Twilight Take One
I feel like I need to start this review by telling you something that you may find pretty hard to believe. The first time I saw the movie The Notebook I really wasn’t all that blown away by it. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. Shocking, right?
There are just some movies that get better after repeated viewings. Love Actually and You’ve Got Mail are other movies like this. Once they grew on me they became some of my all-time favorites.
I’m hoping that is how Twilight is going to be for me. After seeing it again with my book club this afternoon I will be able to offer a more conclusive opinion, but for now I’ll just share my initial reaction.
It wasn’t that I hated it or was completely disappointed by it. It was just that a lot of the magic that was found in the book somehow didn’t transfer over to the screen.
The way Stephenie Meyers writes makes you get so lost in the book that you almost begin to feel as though you are actually in Forks and are falling love with a vampire.
Some may say that isn’t possible with a movie and that can only happen when you are reading a book. I disagree. I felt that way when I first saw Titanic. I could feel what Rose was feeling when she was with Jack and the pain she felt when she lost him. I truly felt like I was on that ship when it was going down.
Unfortunately, I never got to that point with the Twilight movie. I really wanted to but it just never happened.
Overall, I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. (My husband who didn’t read the book gave it 4 out of 5 stars.) There was a lot that I LOVED but there were quite a few things that bothered me. I’ll tell you about both after the picture. (I’m putting the picture in as a buffer for the spoilers.)
POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT: Proceed with caution if you haven’t seen the movie
The main issue that I had with the movie was the speed in which Edward and Bella went from hardly knowing each other to professing their undying love for one another. Their connection just felt way too rushed, and consequently a bit forced.
Since this is such a major part of the book, I’m really feeling a bit cheated that they didn’t get this major aspect right. I can’t help but mourn for the movie that could have been. It was like they were so close to getting it right but they just missed the mark somehow.
I think part of the problem may have been Kristen Stewart’s acting style or how she was directed by Catherine Hardwicke. She just seemed so nervous the whole time. It was distracting to me and took away from the chemistry between her and Robert Pattinson.
Another major issue for me was the color of the film. To me, it looked as though the entire movie was filmed in sepia. There were some scenes that honestly hurt my eyes a bit. I know Forks is cloudy but I couldn’t help but feel like something was done on purpose to make the actors look more pale. Everyone seemed pale, even Mike Newton.
Speaking of pale, I thought Carlisle was a bit over top with his makeup. I think that maybe that was done because he has been a vampire the longest and they wanted to show that with him being the most pale. All I know is that if he were my doctor at the hospital I would be a tad bit freaked by his appearance.
The scene that was the biggest disappointment to me was the meadow scene. I couldn’t believe that they showed Edward in the sunlight prior to actually getting to the meadow. What was the purpose of changing this pivotal part of the book? The glitter effects were not well done. I especially didn’t like the Tinkerbell music they played when he sparkled. It was just completely unnecessary and cheesy.
It may sound as though I hated the movie, but I really didn’t. There were quite a few things that did work very well with the film.
I absolutely loved the scene in the cafeteria when she first sees Edward and the rest of the Cullens. They made such a grand entrance. It was exactly as I imagined, if not better.
I thought the biology scenes were great (except Edward’s weird voice- did anyone else notice his odd tone in these scenes.). I thought they captured the confusion that Bella felt with how Edward was treating her very well.
One thing that I was not expecting was that it was actually very funny. I liked that they added some humor in where it may have been missing from the book. The scene where they go to visit the Cullens and Rosalie breaks the salad bowl cracked me up. I loved the graduation caps on the wall. These extra little details that I didn’t remember from the book were great additions to the movie.
Another unexpected funny thing in the movie was Jasper. He was not as I pictured him but I have to say that I kind of liked the casting. He was really cute and I loved the couple of moments that they showed between him and Alice, who was also perfectly cast. I really wish there was more of them together.
I liked the chemistry between Bella and Jacob. I’m really not sure how the same actor will be able to play him in New Moon because of his size but I liked watching them on screen together.
I’m not really into action but I thought the baseball and fight scene at the end were well shot. The villains were great. The ending scene was one of the only parts of the movie where I actually felt that there was a lot of suspense. I knew that Edward wasn’t going to kill Bella but I couldn’t help but worry when he had her wrist to his mouth. It was incredibly intense.
I could go on and on but this is already getting way too long. I’ll end this by saying that as much as I was disappointed in certain things that I really can’t wait to see it again. That probably makes no sense but it is the truth. I’m like an addict looking for her next fix. I’ll post a quick update tonight after seeing it again so stay tuned.
**Don’t forget to link up to the Movie Madness Carnival if you did a Twilight review or any other movie related post.
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18 Responses to “Twilight Take One”
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I tried to leave specifics out of mine because my youngest sister (who reads my blog) can’t see it until next Sunday. But I agree with you about the chemistry between Kristen and Rob, and the weird thing is that they obviously get along in interviews so I’m assuming it’s just the way she THOUGHT she should play Bella. I’m holding out hope that it’ll get better with the future movies since A. Bella’s over her whole “I’m so nervous in his presence” thing and B. they should have a better FX budget since Twilight is doing so well. **keeping my fingers crossed**
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I so agree with the Carlisle makeup thing- too overdone. And edward’s first reaction to Bella in class was way overacted. Jacob’s hair looked too fake – though he’s adorable. But despite the obvious flaws, the experience of seeing Edward on the big screen – kissing scenes especially, was so amazing that I’m going back for more.
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I knew going in that there was no way possible that the movie could ever live up to what I pictured while reading the book. Like you, I enjoyed it but didn’t LOVE it.
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So glad I wasn’t the only one disappointed.
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i am a “better with repeat viewing” kind of watcher too… I hated it the first time, but was invested enough in Twilight, as a whole, to give it another shot. The other shot made me almost love it… A third trip is in the works, so we’ll see…
It is sort of a drive by thing though. Everything is so rushed… and there is so much that happens (in comparison) in New Moon and then Eclipse. I really do hope they add time.
(the first major movie that I hated and became a favorite was Romeo + Juliet…)
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Even hearing people’s disappointment I can’t wait to go see it. I think knowing what other people thought just makes me a bit more realistic about what to expect. Unforuntunately I’m not sure I’m going to be able to see it for at least another week.
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I’m so glad you mentioned Carlisle’s makeup! I kept telling Megawatt that it was overdone and she kept telling me to shut up! It really bothered me. And there were a couple of times where it was dead obvious R. Patt was wearing lipstick! It kinda turned me off.
I think we’ll see a huge difference in the cinematic production of New Moon. They’ll have more money and a larger CGI budget to play with. Whilst I hope they keep the cast in tact, I don’t see how they can with Jacob becoming so HUGE, especially with Taylor Lautner only being 5′9″ in real life. I guess they could always use the same camera angles they used for certain shots in the LoTR flicks with the Hobbits and other cast members, but even then, they still had to use little people for a lot of the scenes.
The one hope I do have for New Moon is that they can find a way to articulate Bella’s depression without her becoming annoying and at the same time, really portray her struggle with Jacob – trying to talk herself into loving him with the broken pieces she has left – right. If not, then it’s a waste.
Oh one thing Megawatt did mention about Twilight that really disappointed her, was that they didn’t toss in a little bit more of the friendship between Alice and Charlie — because that’s going to be pivotal in New Moon. But then, like me, she understands that a lot of stuff has to be tossed, otherwise you’re looking at a 4 hour movie. As much as I loved the film, I don’t think I could have handled R. Patt’s delivery of some of his lines, for that long!
Bottom line…it’s a good thing I didn’t re-read Twilight right before seeing the film. I probably would have come away terribly disappointed. So, I’m re-reading them all now. *lol*
And yeah, I’m going to go see it again during an afternoon matinee this week when no one is likely to be there.
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I completely agree with everything you said. There is one other thing I didn’t think they did well. I think they way overexagerrated Jasper’s “painful” look. I felt like it should have been more subtle because it was really distracting. I hardly noticed what that guy even looked like aside from that look.
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I haven’t seen the movie yet…and did go ahead and read the spoilers. I kind of believed (even before reading your review) that there were going to be tons of parts that I’ll be disappointed with but I’m going in with an open mind and just go with it. I feel nothing, not even the movie can take away how I feel about the books and the movie is just a way of building a better visual in my mind of certain scenes in the book.
I’ve learned over and over that the movie is never ever going to be as good as the book. Case in point Kite Runner.
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Well, I saw it last night. (I’m writing a review that will post on Thursday over at 5 minutes for books), but in short, I hated it. I agree with all of your points. I did like the baseball scene — and they did a pretty decent job with the ballet studio scene, but I felt it was so forced and over-acted at critical moments. It almost became campy — like when she first walks in to biology class. The look on Edward’s face is like he just smelled bad gas. It was so overdone. When he sucks the venom from her at the end — he overacts that too. Ditto for when he shows himself in the sunlight. These are the “serious” parts of the movie and I found myself cracking up because it was so ridiculous.
I knew the movie wouldn’t be as good as the book — and honestly, I was willing to forgive it a multitude of sins — but what they did to that book was pathetic. They hacked it up — skipped over all the most important scenes (by either giving them 1 minute, like the meadow scene, or omitting them completely — where was the blood typing?). It was painful. And I ended up disappointed.
If I do try to watch it again — it will be when it comes out on video. When I need an Edward fix, I’ll just have to reread the books.
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I READ IT! I READ IT! I READ IT!!!!!!!!
I have not seen the movie yet. I am DYING TO SEE IT.
I can’t believe the peer pressure power you have over me.
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I agree with the sparkling. I didn’t like it. I’m hoping that New Moon will have a bigger budget therefore better effects. I think kristen is a weird person. She’s so serious all the time and I think that carried over to Bella in the movie. Strange girl. I also LOVED Jasper. And I can’t wait to see it again!
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YES…the sparkling scene sucked. The first shot where he was just in the clearing…it didn’t justify it the way it was in the book. I thought it was stupid.
I agree with you on the rushed thing.
But, all in all, I loved it. And can’t wait to see it again on Friday. I DISLIKE Kristin Stewart, she was a nut job on Letterman, but I think she does Bella well. Bella was a weird/awkward character. Lots of Angst. She did that well. Carlisle just eh. Everyone else was cast well, I thought.
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I went and saw it a second time today (I took my kids…don’t judge me) and I really enjoyed it AGAIN. I do feel a bit cheated out of the whole love story thing…and I would have liked to see the movie be 1/2 hr longer and include some more of their banter.
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I saw the movie last night! I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. I didnt even want popcorn because I was too excited to eat. shocking, i know!
I agree whole heartedly with your review! I feel that if you didnt read the books you would not believe in their connection. Therefor I dont think you would like the movie that much because there is so much emotion missing.
I loved Jacob and I think he was casted perfectly! So cute! I could feel the connection between them. Bella was always nervous around Edward. I adored the Cullens house! So beautiful. I didn’t like that the actress playing Esme was from Grey’s and that other new stupid show. That put me off a bit. Carlisle was way too fake blonde that bugged me too! Alice and Jasper were perfect. I felt that Rosalie could have been prettier. I am such a snob. Also Edward could have sparkled better!
All in all i still loved it and I will definately watch it again! My favorite scene was possibly seeing the Cullens walk into the cafeteria..the excitement to finally see them! Also I thought Jessica was funny in a predictable teen way.
Maybe I should have written a post with the length of this comment.
Can’t wait for the second movie hopefully they will have a bigger budget. I think they should combine book two and three since book two was the slowest.
I will leave you with this… Edward did not disapoint me in his hottness!! I love him. It took all my power to not scream “I love You Edward” at the screen!
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Yeah I completely agree – I thought Edward sparkling looked ridiculous which was really sad. I will not likely sit through that whole movie again but surprisingly i am looking forward to New Moon – the books get better each time so maybe each movie will be better than the last too? I hope so anyway…
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I think we’re in agreement on a lot of things here. I mourned that chopping of the two really falling in love. I had to just sort of fill in the blanks on that a bit. Carlisle’s make-up? Ridiculous. Ri.Dic.U.Lous. And I felt that way about Edward’s sometimes too, which was EXTREMELY distracting. The glitter skin scene? Total clunker, which is really unfortunate. But, as you know, I still loved it. The scenes and moments that worked were good enough for me:)
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Ditto…. everyone captured all of my thoughts.
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