Twilight - The Movie Review

I read the entire Twilight series and loved it.  I heard a lot about the movie and was waiting with great anticipation for it to be released but it didn't move me like many movies do.  The beginning was very slow and I actually looked at the timer on the DVD player and when I finally started to get intrigued with the movie 58 minutes had lapsed in what would be a 2 hour movie.   I will admit that the producers did a great job following Stephenie Meyer's storyline but they failed to enhance the characters.  They didn't bring as much depth to them as the books did.  The book portrayed Edward and Bella more like the star-crossed lovers in Romeo and Juliet.  But in the movie you didn't see that much of a struggle or forbidden love. 

Some of the main cast:

• Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan
• Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen
• Billy Burke as Charlie Swan
• Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen
• Nikki Reed as Rosalie Hale
• Jackson Rathbone as Jasper Hale
• kellan Lutz as Emmett Cullen
• Peter Facinelli as Dr. Carlisle Cullen
• Cam Gigandet as James
• Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black 

I know Washington state was going to be a rainy, wet and dreary area but the movie appeared to be set in an older time.  Edward's Volvo was the only vehicle that appeared to be current date.  All the young people wore dark and oblique fashions.  There were no bright colors, scenery, etc.  Bella was supposed to be the epitome of klutziness but there weren't too many incidents to portray that.  Alice was supposed to be a fashion mogul but there was nothing to portray her sense of style.  Edward was supposed to be a preppy guy but it looked as if he were dressed in vintage attire.  I just felt as if the movie lacked a lot to be in sync with the book.  The storyline was true to form but the description of the characters was lacking.

Bella Swan comes to Forks, Washington and sets her eyes on Edward Cullen.  She notices things about him and after going online she soon discovers that he is a vampire.  He can run like the speed of light, he has the strength of Hercules, can hear people's thoughts; except for hers and he never eats, sleeps or drinks.  Should she fear this immortal?  No, she is falling in love with him and her only wish is for him to change her.  But her friend Jacob who is from the Indian reservation tries to warn her of the people from the darkside.

Bella's father, Charlie, is the chief of police in this small town and he is working on a mystery that is leaving people dead.  The townspeople believe it to be some large animal attacking people but the Cullen's know it to be something different.  The town has been invaded by a group of vampires that thrive on human blood.  James, Laurent and Victoria are in town and they're looking for flesh blood and Bella just may quench their thirst.

I did like the way the storyline followed the book.  Because I had already read the book I could predict what was going to happen and then this and then that.  My favorite part of the movie was the baseball game.  When I read the book I loved that scene and I could just envision how awesome it would be to watch it and it was good. 

Some memorable quotes was when Bella asked Edward how old he was.  He said 17 and then she asked him for how long and he said awhile.  Later when Edward takes Bella to his house to meet his family they are busy preparing dinner for her.  When Edward and Bella are walking up the stairs she notices all the awards and he says, "We tend to matriculate a lot"  and I love when he shows her his room and she ask where the bed is and he says he doesn't need one because he never sleeps.  Like her, I would have been expecting a coffin except I did read the book first.

I couldn't quit talking about the book and I was beside myself when writing the Twilight book review.  Then I moved on into the next book and so forth.  This movie left a little to be desired.  I will probably watch the sequels just because I have read the book and like with the books I will hope that the movies get better. 

I will say that I am glad this wasn't the scary sort of vampire movie.  I didn't see all the fangs and bloodsucking and I didn't see the vampires flying away as bats or them climbing into coffins to sleep.  That will save me from some nightmares this evening.

I wish they had chosen a better-looking guy to play Edward.  He just seemed so plain and Kristen Stuart was even plainer.  There weren't that many well known actors in the cast.  To those who may have been new to the Hollywood scene, best of luck in future endeavors.  This may be the movie that catapults them to stardom.  And for future movies I hope they add some depth to all the characters.  I hear New Moon is set to be released sometime in November. 

To all those who really loved this movie I'm sorry that I didn't enjoy it as much.  If I had gone to see this movie in the theater I would have saved myself the money and not purchased the DVD.  I got the single disc movie for $17.99 at Walmart.  I probably won't watch it again unless it comes on TV and there is nothing else on or some of my friends' kids come over and want to watch it.     

The movie is rated PG-13 for some violence and a scene of sensuality.  I think it's a movie that would be acceptable for young people to watch.  A child under the age of 12 might get a little confused with what is real and not real but there isn't any offensive language, there is minimal sensuality aside from the kissing and the violence isn't that intense.