I won VIP tickets to an advanced screening of Twilight last week! Saw the movie last night! Died and went to heaven! Haha, only fooling.
(This review is not my best writing, but I think it can be forgiven since fangirling never really makes sense anyway, HAHA)
My opinion of the movie… it was pretty amazing! I do have minor complaints but they aren’t things I can’t live with! I think I was way too excited for the movie I’ve been waiting a year and half for! I don’t know if my view on the movie is in any way bias or whatnot… but I do not have any feelings of disappointment at all! Perhaps, I really do like the movie (with all bias aside).
I’ve been to advanced screenings of movies before but compared to what it was like at the theatre last night… CHAOS. It was crowded with all these young girls and their mothers. Luckily, my tickets were VIP and I’ve already had reserved seats…with my name on them! ;D Yeah… I felt pretty important, LAWL.
On to the movie… I’ll try to describe as much details that I can remember! The beginning scenes started with Bella narrating about how she never gave much thought to dying while we watched Edward hunt a small innocent deer. I still wonder why they had him hunt Bambi… I mean, why not some powerful animal like a cheetah or something? This didn’t really much bother me though…
Bella’s move from Phoenix to Forks was very prompt just like it was in the book. In the first few minutes, she’s already on a plane to Washington. I remember a few months ago though, they were shooting scenes of her and her Phoenix friends… I guess those scenes never made it into the movie. Right off the bat, I saw the awkwardness in Bella and Charlie’s relationship which is what it’s supposed to be… awkward. Charlie’s porn-stache was pretty funny but I think I got used to it.
Jacob and Billy came by to visit as Bella was settling in. Gosh, I still can’t get over Taylor Lautner portraying Jacob :( I wanted my Steven Strait! Oy… but anyway, the wig didn’t look very good on him in this scene. It just looks… I don’t know, messy and weird? XD Sometimes, Taylor looks way too young too! His acting wasn’t bad though. I guess that’s what counts the most. :P
The next few scenes had Bella accommodating to her new school. Can I just say… the “normal kids:” Mike, Eric, Tyler, Jessica and Angela were hilarious? They had these really playful personalities that had the crowd laughing. I think the three boys gave up on Bella too easily though! For example, Mike seemed to be pretty ok with Bella’s rejection of his asking her to prom. But, again… this didn’t really bother me!
Now to get to the juicy stuff… THE CULLENS. Oh my, I really loved the scene where we first see them. Their entrance into the cafeteria was both humorous and smexy ;D The way Jessica was describing them to Bella was hilarious… especially the thing about Jasper! She said he always looks like he’s in pain, LAWL. I don’t think many people will really understand the joke (that he’s the newest vegetarian vampire) if they haven’t read the books. I really liked that the script had these little inside jokes for us Twilighters ^__^ Alice and Jasper were just so lovey dovey that it was just too adorable. Rosalie and Emmett… I felt had more of an adult relationship, HAHA.
Edward was the last to enter. The best for last right? ;) I remember hearing a couple of screams and gasps as we got our first glimpse of our beloved vampire ;D I think I would have been a lot more excited if I really loved Robert as Edward! He still isn’t exactly my favorite choice but I’ve accepted him. He will do! :P
Following the entrance, the movie cut straight to the Biology scene where Edward sniffs out Bella! His reaction to her smell was just so funny. It was like a big look of disgust and covering of his nose and mouth, LAWL. I envisioned it differently when I read the book though… I thought his disgust and revulsion was supposed to be a lot more subtle. Seeing it out so open in the movie was a little surprise. But I think it works better this way!
While reading the novel, I felt like Bella and Edward’s relationship was a little too rushed. Like, I thought that having the two display such powerful emotions and feelings at such an early stage was kind of unrealistic. Watching their relationship develop on screen made it more apparent that it felt rushed! Compared to the book, it was rushed times two. This would be one of my main complaints BUT I totally understand that they have to condense the story into 2 hours. It’s something I can live with ^__^;
So yeah, the movie went on with the development of their relationship. They changed a lot of things but they were really just minor details that made the movie flow better. For example, Bella confronted Edward about his being a vampire in the forest and not in the car ride home from Port Angeles. This makes more sense, I guess. It needed to be more dramatic than it was in the book. Also, the meadow scene… they completely changed that. I don’t think there was any dialogue while they were in the meadows. It was just them staring at each other lovingly XD. I am still a little sad that they cut most of the shirtless scenes! Robert could not pull off getting a six-pack :P
Oy, there was ONE scene where his shirt was open though. It was the scene where he reveals what happens to him when he is in direct sunlight. OK, I remember being in my seat just waiting to see how the special effects were going to make him sparkle. It was like “TURN AROUND ALREADY!” But yeah… I don’t know how to explain what it looked like… it was very subtle though. I don’t know if I was a fan of it! I think I wasn’t the only one though… there were a few who giggled and snickered at the scene. I don’t exactly blame them, LAWL.
Speaking of corny… there was a lot of scenes I felt awkward watching. Like I wanted to cringe because they felt too personal and cheesy? This would be my other main complaint BUT I knew the book had a lot of cheesy scenes so it wasn’t anything I wasn’t expecting. It just made me want to cover my eyes sometimes XD
The first kissing scene… I think I kind of liked it. Again, they changed a lot of things… and had it happen in her bedroom instead of in the forest. I thought the hesitation was spot on! You can feel the buildup of the kiss! However, I thought the kiss might have been a little TOO steamy? I mean, Edward even pushes her back on the bed before jumping off her, LAWL. I think what I really like about their relationship is that they can never get really far when making out and what not. It’s just something so sexy about wanting it but not having it because of the danger! I was pretty glad that they stopped the kiss before it got too too too steamy XD
What I remember next… the baseball scene! :D I really liked this scene too. I thought Muse’s Supermassive Black Hole went well with the scene! Although, I have to admit I thought they were going to use this song as an entrance for the Cullens or something, haha. I actually really thought the special effects were cool. It was just an awesome and fun scene to watch.
The arrival of the nomads! I agree that the way the book introduced them to us was kind of out of the blue and random. I really liked that they introduced us to James, Victoria and Laurent early in the movie and again throughout it. It makes more sense to have a little of their back story rather than just having them arrive out of nowhere and all of a sudden, this conflict about Bella’s life arises. Rachelle was beautiful :D I think she can look a little too kind though! Laurent’s accent confused me sometimes, haha. At times, I thought he had an English accent and at other times it sounded Creole or something! James was smex :D I love his evilness.
Bella fleeing with Alice and Jasper felt rushed too. But again, I understand the movie needs to be a condensed version of the book. I think on screen time of the three of them in the hotel room was literally just about 3 minutes or something. You see them all there and next thing you knew it, Bella’s in a cab heading to the ballet studio…
… which was an awesome scene! I thought Kristen did really well with her agonizing screams of pain. Cam was just great playing a sadistic. The action… I really liked. The book left out the fighting scenes but I was glad to see it in the movie! It makes sense to see all these “visually dynamic ;)” action and special effects. One thing I’m confused about though… when Edward was near killing James, Carlisle intervenes and tells him to “remember who you are.” Is he trying to tell Edward not to kill? If so, why is it ok for Alice, Jasper and Emmett to kill James instead? I don’t know, maybe it was a plothole or something.
The acting throughout the movie was pretty consistent and good. However, some scenes looked strained. Like the ballet scene for Robert. When he goes to comfort Bella after she is bitten… his reaction just seemed a little… off? He wasn’t freaking out or anything; his face was totally calm. Perhaps, Rob was trying to go for that shocked reaction, I don’t know. I thought Kristen was stronger in her acting than Rob was. But maybe, I’m being a little biased… because I LOVE Kristen. XD However, I have to admit that some scenes looked weird for her too. Like the hospital scene after the ballet studio. Gosh, I don’t know ^__^;But yeah… I think Kristen was a little better than Rob, hehe.
Last scene was the prom, of course! Thought it was a beautiful setting. Initially, when I had learned they had a Monte Carlo theme months ago… I just thought it was out of place. I mean, these kids were living in Forks… nothing too glamour about it. The theme didn’t make sense to me. However, watching the movie… I noticed that it didn’t feel out of place that much. Maybe it was just how everything was placed. I think the “normal kids” helped with this setting. Having them be playful and hip made the whole Monte Carlo scene fit. Jacob at the prom… his hair looked a lot better than it did earlier in the movie. The uniform fits him well too. I think he looked the best here. ^__^;
Edward and Bella have their last and final kiss in this movie at the prom. It was romantic and well done. Robert’s face looked like it was in pain… which I thought really showed how he was controlling his thirst for her blood. I really liked the suspense they built up as Edward leaned over her neck… as if he was about to bite her! I can totally tell that people who haven’t read the books thought that he was going to do it ;D
Victoria’s appearance at the end was great! I thought it was pretty dramatic how she was leaving after she watched Edward and Bella—but I loved it. It totally sets the stage for a sequel… which the first book did not do! Gosh, it gave me chills ;D
Overall, I think I really liked the movie! When I came home last night, I was pretty surprised to as how well I composed myself. I think I was in a state of shock… didn’t know whether to be happy or sad. I mean, I was very happy to finally see this long awaited movie but at the same time sad because after all this waiting, I’ve seen it and it’s over. I’ll be watching it again opening night (which is tomorrow!) :D Of course, I still feel a little excited even though I’ve already seen it, hehe.
I give Twilight a 4 out of 5.
EDIT - Watched it for a second time last night at the midnight opening with the sister and some friends :] I am so surprised that Amy likes it, LAWL. ;D I won't rub it in her face, I swear...
I am a little put off by really harsh criticism for the movie by Twilight fans... I mean, the movie is only an adaptation! It's not going to be perfect. The book will always be better! I think what's important is keeping an open mind and remembering that not everything will match up to the book! As long as it's enjoyable, what more can you ask for?
ecstatic
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