Twilight - The Movie Review

I thought that the Twilight BOOK was one of the best fiction books I had ever read.  (read review here)  I was unable to see the release of the Twilight MOVIE at theaters, so I was anxious for it to come out on DVD.

As is often the case, the movie just didn't live up to the book.  Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the movie and would watch it more than once, but it just didn't have the same intensity as the book did.  I felt that the story was rushed, and there wasn't enough time given to the growth of the relationship between Bella & Edward.  When I read the book, I was overcome by the intense connection between these two powerful creatures.  But in the movie, it seemed they just grazed the basics of their connection, and didn't get into how powerful their love was for one another.

In the Twilight MOVIE, Bella didn't seem as strong as she did in the book.  One of the things I really liked about the book is that Bella was independent, and her personality was a little dark.  It was only after she met Edward that she softened up and allowed her heart to open.  I liked that Edward was able to open up her soul and make her vulnerable.  That seemed absent in the film.

The storyline was basically the same between the movie and the book, but with a few differences.  The evil vampire, James, doesn't show up till the baseball game in the book;  The presence of his character and the other vampires comes as a surprise to the Cullens.  In the movie, though, James reaks havoc on the town of Forks throughout the whole story. 

Other small discrepancies include: 

• The point in the story when Bella realized Edward is a vampire
• The relationship between Bella & her father is slightly different
• Edward's ability to fly
• No mention of Alice not remembering her human life
• The circumstances surrounding the prom were different
• The female vampire being around at the end of the story

Not only is the intensity of Bella & Edward's relationship not as intense as it was in the book, but I also thought the passion for which Edward protect Bella was a bit watered down. 

The author of the book, Twilight, Stephanie Meyer, did such a superb job at telling the story that perhaps it's just difficult to equal it in film.  Maybe the movie would have seemed more suspenseful if you've never read the book.

Yes, I'd recommend this movie.  It's a great love story, but with much more to it.  It isn't as good as the book, but it was still enjoyable.  There is absolutely NO foul language, no nudity or sex scenes, and very little violence.  Children that are too young in age may be frightened by the vampires, but children older than ten should be fine to watch it.