fun to watch. And it added to my love of the school characters, I could see how the relationships in future books would come about.
>I won't spoil it, but I LOVE the scene when Bella meets the Cullins at their house. After you get over the whole house style thing. Some of my favorite things happen in that scene. Like the Salad Bowl. LOVED IT!
>I loved the car scenes. All of them. I'm not a car person, but I don't want to spoil the movie. They got the emotion and style right when there was a scene involving a car.
>I like Billy, Jacob's dad, much more in the movie. I like Bella's dad. Some reviews say he's too young looking. Well, I live in Seattle. Because of the lack of sun, people age slower, show it differently. When I first moved here, even the Grandma's looked so young. This was compared to the sun damaged folks I was raised around in Denver. So for a Northwest Dad, he looks just about the right age to have become a father right out of high school.
The Bad: Review
The movie was definitely a different view of the books. It felt choppy, the way the info about the vampire world was revealed to Bella. They didn't get the ton of emotion right when big story parts were discovered. I didn't feel the movie showed Bella falling in love with Edward. If I hadn't read the books, I would wonder why she hurt her dad for Edward. Grant said it well, "The movie showed Edward's point of view, Edward's falling for Bella much better than Bella's falling for Edward".
We didn't like the action scenes. Edward's running across the forest, racing up a tree seemed comical. At one point I stifled a laugh in Grant's arm during a dramatic scene. Speaking of dramatic (SPOILER ALERT), I wish they had mixed the sound better when the two covens crouch and hiss at each other. The book is very clear how animal this sounds. But it made me giggle instead, because it sounded and looked like my 2 year old pretending to be a mad cat.
SPOILER ALERT: My biggest disappointment was how Bella found out in a book AFTER the dinner in Port Angeles scene that Edward was a vampire. So much of her love and trust, in my eyes, is built from her going to dinner with a vampire, while he doesn't know she knows the truth.
Neither here nor there:
There were several things I shrugged my shoulders at, but have now grown to be fond of. The flashback scenes. Very artsy and melodramatic, but took me by surprise. The dramatic Port Angeles scene was done by men much younger and cleaner looking than I expected. But I've just reached that age where teachers, new moms and leaders are looking much too young.
SPOILER ALERT: I didn't mind that Bella didn't cook. It left more time for more important things in the movie. I loved many artsy cooking films, and I'm glad this didn't become one.
I still stick by my first impression as I left the theater....Think of the Twilight Books as the original Mona Lisa, viewed in it's original in Europe. This movie is like a good copy of the Mona Lisa, done by a first year art student.
And I must admit that even knowing what Stephanie lookes like, and knowing she was in the film, I couldn't pick her out. But I'm bad with faces.
My rating based on my love of the books: 3 starsMy rating based on good, clean movies that are worth watching this year: 4 stars
