Rating:

3 out of 5
Short version: Twilight really is strictly for fans of the book – while not terrible, it’s far from great.

Screen Rant reviews Twilight
So it’s finally here.
Twilight, at least for a select group of ladies, has been THE most anticipated movie of 2008 – and their wait is finally over. The question is: Was it worth it?
For them, yes.
For the rest of us? Eh, not so much.
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Twilight opens with the introduction of our heroine, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart). She is in sunny Arizona with her mom and new stepfather, and as they prepare for a long road trip she decides that she’d rather go up to Washington state to stay with her estranged father, Charlie (Billy Burke). He lives in the small town of Forks (population 3,000) and is the local sheriff.
She arrives in the middle of the school year so although it should be hard to make friends (and it’s implied), she manages to connect with a group of kids who are far more welcoming than she is ready to be welcomed. They give her the scoop on who’s who and they soon point out the Cullens, an odd assortment of very pale-skinned guys and gals. To make things weirder, they are apparently foster brothers/sisters yet they are “couples.” They’ve been taken in by the local Dr. Cullen and his wife.
One of the group is of course, Edward (Robert Pattinson). His story is that “no girl is good enough for him.” Of course Bella is immediately fixated on him, although the feeling is apparently very much not mutual. As a matter of fact when she is assigned to be his lab partner, he seems to be repulsed by her.
Edward leaves for a few days, and when he returns his mood towards Bella has changed considerably. He’s now polite and at least feigns interest. She (mostly) gets over being offended and tries to get to know him although he still doesn’t want to get close to her. Almost immediately he saves her from being killed in a car accident in a scene that’s been shown in the trailer. She’s no dummy and doesn’t miss the fact that he was across the parking lot, got over to her in a flash and was able to keep a van from smashing into her (to the point that he left a dent in the door with his hand). [Note slight sarcasm there, folks]
Anyway, we soon meet Dr. Cullen (Peter Facinelli) at the hospital, whose makeup job is so incredibly white that he looks like the Cesar Romero version of the Joker. He is none to pleased about Edward (I guess I can’t call him “Ed,” huh?) possibly exposing who he really is to save Bella’s life.
One thing leads to another and the burgeoning romance is on its way, with a side trip to a confrontation with the “bad” vampires who actually kill humans to feed (go figure). You see the Cullens only drink the blood of animals. The bad guys have been responsible for a number of gruesome murders in town recently. One of them decides to target Bella and thus we get the final confrontation which finally brings us some decent action.
So what’s good?
I thought that the stars and supporting cast actually did a really great job. Bella’s friends were engaging, funny and they played their roles very naturally. Billy Burke was low key and very good as Bella’s father, Kristen Stewart did a decent job, and I have to say that despite his severely sculpted eyebrows and uber-funky hair that I liked Rob Pattinson’s portrayal of Edward Cullen. I don’t know how closely the way he played the character matched the version in the book, but I thought that his uncertainty and awkwardness in light of how powerful he really was made him quite charming.
There were quite a few moments of unexpected humor in the film that I enjoyed. Nothing huge or slapsticky, but just little things that were enough to actually make me laugh out loud (which some comedies this year didn’t manage to make me do). Really the performances made this worthwhile for me.
So what wasn’t so good?
For a non-fan, it was really a pretty bland film. It seemed very slow-moving at times, and let’s face it – it’s a pretty “stock” teen romance movie. There wasn’t anything really special here outside of the fact that it had, you know… vampires.
Nothing really eye-catching as far as cinematography or interesting shots, and one think that really struck me as bad were the visual effects. When the film had its first “super-speed” effect, where the bad vampires corner one of the locals, it was so poorly done that I think I actually gasped out loud. I mean there was this incredibly cheesy blur that I can’t really describe except to say that anything you see on an average episode of Smallville is done far better.
Imagine my shock at the end of the film when in the credits I saw Industrial Light & Magic listed among the visual effects companies. I can only guess that they were responsible for some other effect and not the one I just mentioned (which was terrible throughout the film).
Towards the end the teen-romance-cheese-factor pegged the needle in the aftermath of the big battle in a scene between Edward and Bella. That was about the hardest scene in the movie to sit through, and pretty much from there until the end it was quite sappy and reminded me of a typical teen TV series on the CW.
The audience full of Twilight fans seemed to enjoy it a lot and gave it a thumbs up, so I guess it’s achieved its goal. I’m curious to see if it does well enough at the box office to generate a sequel (which I’m thinking would actually be better than this film).
So take all that for what it’s worth – I’ll leave the decision of whether to see it or not up to you.
Oh, and yes (for the fans), Edward does “sparkle” in the film and Bella is clumsy.
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182 Comments
Ok so twilight i thought was great even for the people who didnt read the book a lot of people are reading the Twilight sage because of the movie. i thought the cast was perfert for there parts
I had never read any of the twilight series or knew much about the story the first time my younger sister dragged me to go see the movie. i actually enjoyed it and read all four books afterwards. I went and saw the movie for a second time after reading the books and was disappointed. I hope that the new director for new moon will better capture the relationship between bella and edward and keep the story line closer to what actually happens in the book.
@plouise:
“I almost cried when I came out of the cinema!!!
What the he’ll was that film about?”
That bad huh? I’m going to catch it next week and then I’ll let you know what I think.
I have just recently read the book after recommendation from a friend, and i read it in 3 days flat, i couldn’t put it down, i think everyone who read’s it will become completely wrapped up in this romance.
Tonight I watched the film, and i was disappointed; the casting for bella swan i felt was not how i would have cast her, she has a certain appeal in the book-she almost feels like a friend you can relate too, and all I felt Kirsten Stewart portrayed was awkward acting. Robert Pattinson on the otherhand, along with his family i feel was really well cast, even though the way he “stunned” people wasn’t exactly as I imagined I still felt he was perfect for the role.
I’m looking forward to the next film however as someone has said, i would rather watch a 3 hour long film that gives more details etc then cut everything short and jumble it up. I’ll watch the film again soon and see if my opinions change, i’d give it a disappointed 2.5/5 .
Stephanie Meyers is truly a brilliant and strong author and so precise and detailed of the 4 books. And thats why its disappointing on how the movie turned out. It will never be fulfilling, just because the books is amazing.
The worst part about it is I think the movie is rushed to production and to the screens, and it sacrificed a lot of quality when it comes to story lines and characters. Thus this movie is 2 out of 5.
I thought Stephenie Meyers was great until I read the Sookie Stackhouse series ( True Blood) and it’s twilight for adults I swear , seems like Stephenie , had a good read and then had a dream that was just like the Sookie books lol ( BTW the Sookie Stackhouse series were released way before Twilight)
Tosh!
I went along with my girlfriend to see this movie. I didnt expect much but am willing to give any movie a go.
This however was the worst movie i have seen in a long time. Kirten whats her face should never be allowed to act again. Cedric Diggory wasnt much better. And most of the Vampire family were just awful.
The story was weak, the dialogue pathetic and as for the special effects; well lets just say Charlie Angels was better.
I had at least hoped as there was a vampire theme to the movie that there would be a few people done in, or at least be some real scary suspense. But the only thing scary or unnerving about this movie is the other kids on Bela’s first day of school. They all knowing who she is and taking so much interest is a bit weird.
The only redeeming feature of this movie was that some of it is soooo bad it actually really funny. The entire row i was sitting in would sporatically burst into laughter.
Unless you love the book or are 12 – give this movie a wiiiiiiiiiiide birth.
If you want to see a vampire movie go rent Interview with a Vampire or Dusk till Dawn.
This is teenage neurotic pap love story and a poor effort.
Stay well clear
HI! I am back from my trip to Everett,WA and understand that I was planning to visit Forks,WA during my trip out there,(Forks,WA is only 4 hours away from Everett,WA)(but because of the magical snow storm that Washington had recived while I was out there), I could not go. I do plan to head out to Forks,WA again in the near future, but when will that be, I could not say!!!
Tosh, come on dude i mean i no it was bad but u cant put it down that bad i mean you have to give the casting credit not kirsten or whatever her name is?? or robert whatever?? they did suck i agree on that but i think ashley greene did asweome as alice she could tone it down a big but for other then that she was good.. the girl who play’d rose was freak’n sexy and you no it! u can lie ! she did a good job . jasper was a lil eh but his character dosent show much as alway but emit and the rest where good. it wasnt that bad .. i trust me i wanted to cry when i got out of the movie .. but the ppl who played bella and edward so f*#$’d it up i try’d not to laugh as well at the end when he was takeing out the posion and when she was in the hospital telling edward not to leave . ha ha later … raye
Raye,
point taken about the other actors such as Ms Green. And i will agree they were ok. My initial response would have been because nearly every scene they are in Kirsten Whatshername was in and i wanted to pull out my eyesballs and shove them in my ears to block it out.
The bit in the hospital when she is saying not to go was one of the most awkwardly and badly acted scenes i have EVER seen. It was damn hilarious tho.
omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg
I LOVED THAT FILM!!!!!! i am i HUGE fan although I never read the film!!!! its amazing and i LOVE the story line. everytime i watch a good film I have this wierd feeling inside me I feel kind of sad too and i have that feeling now. I love it so so so so so so so so so so so so so sso so so so so MUCH i’m going to but it on dvd!!!! I LOVE TWILIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (L)(L)(L)(L)(L)(L)
i also love robert pattinson he’s gorgeous!!
I love the way he was acting so quiet and eyrie he has a goreous smile I LOVE ROBERT PATTINSON (L)(L)(L)(L)(L)(L)
Hi, I give twilight a big thumbs up. I think though a few things could be slightly different (like a few different acting reactions). rob is pretty perfect for edward, he even has the same crooked smile. What is with the acress playing rose, she is so not super model looking like she is in the book. and Taylor is wayyy to cutesy to play Jacob. I hope that in new moon since they have a bigger budget they will not have chessy running scenes again like a cartoon up the hill. come on… but I loved the film, its got so many powerful contrasts. cant wait for new moon, its torture…by the way breaking dawn was awful. love the first three though.
No Comment.
El Dementp, that was supper funny me and my friend jade always make fun of her its like spit it out loser ! lol but i mean as a big movie person you have to look at it from differant views like sometimes actting isnt ez but still i think as a movie person they did an okay job as picking her as bella as looks kinda.. she did play some of the parts in the movie pretty good but i think they just made her look like she was just antisocial which really isnt bella but is its like a imperfect balance that bella has . any way my hope are high for this new director i was his work on the golden compus and it was good im one of annimation but you cant make it look fake and he did a good job on that so my hope or at a med. for the next movie but ya idk… Raye
HOW DOES EVERYONE ELSE THINK NEW MOON IS GOING TO COME OUT??
oh wow so many commentary
Hi my girlfriend forced me to se twilight and pay like a gentleman usually if one of chooses a film that person pays. well just wanted to say i really liked the film so much so i bought the saga and would happily pay four more times. I wasnt disapoined by the books its the first time i read a book let alone a saga i found that in as many ways the book is better than the film the film is better than the book. The film was quick and to the point and brings the nomads in as a prologue to the obvious oncoming fight. But they missed out on carliles history which explains why the cullins are the cullins. i think that alice’s history could have been given at least a passing comment at this rate thy will need a fith fim to explan what the whole picture is, not that i mind any way a good show i think a 7.5 / 10 would be fair most lost to wire work which tooked like a crouching tiger style flying rather than super fast runing.
Just saw this movie last nite…and like a lot of people, I was disappointed. The thing that got me most was the acting. I didn’t feel any real emotions coming from the actors (take Bella’s hospital scene at the end, for example). The way the characters said their lines made it look like they didn’t rehearse thoroughly and they were struggling to remember them at times…also, there were pauses in a a lot of sentences that, to me, did not belong there.
The cast was definitely not what I expected. The only people that looked like their characters would be Bella, Edward, and Billy. Edward’s family was definitely not what I expected. To me, the only thing that set them apart from everyone else in the movie (apart from the fact that we all know they’re vampires) was their pale skin. Other than that, they acted like a regular, modern-day family. If that’s what the director was going for, he succeeded, but I imagine a family of vampires who’ve lived for so long would sound wiser…okay, not the best choice of words, but it’s the only way I can say it. Esme caught my attention the most, cuz I saw her as a straight-haired, calm-faced, floor-length skirt wearing woman, but that’s what I get for reading the book first and creating the characters in my head. In the end, it was disappointing, because not one of them had any traces of “Oh, by the way, I’m a vampire who’s lived for this long” in their speech or actions, which is what you get in the book.
I would imagine a lot of people would be left confused as how Bella and Edward fall in love in the movie, because I felt that wasn’t shown enough. To me, the way they showed how the two fell in love would be the equivalent of Edward saying to Bella as soon as she sat next to him in class her first day of school, “Hi, I’m Edward, and I’m madly in love with you…I will never leave your side.” Pretty vague, I must say.
Oh, and the part that almost made me laugh (sad to think I almost laughed too) was when James caught a whiff of Bella’s scent and everyone jumped into vampire stance…every part of that scene (from the lack of ferocity to their postures) made me say “OMG”.
Anyway, just thought I’d get that off my chest. It was bugging me a bit how disappointed I was with the movie. There was so much they could’ve done to make it an engaging and seat-gripping story, but the awkward and less-than-average acting, missing key elements, and bad special effects set the movie below the bar.
With that said, hopefully the second movie turns out a lot better than the first.
*On a sidenote, I think that the production company and cast need to watch Queen of the Damned. The vampires in that movie, especially Lestat, had a more “vampiric” feel to them, and their “super speed”, while still looking somewhat the same as Twilight’s and slow, felt and looked a lot more convincing.
Excuse me anyone that thinks twilights bad are insane!! It is 1 of the best films i have ever seen!! I’m seeing it for the second time on saturday and am soo excited for seeing it a second time !!! But i do think they could have chosen a better bella for the film x
@Amy
My daughter is 12 and while she’s not into the books she saw the movie with me and also wonders what the big deal is about Robert Pattinson.
Vic
How in the world are people still able to watch the movie in theaters, when the movie comes out in dvd in a month and two days and counting…………….
I totally loved the books! but just like everyone said, the movie is nothing compared, you just cant put that kind of love in a movie, the actors weren’t so good, i think that the actors playing edward and bella REALLY should have read the book. i saw an interview with them saying that they never read the book and i think that they should have been made to read it before acting it out, it would have made it better i believe. Edward seems meaner in the movie than he is in the book. and i hate how they took out ALOT of important scenes and left in scenes that really didnt need to be in the movie if they really had to shorten it. It’s just not the same at all, i recommend the books to everyone, and i really hope that for the second movie the actors will want to know what the hype is all about AND READ THE BOOKS! seriously would make a big difference i think because bella was not bella.
I wasnt a reader before I heard about the movies..>I was suggested the book by a friend who raved on about it. By far the books are a million times better than the movie. I admit I got a little sucked into the hype..but when I really look at it. The movie missed a whole lot. The fact that they didnt go into the other character stories..really disappointed me. Carlisle study stories were excellent in the book and I would have loved to see them in the movie. And Alices story from James…in the mental instituion. Robert Pattinson played Edward okay….if you like stalky controlling obsessive boyfriends who wont even attempt to make a move on you. I found Edwards character after a while a bit too annoying for my liking and found myself rooting for team jacob!…Effects wise nothing special although the baseball scene was always my favourite. I jsut feel they could have involved the other characters more…They all have very interesting stories especially Carlisle. Esme also. That was in the first book right??? Anyway. Interesting opinions from everyone. I look forward to New Moon for a break from Edward and more insight toJacob. team Jacob. If I had to choose. Book definately. You can try to capture it on screen but its best left in your own imagination.
Sarah, to tell you the truth, (I don’t know where I had read this, but I know for a fact this bit of twilight information is true) the directer of movie, the new moon, has it planned out that Edward will be showen in the movie more than the book. Meaning that while the two main character’s break up, the viewers will also know what happens during the break up for Edward. How he feels and more. Movie two won’t be all about Bella and Jacob or at least this is what I know for now!!! It could change!!! Hopefully it changes!!!
i think the movie is ok…but wats up with this movie being sooo great just because of Eddie?? i think the movie is soo good just because of the guy and its for fan girls. The end
fluffy you just made no sense. You ask what is up with this movie being sooo great just because of Eddie? Asking the question like you are disgussted with Edward. While you state next that the movie is soo good just because of the guy and its for fan girls.
Question Fluffy: Are you disgussed with the Edward character in the movie or are you pleased with the Edward character???
I loved the movie……… but yea the books were much better, so i urge you to read the books first they are amazing……… Still watch the movies though….I don’t really care about the actors they act cause thats ehat their good at so they are all great at there jobs……… NEW ZEALANDER…..Abby.
i love twilight. It´s my favourite movie. My favourite character is Rosalie.
I think that the 4th book is the best book.
Does anyone notice that early tomorrow morning(12am), Twilight the movie comes out on dvd!!!
Do you think that your view will be any different from seeing the movie at home instead of at the theater???
Well, We will just have to wait and find out! Won’t we now!!!
Tina, have you not noticed the advertisements all over the site?
Vic
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