Film Review: Twilight

I saw the Twilight movie 3 times (first on its opening day...saw it at night with friends...2nd on the Saturday afternoon, and 3rd the following Wednesday...) and I loved and enjoyed it...even more the 3rd time I saw it. I guess you could say, 3rd time's a charm. Not that I didn't like it the first 2 times I've seen it. It was just there were too many people and tween girls screaming at every time Edward and the Cullens appear on the screen, lol. Watching it the 3rd time was a lot better as it was quieter inside the movie theater (even with still lots of people on a Wednesday afternoon) and I was able to focus on the movie itself without all the noise/screaming people in the background and of course, discover little things I've missed on my first couple viewings.

Anyways, here's my full review of...

[Warning! ... for those who haven't seen this movie and don't want to be spoiled...]

Twilight (2008)

starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene, and Jackson Rathbone

Watch the Twilight Final HD trailer below:

[source: twilighttrailerz]

IMDB's Twilight Plot: A teenage girl risks everything when she falls in love with a vampire. full summary | full synopsis

Previous related post:

• Twilight

My Twilight Movie review:

I thought this film adaptation of Twilight based on Stephenie Meyer's best-selling novel of the same name was great. Though not the best adaptation I've seen, but with a 2-hour running time, no film adaptation is even perfect no matter how they try to stay close to the original source, which was the book. The book will always be far superior, in my opinion. Besides with over 500 pages from the book (and that's just book #1), too many information surely will be hard to transfer to the big screen, unless they're doing a mini-series (even with that, it's impossible to have every details from the book to the big screen)...but they're not...and that will take so much time and money for them to make an epic movie just from the first book alone. There are 4 books total from the Twilight series, so 2 hours was a good running time for this film (and sequels following this). There's no need to be too long and I loved that this film was at least close to the book and provided great visual shots, great casting, good acting, good musical score and I loved that most of the music used through out the movie was similar to the soundtrack (it makes the CD really worth listening to after watching the movie). I must admit at first when they announced plans to do this film and they started announcing the actors starting from Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and the rest of the cast. They were not at all what I had in mind or pictured them to look like the characters from the book to look like in the big screen (which is often the case for every book-turn-to-big screen-adaptation). But after seeing promotional photos, movie stills, and even the trailer of this film, I pretty much started to like all the cast/actors chosen to play these characters from Twilight novel to the big screen esp. the main leads, Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan and Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen. Also, I like the actors who played Alice Cullen (Ashley Greene), Charlie Swan (Billy Burke), Emmet Cullen (Kellan Lutz), and Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinneli) to name some. I thought Robert Pattinson was brilliant in this film as Edward Cullen. I found myself loving his character, Edward Cullen the most (as I can picture him now as Edward in the book when I re-read Twilight, lol). I've never seen him in other films his done prior to Twilight (not even his small role in Harry Potter...sorry, I'm just not an HP fan nor do I want to see those movies)...and I was pleasantly surprised how great he was as Edward in this movie. His American accent wasn't bad either. Not too mention, he has a sexy voice...makes him a sexy vampire on-screen to stare at and picture him in my Twilight book, hehe! The more I watch or stare at his charming and handsome baby-looking-face, the more I love him as Edward...and that he was the best choice to play him. Kristen Stewart, on the hand, was great as Bella Swan too. I didn't think of her much when she was picked to play Bella, but I've seen Kristen in a few movies of hers prior to Twilight (ie. Panic Room, The Messenger, and Fierce People) and she was very good in all those films. She's a very good young actress, not too mention, she is an Aries girl and shared the same birthday as me, except she's much younger than me, lol. Still, it was nice to see an actress who shares the same birthday as me portraying the main lead character of one of my favorite books adapted into the big screen. She was great and spot on as Bella and had an amazing on-screen chemistry with Robert Pattinson and his Edward.


Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson did great with their lead characters here and I can definitely picture them now as Bella & Edward after seeing this film. They looked pretty cute and adorable together on-screen and off. All their scenes together were great, from the first scene they shared together in one of their Biology class scenes to the forest scenes where Bella discovered Edward as a Vampire and learned more about him and how he became one of the vampires...to the very last scene where they were dancing @ Bella's Prom night. It was very nice to see them in their Prom attire looking beautiful, smiling for that camera man inside the Prom just before their romantic dancing scene at the end.



Billy Burke, who played Charlie Swan, Bella's father was very good too. I actually liked his portrayal more of Charlie on the big screen than when I was reading him in the book. He was spot on and brought more to Charlie's character on-screen (which I thought in the book was kinda boring and uninteresting) and was funny. He sure reminded me a bit of my father. His portrayal of Charlie was believable and realistic (which I can definitely relate for typical father worrying about his daughter, lol). I enjoyed watching his scenes with Bella. The father-daughter awkward scenes suited them well as they had this similar father-daughter trait that was nice to see on-screen. The actress who played as Bella's mother, Renee was good also...as she brought more to her character on-screen and was funny esp. the scenes where she was asking Bella about boys and Edward suddenly appeared making Bella stunned and embarrassed to continue her girl talk conversation with her mother, haha... and towards the end when Bella was in the hospital and she was texting, lol. Nikki Reed, who played Rosalie Hale Cullen was not what I pictured her from the book as she was described to be the most beautiful one among the female vampires in the Cullens' family. The actress does have the looks, but not exactly like the book described her to be. NR, at least made up for it in her acting. She was very good as the bitchy Rosalie especially in one of my favorite scenes where Edward brought Bella to the Cullens' home to introduced her to his [Vampire] family...she was bitchy and funny when Edward told her that Bella's not hungry and Rosalie got pissed and suddenly broke and dropped the salad bowl to the kitchen floor, lol. Esme had to tell her to clean up her mess right after Edward & Bella left the scene, hahaha! Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen was pretty good (love her character in the book...she's super cool among the Cullens siblings, other than Edward, of course) even though she wasn't on much on this film (she'll be in the sequel more, since she has more parts in New Moon and the rest of the books). The actor who played Jasper was good too, though he looks like he was always in pain, lol. I must say, Kellan Lutz as Emmet Cullen looks adorable as a teddy bear. The rest of the cast were pretty good as well. Even the actors who played the minor characters such as Jacob (though he'll have a much bigger part in the next 3 books...and the already planned sequel to this film, New Moon) Jessica, Mike, Eric, and Angela...and the villains tracker James (he was bad ass here esp. his fight scene with Edward in the Ballet Studio scene), Victoria (wicked looking Victoria esp. towards the ending scene), and Laurent (not much to say...he wasn't as interesting as his book counterpart, lol). Jacob was ok for me in this film. There wasn't much on him to talk about in this one...in New Moon, they'll be plenty for sure (but that's another movie to talk about). Jessica was as annoying as the book, but not too annoying in this film, which I was surprised that I was able to tolerate her, lol. Mike was...well, Mike, lol. Eric was a lil' annoying and it was funny whenever Mike interrupts his conversation with Bella. Angela was ok. There wasn't much of her in this film either. She does have a couple of good scenes with Bella.

Overall, the movie was very good...even great in my 3rd time viewing as I love the characters from the book....so naturally, I loved and enjoyed seeing them come to life on the big screen. They could've done much more though, but I didn't expect much. The movie was at least very close to the book starting with Bella's voice-over, opening dialogue, "I've never given much thought to how I would die..." which was from the preface of the book and echoed towards the end of the film. I thought that was good. Also, the movie added a few interesting scenes that still relate to the book like one of the lunch scenes in Forks High with Bella in the school cafeteria, clumsily and accidentally dropping one of the apples...and Edward catches it creatively and beautifully, which was symbolic to the original book cover of Twilight. I thought that was super cool and the book cover now makes more sense with the apple in his hands....so in the book, after seeing this scene from the movie...I can now picture that it was Edward's hands with the apple. Interesting! Oh, also, it was nice to see Twilight author Stephenie Meyer makes a cameo appearance in this film that was based on her awesome book creation. She was in one of the scenes where Bella and her Dad were in the diner with her laptop computer on...if you pay attention on one of those scenes...and you don't blink your eyes, you'll see her esp. if you know what she looks like... the very last page of her books, of course has a picture of her and her Official Site.

Some Favorite Scenes (Mostly Edward & Bella's scenes):

• The truck scene (though I must admit this scene wasn't much exciting to see on the big screen anymore after seeing it several times on the trailer) when Edward saved Bella
• First Time Bella laid eyes on Edward during lunch time @ Forks High School
• Biology class scenes esp. the first time that Bella & Edward met and he it was funny when he was covering his nose and trying to control the smell of Bella's human smell...and Bella wondered why he was doing that...so she tried to smell her hair, lol.
• One of the lunch scenes (as previously mention above) in Forks High with Bella in in the school cafeteria, clumsily and accidentally dropping one of the apples...and Edward catches it creatively and beautifully, which was symbolic to the original book cover of Twilight.
• Edward & Bella's driving and first date/restaurant scene in Port Angeles
• Bella discovering Edward as a Vampire and the scenes that follow him flying her and telling her "hang on spider-monkey," lol...as well as other scenes when they were in the forest and he was flying/climbing up faster on the trees with her and showing her what he looks like when exposes himself on the sunlight, which he glows and Bella thought he looks the most "beautiful" she's ever seen or something to that nature.
• Bella & Edward's kissing scene at Bella's bedroom/home
• Edward bringing Bella to his home and introducing her to his family esp. the kitchen scene with Rosalie breaking the salad bowl was priceless, lol
• Bella "officially" introducing Edward to her father Charlie. I thought it was so funny when Charlie was cleaning his shotgun and Bella asked him to meet Edward...and he got his shotgun ready, hahaha!!!
• The baseball scene with Bella and the Cullens was very good. I love the music playing in the background
• The ballet studio fight scene between Edward and James towards the end.
• The hospital scene with Bella and her mother, while Edward pretends to sleep, lol.
• The ending scene at the Prom with Edward & Bella. Plus Victoria with a wicked smile cliffhanger...again, loved the music played in the background
  
  

Least Favorite Scenes:

There weren't many that I remember being my least favorite scenes...as I have more favorite than least favorite...but I can name a few below...

• The La Push scene where Bella and Jacob were strolling in the beach and having a conversation about Vampires and Warewolves...ok, it wasn't really Bella and Jacob that bothered me (and it's probably just me), but the male teasing and female screaming in the background (not once but 3 times, which I thought was annoying to hear...once would've been enough, but 3 times...
• When Bella was in Port Angeles, after leaving the bookstore...there were a group of drunk guys hovering over her and scared Bella...fortunately for her, Edward came to the rescue.
• The scene towards the end where James tricked Bella into thinking her mother was in the Ballet studio and hurting and throwing her to the wall, not too mention, biting her arm...ouch! Poor Bella. :(
  

I highly recommend this movie for those who has never seen it or read the book (heck, even those who have read the book, esp. fans of the Twilight series, and haven't seen this film yet....) as this movie was great, fun, and entertaining to watch. Sure, it wasn't exactly like the book, but if it was...there wouldn't be any reason to read the book, wouldn't it? So, of course, the movie will be close to it, but not quite exactly, except that it was meant for viewers to see a good visuals and LIVE action shots and to get you to read (if you haven't read it yet) or re-read the book, which is so much more detailed, fast-paced, addictive, and fun to read.

My Twilight Film Rating: ! (9/10; A)