Twilight Movie Review
I was both happy and disappointed. Mostly disappointed.
Most of the time the book is better than the movie. That’s to be expected, I suppose. I mean, I loved what they did with TLoTR when they made it into movies, and I guess I was hoping for something as well done as that. Even the Harry Potter books, while a bunch of stuff had to be left out of the movies, they got most of the important points, and I was still very happy with the portrayal of the eye-candy stuff as well as the plots and characters. I was expecting Twilight to follow along the lines of those movie adaptations. Which means I was disappointed.
The eye-candy parts were pretty good in Twilight, but the plot lines and character portrayals were off. I mean, sure, they got Bella and Edward mostly (though not completely) okay, but not many other people were portrayed very well. Alice wasn’t as vibrant, and we missed a lot of the sibling/friend stuff between Bella and Edward. Oh, and they completely left out the trip to Phoenix where Bella and Alice begin a friendship, and where Bella learns what Jasper can do. They left Forks and then were immediately in the hotel in Phoenix, we lost the trip down. We lost the beginnings of that friendship. Rosalie was still a b&^%#, that part they got right, I guess. Most of the friends at school didn’t really get fleshed out, either, so no character development there. And I don’t think anyone learned anything about Emmett, other than that he was with Rosalie.
And why change the plotline so that Bella learns of Vampires from a book instead of from Jacob? Yeah, he gets her started, but the part where she flirts with him to get the whole story, they left that out. That’s a pretty major part of the storyline, and they completely ignored it. They also ignored her dream/vision of the werewolf from the first book.
Some of the other things they changed, I couldn’t figure out why they changed, either. In the book, on the day Bella almost gets hit in the parking lot, her dad put snow chains on her tires and she’s standing there getting emotional because someone is now taking care of her for a change. In the movie, her dad puts new tires on her truck for her and she doesn’t go through the emotions of someone taking care of her. Why change it from snow chains to new tires? Why not just go with what was originally written? Not a huge deal, just an annoyance. But, a major part of one of the plotlines has to do with Bella being the caretaker all of her life, not having someone to take care of her. With Bella being responsible, the “middle aged teenager”. They didn’t really touch that. They hint at it, but if you didn’t read the book then I don’t think that comes across.
There were so many plot lines in the book that weren’t in the movie, the more I think about it, the more annoyed I get.
I was also disappointed in the sunlight special effects. I wanted to see the quartz crystal effect, but what we got was a poorly done CGI effect that just looked hoakie.
And I am incredibly annoyed that the movie had them skipping classes to have their talk and their walk in the woods and time in the meadow instead of going into the woods on a weekend and doing it as was done in the book. How many kids are going to think it’s okay to arrive at school and then go to the woods instead of class now since Bella and Edward did it in the movie?
And speaking of the meadow, for all of the other beautiful scenery moments in the film, they really missed out on the meadow shots. It was truly magical in the book, but a big fat nothing in the movie.
Some of the makeup special effects were also a bit overdone, I thought. And not uniform, either. Poor Edward looks like he’s got on fire engine red lipstick at times against that pale pale skin, where Dr. Cullen’s lips were as pale as the rest of his face a few times. And even Rosalie’s lips weren’t that blood red, so why did that do that to Edward?
The movie wasn’t terrible, it had it’s good points, but it isn’t in the same class as the movie adaptations of Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings. Not at all.
November 22nd, 2008 at 2:59 pm
I took my 13 year old daughter to see the movie also last night. I wasn’t expecting a whole lot since I don’t usually like movies that are made from books. If you haven’t read the books, you will probably like the movie. It was about what I expected and I missed those same parts that RQ pointed out. I was pleasantly surprised by my daughter’s reaction. She was very disappointed and not happy at all. She keeps saying that they just didn’t get it “right”. For once I am glad to see that she is more impressed by a book than a movie. I do wonder how they will develope the characters into the other movies if they didn’t start it with this first one.
November 22nd, 2008 at 6:23 pm
I was also disappointed with the “meadow” scene and the sparkling sfx. Moreover, I didn’t like the “deer in the headlights” look that Edward often had on his face. When I read the book, I saw him as a calm, cool and collected. In the movie, he was an unsure, awkward, normal teen.
It was amusing to me to listen to the comments from the teens who obviously had never watched a novel-made-into-a-movie. “That’s now how that looked!” “I thought he was taller.” “That didn’t happen in the book.” I had a giggler sitting next to me that couldn’t handle the, um, tension scenes. Kinda annoying.
Still love the books better. I’m devouring New Moon right now!
wings4ladybug
November 22nd, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Agreed! The movie was amusing and fun to watch … but I too was disappointed. It seemed choppy and the story didn’t flow as nicely as it could have. Sometimes the conversations were pretty awkward, talking over each other. Many of Edwards facial expressions looked off, like he was going to cry. I didn’t get that from him in the book at all. I know he was in pain to be with her …. but really. The tree climbing was completely hokey. My dh said he was surprised at how ‘ordinary’ the vampires looked. (yes, he read the books too.) I’ll have to rent it when it comes out. Maybe most of my experience with it was because I have been sick all week … I’ll give it another chance.
November 22nd, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Sorry to say that I have not read the books yet. But, thought you might be interested to know that all our local newscasts last night were reporting on the success of the movie and emphasized that it was filmed in the Northwest. Many scenes were filmed in Oregon. Hence, good forests and not great meadow scenes I guess. How come no comments on the wonderful night out with hubby? We have not been on a night out for about six months and I am envious. Looking to live vicariously. Dinner and movie with husband alone? Priceless.
November 22nd, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Heres to hoping the rest of the evening lived up to expectations ;)
November 22nd, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Ok gonna have to give the Twlight books a try. All the hype has me courious. I didn’t jump on the Harry Potter bandwagon until book 4…now I’m a HUGE FAN.
On a slightly different note I haven’t been REALLY into the vampire genre in years but today…I found 3 more out-of-print Chelsea Quinn Yarbro books!!!!
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Wonder how much control over the movie the author had? Maybe if it was a bigger company to buy the movie rights they could have been more true to the book.
The movie is almost never as good as the book.
I wonder if Edwards lips were to diplay when he was thirsty? In the book is was the eyes that would change. Didn’t see the movie yet and won’t until DVD or cable.
Kristine
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Okay, I haven’t watched a vampire show since Dark Shadows. Now how many of you are old enough to remember that daily soap with Barneby Collins and that woman with the big wide eyes???
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:39 pm
I’m going to see it tomorrow and I honestly have not been too excited about it because movies hardly ever live up to books and I loved the books! We’ll see!
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:43 am
I actually liked the movie. Both myself and my 17 yo ‘little sister’ read the book and enjoyed the movie. I think it achieved about what one might expect. I so enjoyed listening to the giggling girls in the room as they squirmed over the sexual tension, the awkwardness of dad and hot factor of Edward. It reminded me of watching 16 Candles! We’re not talking Academy Awards, but it certainly hits a note when it comes to teenage longing for love.
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:54 pm
I went Friday night with about 30 other mothers! We went to dinner and then the movie–it was so much fun! There was a huge crowd, only a scattering of men. One man we know came and he was so embarassed, he told all of us that the only reason he agreed to come is his wife said he’d “get lucky” later. :-)
Anyway, we all had mixed reactions from really liking it to not so much. I was in the middle, not sure what I really thought, but kind of disappointed. However, last night I took my daughter and her friends and I have to say I actually enjoyed it. Beforehand, I went to Stephenie Meyer’s site and read Midnight Sun that’s posted on her website. I don’t know–it really helped me enjoy the movie much more reading Edward’s perspective. My oldest daughters are coming home from college on Wednesday and we’re all going to see it again–it’s growing on me! I can’t tell you how many of those women I went with Friday saw it again last night or are planning on seeing it again soon. Despite the mixed reactions, I believe this is one of those movies a lot of women/girls are going to see over and over and over…
November 23rd, 2008 at 3:43 pm
I really wanted to love the movie beucase I loved the books so much. I was really hokey. The way the protrayed Jasper – I know he was supposed to look like he was in pain but we looked like he had no clue what was going on and a weird professor sort of way. Everyone in the theatre was laughing everytime they saw him. I thought they could have done sooo much better than they did. Disappointing for sure but mildly entertaining yes!
November 23rd, 2008 at 9:36 pm
I have not read the books, but my hubby and almost 13 year old daughter have read the whole Stephanie Meyers line. They disliked the movie. Nothing like what they had hoped for, especially all they hype that it was supposed to be the new Harry Potter. Daughter had actually been counting down the days since she learned it was coming out.
November 23rd, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Maybe I am just “romance” starved…but I liked the movie! It was about what I expected knowing that books are always better! I do think it was NOTHING like Harry Potter! However, since it has made millions…maybe we can expect more from the sequels (which I heard were already being worked on!). The only characters I had a slight “issue” with were Jasper…not at all what I had pictured in my head- he was so “little”! And, Dr. Cullen…the first time he walked out my friend laughed out loud which caused the entire theatre to laugh with her! It was the “white on white” effect with him…too much powder! I don’t know what other “man” can make an entire theater of girls and women giggle and sigh like Edward! I want to see it again!
November 24th, 2008 at 2:25 am
This one is hard to write about. I LOVED the books and read 3-4 books a week (no kids yet) and what we always know is that the movie will NEVER be as good as the book and unfortunately we all fell in love with this series hard so I went into it knowing they were never going to be able to really act out the book the way it was meant to. There was so much internal thoughts and feelings, (plus the book was after all 500 pages) etc that I knew they were going to have to bypass/shortcut quite a bit to ever get it to fit in 2 hours. (plus I even think I read it had a small budget?)
Overall, I really liked it and thought they stayed as true to the book as possible. Yes, I thought a little awkward at times also but still was able to look past it and just enjoy the story as it was told. Now, my sister and I, the true fanatics, took our mom who doesn’t read, and doesn’t like vampires. She ADORED it and thought it was THE best romance she has seen in years and is also now in love with Edward and MIGHT actually pick up the first book I may ever see her read. (I got the reading from my dad) :)
So, I think us die hards may be a little disappointed, but I also think I will have my hubby take me again, because I really want to enjoy it again now without all the expectation. But also seeing it through the eyes of a new fan was fantastic!!! I have a feeling she won’t be the only one maybe picking up this book for the first time AFTER seeing the movie. :)
Have a great week everyone!
November 24th, 2008 at 11:22 am
tbrgg,
Yes, it was definitely better the 2nd time! Like I said, some disappointment the first time, but the second time I was just able to enjoy it lot more, I guess because I didn’t have any expectations going in. :-)
November 25th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Thanks for the review, RQ. DH and I plan to go see it this weekend. I’m so in love with the books and after reading your review, I’m sure I’ll be disappointed in the movie…That’s too bad they left out so much! But I’m still looking forward to seeing this story great love story on the big screen!
November 25th, 2008 at 11:40 am
I enjoyed the movie. It was just fine. Not winning any Oscars, but not everything can be LotR. Of course, while I enjoyed the books, I didn’t remotely consider them any kind of great literature with the depth of LotR or even HP, so I wasn’t expecting much. Just entertainment. I was entertained. Edward was pretty. I’m good.