Alright everyone, prepare to put
your ‘brood’ on. Why? Well, because we are about to discuss Twilight, the
super-mega-hit action packed love story about modern vampires. The movie is out on DVD and the sequel,
New Moon, comes out in November.
Now, being a traditionalist for
most things…well, alright, not really for most things, just mainly vampires, I was a little leery about watching
this movie because it isn’t your traditional vampire movie. It breaks a lot of the old rules about
vampires, and I figured it was basically a teenager type flick.
I was surprised to learn people from all walks of life, mainly women, were fans of this movie.
Although the movie is oriented towards the younger hipper crowd, the older and not so hip viewers are attracted
to the movie because of the books—the #1 New York Times Best-selling series by Stephanie Meyer. And yes, it is mainly
women, and yes, it’s a love story—between a teenager and a hundred and something year old man.
Of course, when I sat down to watch this movie, I had to utilize expert advice—Samantha,
a teenager who is also a dedicated Twilighter. She schooled me on the Twilight universe and clued me in
on which scenes from the book were omitted and which scenes in the movie were not in the book. Just to
let you know, she hated the second one.
Alright, so, I viewed the movie, not having read the books (BIG mistake!). I
must say, I was surprised to find that… I liked it. It wasn’t terrible like I thought it would
be. It wasn’t great either, but, it was entertaining to a point.
The ‘look’ of the movie, including cinematography and music were first-rate.
The acting could have been better. For instance, every scene with Edward (Robert Pattinson) had
him brewing, and stewing, and giving that smoldering vampire gaze. Also, they made sure he looked like
a heroin addict—that’s just my opinion, I know girls loved him in the movie.
At first you expected all the brooding, because that’s just how the character of Edward
is—a brooding vampire (so I am told). A few scenes into the movie it becomes a little tiresome.
Yes, yes, I know, I hear you booing already. It’s just that his character seemed flat.
Even when he was supposed to be ‘happy’, it was a little creepy. He looked uncomfortable
on the screen. The best acting in the movie comes from Kristen Stewart, who plays Bella Swan, the character
in love with Edward. She, for some reason, reminds me of a young Jodi Foster, not in her appearance, but
in the way she carries herself on screen, and if you listen closely, her voice sounds just like Jodi’s.
ANYWAY…
Even though I didn’t read the books, I still got this ‘rush-through’ feeling with the storyline.
Some scenes I just didn’t get, like the first time Bella is physically near Edward in biology class and he looks
like he’s going to vomit because of her smell. I didn’t get that. Did she
smell like old cottage cheese to him? Was it a poor choice in perfume? The fans of the
book knew exactly what was going on in that scene, but the rest of us were lost.
The bad vampires, lead by James (Cam Gigandet). Again, these characters
were completely under developed. We don’t know anything about them, which makes the end fight scene,
anti-climactic.
Flashbacks to olden days depicting Edward’s
turning are almost comedic. Were they supposed to be scary? Also, flashbacks to when
the Cullens (Edward’s clan of vampires) had a run in with the Native Americans on the land (who end up being werewolves
themselves) which, somewhat explains the animosity between the two groups (not really), look ridiculous. I
found myself chuckling when I know I shouldn’t have been.
The movie had a bluish hue to it that gave it a modern gothic look, which I liked, but made everyone look pale, and
I’m not talking about the vampires. The regular folk looked pretty pale, and yes, I know, it takes
place in Washington State where the sun rarely shows its face.
ANYWAY…
Another thing that bothered me (yes, I
know you don’t want to hear it), is that Edward and his vampire siblings (siblings only because they were turned by
the same vampire couple) are perpetual students. Every few years they move from state to state and become
students in the local high school. They even have a collection of graduation caps. Why?
I didn’t get it.
Okay, so what about breaking the vampire
‘rules’. Look, every generation breaks the so-called rules of what a vampire should be and
how a vampire should act. Each one pushes the boundaries of the vampire lore. Twilight
really pushed those limits. For instance, the vampires walk in the day light. Granted,
it’s only on cloudy days; sunny days they take off because the sun makes them shine like diamonds. Yes,
it’s true, they don’t burn and scream and writhe in pain when the sun hits them, instead, their skin becomes a
shimmering refraction of rainbow glass, hence, making them more beautiful than they already are. Silliness!
New Moon is the second book in the series and is the second
movie due out in November. The director for this one will not be Catherine Hardwicke which sent many Twilighters
into a tizzy. Yes, I said tizzy.
I’ll
check that one out and give a review. Calm down, I’ll be nice—maybe. Hopefully
it will be more connected and not so confusing. It upsets me when a movie is made that has been adapted
from a book or series of books, and the makers assume all the viewers know what’s going on in the background—as
if we’ve all read the books. NEWS FLASH people—we haven’t.
ANYWAY…
The
movie is a good bit of entertainment if you’ve got nothing else to do. Don’t worry, I’m
not addressing any of you die hard fans. I’m talking to the ‘un-cool’ crowd, like yours
truly, who has no intention of reading the books, but is willing to watch the movies. Oh well, that’s
what I think. Still love me?
