My Much Awaited Twilight Review

OK here is my much awaited review. Let me relieve some stress first AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! OK that's for all the craptastic reviews I've read this weekend. I went and saw the movie a second time after reading the reviews in case I was blind and deaf the first time I went to see it. Nope I wasn't I loved it just as much the second time around if not more. So in my review I will not only give my opinions but also tackle some of the things I have read and put them into prospective.

First lets start with the over all finished product that is twilight. Unlike a lot of people I thought that the cinematography was wonderful. It had a certain artsy quality to it, as well as a dream like feel. Though others thought that the special effects were poorly done (specifically people seemed to have a problem with the sparkling of Edward in the sunlight) I thought they were extremely well done for the budget this movie was given. The movie had a total budget of 35 million. Now that may seem like a lot but with a movie filled with special effects that is like having a family of 5 and having 20 dollars to go grocery shopping for the week. So I give them two big thumbs way up for they managed to do with the money allotted.

Next the story line. As ecited as I was for this movie to come out after loving the books so much I went in with very low expectations. I've seen numerous books to movies done in the past that just totally thrashed the original authors image. Can anyone say "The Shining"? I did not expect a verbatim of the book and for those who did they were likely disappointed. Reading the book before seeing the movie certainly helps and those who haven't read it were probably disappointed too. But if you are like me and only asked that they hold true to one aspect of the book I'm sure like me you were very pleasantly surprised. I knew that a 500 some odd page could not be condensed into a 2 hour movie. I knew things would certainly be left and I knew things would be added to make the movie flow. All I asked is that the love story between Edward and Bella ring true. And it most certainly did. People have complained that it was soooooooo obvious as it was in the book however in the book the undying love Bella has for Edward is most expressed in there thoughts and not really spoken because she always afraid of scaring Edward away. The majority of this was captured in looks on the screen. And to those who cant see the chemistry there I don't even know what to say. I was hot and squirming in my seat watching the two of them on screen together. And to the lame men who said Edward should have boffed her and gotten it over with well there's nothing to be said to them because they don't understand passion. The order of the book was thrown off and yes the love story a little rushed but of course the love story itself is like what a good 400 pages of the book. SO of course it was gonna feel rushed. A lot of the original dialog from the book is in fact in the movie. As for the changed order things happened or the different way they happened I can forgive all that cause again it held true to the characters. Yes I was a little sad the meadow scene was somewhat changed but again forgivable. I was sad the biology blood typing scene was left out because that is one of my favorite chapters of the book but they replaced it with a field trip so again forgivable. I was upset as well that Alice's history was left out not sure that one is forgivable cause it kinda is a vital part as are all the Cullen's history which you learn through the books. And Carlises paintings. So yes that is definitely something that was lacking in the movie. Kinda gonna be hard to set up for Eclipse if they make that movie cause that's where you learn Rosalies history. And Breaking Dawn where you learn so much more about Jasper. As well as Esmes history as well. Hmmmmmm yeah definitely not liking that the histories were only touched upon. Leaving out that Carlise was the son of a clergy man well that is the whole point of why he started feeding on animals and not humans. Yeah the more I think about it the more that's my biggest heartbreak with the movie. Now for the added plot line of the killings in Fork Washington. I don't think that the plot line was complete. I think they could have flushed it out a bit more to make it more believable. Believable in the sense that anyone who has read the books knows of the special "senses" of the Cullens and I felt like the killings came as a bit of shock to them. All in all though I thought they did the best they could do with the time a lotted. To include some of these things and still get the love story itself in would have made for a 3 hour movie and as the love story is what I cared most about still 2 thumbs up.

Now for the cast

Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart)- A lot of people seemed to have a problem with her acting. I thought she played Bella perfect. Clumsy, dramatic, stuttering(to many thoughts at once to form a sentence) stubborn. I've read over and over how she seemed to stutter over lines. I think the lines delivered any other way would have been that just lines and not convincing at all. I always viewed Bella as not only clumsy in movement but clumsy with the way things come out of her mouth too. Her facial expressions while over dramatic fit the character. Again she gets the two thumbs up for portraying the Bella I imagined. Then again the Bella in the book tends to be a bit like me lol so maybe that is my one definite biased opinion in this entire thing.

Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) - OK this one seemed to be a big problem for people from the moment he was cast. I think some didn't even give him a chance. Anyone who has read the first 12 chapters of Midnight Sun posted on Stephanie Meyer's website knows that though Edward is perfect through Bella's eyes he is in no way shape or form perfect to himself. He hates himself. Add in the fact that hes constantly trying to not kill the girl he loves and that he constantly thinks that maybe he should just leave her alone for her own good you get what Robert Pattinson portrayed. A stiff awkward semi geeky guy full of angst. Looks back to the time of James Dean. Though most of the teenage going fans would probably go "who the hell is James Dean?" I thought Robart Pattinson did an amazing job. Yup he was the Edward in my head the entire time I was reading. But then again we all have a different idea of perfection don't we.

Charlie Swan- Bella swans dad SPOT ON!!! There distant relationship was perfect. So perfect that I felt like crying when she was talking to him as she was trying to leave Forks. And in a way I like that the modernized Charlie a bit more then he is in the books.

Jacob Black - OK this kid is perfect minus his actual physical size. Makes me a bit worried for New Moon when hes supposed to be around 6'5. Otherwise I thought he did an amazing job. You can see the cockiness already in him in the 3 scenes hes in the movie. To those who complained he wasn't in the movie enough I say reread the book he only shows up 3 times in the first book.

Bill Black- Still torn on this one as I pictured him completely different. I like that they modernized him a bit but at the same time I felt he should have been more severe or stern. Have to see what happens in New Moon for this character but I think it may be a hard one to pull off.

The Cullens:

Carlise- OK I cant how many times now I have read that the actor was too young to be Edwards father. DUH PEOPLE HES NOT HIS FATHER. He's Edwards father in the the sense that he made him what he is. Carlise if I remember correctly is all of 27 years old in the book. The whole reason the Cullens are supposedly all adopted kids. lol The actor was perfect. He had an extremely calming effect on the screen which is how Carlise is and at the same time a very authoritative presence. Again not a miscast at all.

Esme- Perfection 100% She was sweet and soft spoken. And her affection for Bella was apparent from the first second she was on the screen. Can not wait to see more of that relationship build on the screen.

Emmett - Yup you guessed my opinion on this one already. PERFECT! He's definitely up there as one of y favorite characters as the book progresses. Strong as an ox but always the joker of the group. This guy was a definite match. He was just a giant teddy bear. The bear that Emmett is in the book.

Rosalie - OK so this is supposed to be the most beautiful woman in the world. That's a lot of pressure to put on an actress. Mind you in the books the most beautiful woman in the world so much so it almost hurts to look at her comes from Bella's head. I think the actress they chose was wonderful. She was the type of woman any teenage girl would compare herself to when it came to beauty. She definitely had the bitch act towards Bella down to a T. Again no complaints about this cast member.

Jasper- OK all I can say after the reviews I've read is leave Jasper alone. He's supposed to have a constant internal battle going on with himself. He is the newest of the the Cullens and things are a lot harder for him. So the constant weird stare or the look that he was in some type of pain all the time was perfect. People called him constipated and to me that's just people who cant look beneath the surface of something and look at the eyes of a person. All I could say the entire time watching it was "Poor Jasper"

Alice- Perfection to the max. I could not have asked for a better Alice. Soft voice, cute little pixie and ever so graceful. Nothing bad to say about Alice.

The classmate :( Not much to say about them)

Mike- Big goofy dork and perfect.

Eric - Yeah just like a pictured him. I didn't picture him Asian but the personality was perfect.

Tyler- Wasn't as prominent a figure in the movie as he should have been and definitely didn't picture him as black I mean its FORKS WASHINGTON for christ sake. But I understand the PCness of the movie so my only complaint is that his story line was cut a bit short and I didn't get to see him as the real character he is in the book.

Jessica - PERFECT! Befriends Bella and is all sweet to her yet a serious bitchy undertone. Very well done one of the most perfect cast member's

Angela- Again a perfect cast member

The Other Vampire :

Victoria - Could have moved a little differently to make her a little more feline like in the book but over all a very well delivered performance. I instantly hated the character which well was the point.

James - Thought James was perfect from the second I saw him cast. He was such a sadistic ass. Loved him lol

Laurant- ( now for my rant) Why does no one else have a problem with this cast member? He is the biggest miscast to begin with. In the book hes described as olive skinned and hes black in the movie of course PCness of movies ringing through again. But I could have forgiven the physical miscast if it hadn't been complete character miscast. Laurant is I believe in the book French so when I first saw clips I could accept and Old English accent BUT watching the scenes in whole he sounds Jamaican WHAT THE HELL. Not happy about this cast member at all. And very sad that he must be recast for the next movie. Kinda had me wishing Laurant was killed instead of James in the first book. Yes it was that bad a mismatch.

My over all review of the movie is that it was 100 times better then I had expected. Two thumbs up. Well done Summit Entertainment. Lets just hope you have a bigger budget for New Moon cause its gonna need it.