Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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115 of 134 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent movie with deviations and development issues, November 21, 2008
I went to the midnight showing of Twilight. It's worth seeing, but reading the book is almost essential to understand the depth that the movie completely failed to bring. They tried to stick closely to the book, but almost ignored completely the development of each character and the important progression of Bella and Edward's relationship. By the end of the movie Bella and Edward were confessing profound love, but the audience was left feeling like, "Huh? When did that happen?" So, it came off as a superficial teenage crush.
Visually, the movie was amazing! And when I first heard the heavy metal music I wasn't sure how well it would work into the scenes, but it fit perfectly. If anything they probably could have used more music throughout to help with the emotional dynamic.
*Meadow scene was altered: Edward's and Bella's trip to the meadow in the book was the point at which their relationship went from flirting to serious and when they first kissed. The movie's meadow scene had an entirely different tone. Instead, Bella confronted Edward about being a vampire and Edward was angry with self loathing instead of tender and exercising superhuman self control. Bella also said that she was afraid of losing him at this point. But, the reasons for her profound feelings were never clearly explained and the movie didn't bring the audience to the same place to understand her. The movie portrayed their first kiss in her bedroom instead, but all of the *wow* factor was still there.
*La Push: In the book Jacob spilled the beans and told Bella that the Cullen's were the "cold ones" and Bella understood that he was talking about Vampires. However the movie had her figure it out by getting a book on local Quiloite legends. This was an fundamental deviation because she was supposed to already know that he was a vampire when they went to dinner together. The movie had her find that out afterwords.
*The blood typing incident was completely eliminated.
*The girl's choice dance and Prom were combined into just prom. The part when Edward blocked her car in so that Mike could ask her out was missing as well.
*The movie missed a great opportunity to lead the audience into recognizing Edward's initial interest in Bella, jealousy and ability to read people's minds BUT not Bella's. It is hinted at somewhat, but could have been done SO much better. More focus was on his vampire angst. We get it, move on.
*My MAIN gripe was that the movie spent too much focus on James' coven with contrived scenes and not enough time getting to know the Cullens or other more essential development.
*The rescue scene from the men in town was accurate along with the van crash and the hospital scene. The final battle was AWESOME but they missed Bella's relief when her mom wasn't actually there. The Cullen's comparative beauty was also played out extremely well. I'm glad they featured the golden eyes vs. the red eyes well. The sparkly skin was also very nicely done.
*Alice's abilities were underplayed and I wanted to see more of Edward's humor.
*The characters were cast accurately to the book, which if you've read it the connection was excellent! Rosalie was done perfectly! Dr. Cullen's restraint in changing people was also very well portrayed. It was actually funny in parts like seeing Edward's reaction to Bella walking into class the first time and getting to see Jasper's pained expressions being around humans.
*Bella and her father had dinner at a diner instead of Bella cooking for him at home. This was just annoying because it introduced more unnecessary focus on James' coven with the town's people fretting to the chief of police.
I think the movie was good, but the depth of their relationship is understood ONLY if you've actually read the books first. It could have been done SO much better and really missed making that emotional connection with the audience in exchange for made up scenes with James. I really really hope that the movie can hold it's own with audiences who have never read the book so that the rest of the books are put into film too. Perhaps in future movies the director can spend more time on character development and less time on stuff that never actually happened in the books.
I would definitely recommend seeing the movie, especially for anyone who's read the books.
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bella and the Beast, November 21, 2008
I know what the most seductive part is. It's being chosen. It's someone else saying that you are perfect for them; that no one else will do. Of course it doesn't hurt when the chooser is a gorgeous hunk of man like Robert Pattinson. He plays the brooding, mysterious Edward Cullen. Bella is only human. Who could say no?
When the teenyboppers in the movie audience squealed when Edward first came on the screen, I thought maybe they were recognizing their lip gloss. The man wears a shiny scarlet shade, contrasting with his too-white, almost powdery face. The obviousness of the cosmetics distracted me throughout the movie. I wish the makeup artists had used a lighter touch. I kept thinking he was going to leave a lipstick stain on Bella's porcelain skin.
That's just a minor quibble, however, Overall the movie draws you into its feverish, passionate world. You don't care about logic, or great writing, or practical matters. You -- like Bella -- are ready to surrender.
The key to the movie, in fact, is Bella. This golden girl, the chosen one, is played with just the right touch of real-girl authenticity by Kristen Stewart. She seems like a normal teenage girl, not an obvious beauty or an outgoing cheerleader type or a graceful athlete. Bella is new in town, brainy and quiet. Every female in the audience will be able to relate to her, and walk in her shoes. I've admired Stewart ever since she played Jodie Foster's daughter in Panic Room, and as an abuse victim in Speak. She always has this stillness about her, and portrays smart, capable girls and women. Her role in Twilight is no exception. Bella DECIDES to fall hopelessly in love with Edward. This isn't an emotion that just happens to her.
It was refreshing to see such passion in a movie that has its characters go no further than kissing. The filmmakers know that immediate bed hopping isn't erotic. Teasing and flirting and kissing -- and waiting -- that's sexy. Even if I didn't already know it, I would guess that Twilight was written and directed by women.
The look of the film is striking; it is extremely contrasty and harshly lit. A lot of the color seems drained out of scenes. Scenes seem otherworldly, dreamy, which complements the fantastical story being told.
The red lip gloss and the ultra high contrast almost dropped Twilight to 4 stars instead of 5, but I can't resist it. As Edward says to Bella, "I don't have the strength to stay away from you anymore." I surrender.
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26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Loved the books, but not the movie, November 24, 2008
I understand that a movie is not going to be a page-by-page visual presentation of the book. It's a different medium. I get that. But they failed for other reasons.
1. the romance made no sense - Bella and Edward share a couple of brief, moderately unpleasant conversations, then are suddenly declaring their love for one another. Why??? Are they insane? The movie gives no context for this. The interactions were awkward and uncomfortable. Until they kiss.
2. Some of the changes were unnecessary and weird. Why doesn't Jacob explain the Cullens don't eat people? It makes Bella seem suicidal to go into the woods with a vampire if she doesn't know he is a "vegetarian."
3. I know this was low budget, but the makeup was so bad that it was extremely distracting. Why did Bella have eye makeup smeared under her eyes? Why oh why did a vampire (Edward) have five-o'clock shadow? The horrible dye jobs combined with craptastic pancake makeup made it hard for me to pay attention to Rosalie and Carlisle's characters, they looked that bad.
4. The continuity problems were distracting as well. For example, Bella has a bag in Port Angeles, and puts her new vampire book in it. Then when Edward drives her back to Forks, and she goes into the police station, she doesn't have her bag. The next scene shows her at home with the book.
They cut some stuff that would have improved the movie -- or at least explained *why* Bella and Edward were falling in love, and they added some random crap. The diner scenes were a waste of time, although they did allow for the author to have a cameo. I understand why they added the extra "bad vamp" scenes, and those were good additions (to make it more movie-ish), but the diner scenes sucked. The phone calls to Renee were lame and unbelievable.
There were some good parts. Alice was PERFECT. Really, the whole cast was GREAT. It was the script, directing and production that I had the most problems with. Some moments with Edward and Bella were totally cringeworthy, but I think that was more the director than the actors. I hope they all return for the sequel.
I hope they do a better job on the second movie, now that they're going to have a real budget. They've got great actors - they just need a new screenwriter and/or a new director. And a totally new makeup department.
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![Twilight [Theatrical Release]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41iY4kBH73L._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
by Stephenie Meyer
by Catherine Hardwicke
~ Various Artists
~ Carter Burwell
by Mark Cotta Vaz
