I'm sorry "Twilight" fans, but with all the hype and advertising this movie was getting, you would think that Nov. 21 was a national holiday. However, it is unfortunate that the movie does not live up to the novel.
While "Twilight" the novel is romantic drama, "Twilight" the movie was an unintentional comedy. I wasn't the only one laughing when I wasn't supposed to. It was hard to tell if people were laughing because they were overjoyed to see scenes from the book played out on screen, or if the writing and acting was so horrible.
The movie begins with Bella (Kristen Stewart) moving from Phoenix, Arixona to Forks, Washington to live with her father Charlie (the wooden Billy Burke) after her mother remarries. Bella is instantly popular as the new girl at school and is bombarded with offers to be the cover story of the newspaper and with invitations to the prom. This would have been mildly believable if everyone in Bella's new high school did not have an over-the-top quirky personality who added "yo" or "like" in between every other word.
The only thing Bella seems to be interested in at school is a strikingly gorgeous loner by the name of Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). The problem is that Edward seems to be appalled by Bella, an idea that you are beaten over the head with as Pattinson gives his best Chuck Bass glare for most of the movie. The glare was even adopted by other members of Edward's family. His adoptive brother Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) takes it to a new level by looking as if he is going to vomit any time the camera is on him. It is clear at this point that Stewart is the only convincing actor in the film.
After noticing that Edward is pale, cold skinned, doesn't go out into the sun, strong, fast (the list goes on as the words are flashed across the screen), Bella finally realizes that Edward is a vampire, something that 99.9 percent of the audience already knew.
Despite Edward telling Bella that he has never wanted a human's blood more than hers, she is "unconditionally and irrevocably" in love with him. While this line and many others may have worked in the book, they don't transfer to the silver screen. The movie was too loyal to the book, and it turned it into a campy, cheesy joke.
There may have been some chemistry between the couple, but it is hard to conceive that they are so in love with each other that they are willing to risk everything, especially in such a short amount of time.
Director Catherine Hardwicke tries to shove their connection down your throat with constant montages of them talking and Bella's emo voice over.
Most attempts at showing the romance are laughable, especially as Edward jumps from tree to tree with Bella on his back. I got horrible "Superman Returns" flashbacks.
The villains of the film are not introduced until the last half hour of the film; the life threatening situation Bella is put in only seems to serve the purpose of setting up for a sequel.
It does not matter how badly directed, written or acted the movie was though, because the cast, especially Pattinson, is so good looking, you don't really care that you wasted $10.
In fact, you will probably want to see it again, especially if you are a fan of the book. Despite all of this, I liked the movie - as an unintentional train wreck.
For book lovers, 'Twilight' bites but gives a good laugh
Published: Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Updated: Tuesday, December 2, 2008
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