Twilight the Movie: A Review

I really don't mean to dampen anyone's spirits about going to see this movie. I've heard many people rave about it and it seems to be doing pretty good. Therefore I'll preface this by saying that I intend to see it again. December 12th was the original intended release date for the movie, so Stephenie Meyer (www.stepheniemeyer.com) and Twilight Moms (www.twilightmoms.com) are encouraging everyone to see it for the first time or to go see it again on this date. I'm hoping I'll be able to make it again on that date and give it another shake.

Having read the Twilight book and feeling very attuned to it, I had very high expectations for the movie. I wanted to finish the book before attending the movie just in case the movie changed my visions of things. The stand-alone movie trailers met my expectations. Most of the settings were similar to what I'd envisioned, and the music that accompanied them were suitable. I wasn't too concerned about the actors playing the characters. I knew that a good actor would '˜become' the character and draw you into believing that they WERE that person. For the most part, those playing the parts were okay.

I was so familiar with the book that every little thing done or said differently or out of sequence stood out to me. I understand that it would be difficult to convey EVERYTHING you read in the book into 2 hours of pictures on a screen. Particularly since the book was pretty much from Bella's perspective and her thoughts. While her voice narrated most of the movie, it just didn't work well. Everything seemed really rushed and sloppily thrown together in the film. The accompanying music in some scenes did not seem to fit with what was taking place. Sometimes the music was a little too upbeat when, in my opinion, it should have been a little more sullen or dramatic. A lot of the scenes were exaggerated in their jumpiness and characters seemed to be overacting. Edwards's attempts at looking angst or showing restraint were humorous. Most of the time his expression looked to be more of a bad case of constipation. Other times, he looked confused or as if he had some pressing question or comment that he just could not seem to formulate. (Most women were wowed by his good looks and may not have read it that way)

Edwards's family was a joke in the film. When Carlisle Cullen appeared in the early hospital scene, the camera zooms in on his face and his stiff appearance and too obvious white makeup make him look like a mime! His wife, Esme is just a little too jovial with her constant too happy grin, as is Alice. I may be wrong, but I don't recall in the book Alice saying, '˜We're going to be good friends,' when she is first introduced to Bella by Edward. Stating this in the movie made me perceive her as too eager and less reliable then the Alice of the Twilight novel. At this point in the novel most of the family were behaving politely but were still a little uneasy with the relationship. In fact, when Edward is showing Bella his room he starts roughhousing with Bella. The noise draws Alice and Jasper to Edwards room and Alice jokingly says, '˜We thought you were making a snack of Bella and we were hoping you'd share.' She is almost taunting when she makes this statement.

Alice's partner, Jasper, reminded me of a young Pee Wee Herman. The look of shock he carried was alarming!

Rosalie has an obvious dislike of Bella early in the story and with good reason, considering the harm that could come to her family by the association. However, the movie just makes her look liked a spoiled brat who protests for no known reason.

Bella's friend, Jessica, is a little too silly compared to the book's Jessica who's not so 'bouncy' and giggly.

Then there is that cutie pie Jacob. He certainly looks the part and shares the same happy, upbeat personality that Twilight, the book's Jacob has so no complaints there, however, it did appear to me when that in Jason's later appearance in the film at Bella's prom, his hairpiece was a little too obvious and disheveled.

The other cutie pie, James, the enemy vampire who pursues Bella, is much too boyishly cute to be threatening. I know, I know, the beauty and attraction is part of the vampire's lure, but when James sniffs the air and says, '˜You brought a snack!' He looks like he's trying to resist laughing himself! Then there seems to be some weird inconsistency with time when as the Cullen kids rush Bella to the jeep and hurry to get her a way and then seeing James running through the woods in hot pursuit. James' running appears to be rather clumsy as he reaches out to a tree for balance. He moves a little too carefully for a vicious, bloodthirsty vampire!

It was also difficult to perceive that James was the true leader of the coven of 3, though Laurent takes lead position as they approach the baseball game. In the book we learned that this was a trick to throw the Cullen's off as to who the true leader was, but in the movie, James comes off as just an errant child who breaks from the group to pursue something he's attracted to.

The hotel scene, where Alice and Jasper have taken Bella to hide away from James, Bella is supposed to be in high anxiety, stressing and sleeping, and mostly worrying and wanting desperately to hear from Edward. She's been worrying for his safety and the safety of his family members, feeling guilty that they could possibly be harmed on her account! Yet, the movie Bella appears a lot calmer and coherent, not too worried or even exhausted from the lack of sleep she's suffered.

Finally, one thing that annoyed me to no end was the scene where Bella has been bitten by James and her hand is '˜burning' from the poisonous venom that is threatening to spread throughout her body. Edward has a few short minutes to decide whether to let the venom spread and the transformation continue, making Bella become a vampire or sucking the venom from her hand, and taking the risk that he won't be able to stop himself, thus killing Bella. He finally decides the latter, but in Twilight, the novel, it is Carlisle who asks Edward if he's gotten all the venom out, and Edward replies, '˜yes, her blood is clean -- ' whereas on screen Carlisle tells Edward to stop, her blood is clean. How would Carlisle know that if he were not the one tasting Bella's blood?

As you can imagine, I probably was not a good person to attend this movie with. I couldn't resist laughing at this parody, anticipating the lines, and protesting that things were not on the mark, with my exclamations of, '˜That's not how it happened!' It almost seemed as if this movie was meant to be a spoof of the book! I tried my best to not be too loud in my laughter. However, I was not the only person in the audience that was snickering. Obviously someone else had also READ the Twilight book BEFORE seeing the movie as well!