Review: Twilight
Lawrence Foster
Issue date: 5/6/09 Section: Lifestyles
So often with movies based on books, the film leaves viewers wanting more, and Twilight is no exception. The film is based on Stephanie Meyer's best-selling teen romance/science fiction book of the same name.
Twilight is about a forbidden teen romance between Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). For anyone who has read the novel, the back-and-forth dialogue between Bella and Edward is the highlight of the book. The film, however, is unable to translate that chemistry to the big screen. The fire Bella and Edward have for each other in the book is barely a spark on screen.
Pattinson fits the physical aspects of Edward perfectly, but his acting leaves something to be desired. Far too often in the film, he is shot as if he is posing for an advertisement, rather than shooting a movie.
As if the acting and chemistry isn't enough to make this film forgettable, the special effects seem like they would be more at home in a television production rather than a Hollywood blockbuster. For example, when Edward and Bella go into the woods after she figures out his secret, Edward picks her up and takes off at breaking speed. This is one of the most vivid recollections of the novel, and I had high expectations for this scene, but the special effects failed to deliver.
Instead of feeling like I was along for the ride with Edward, I felt distanced from the movie because it didn't look realistic. The worst part, however, was when Edward shows Bella what he looks like in the sun. Instead of being in awe of the crystal-like skin of Edward, I was laughing at the way he looked. Director Catherine Hardwicke really dropped the ball when it came to the special effects in the film.
The film wasn't completely horrible. For the most part, Hardwicke chose the most important aspects of the book, which is often not the case when it comes to films based on books.
My recommendation is that if you read the series, or plan to, do not watch this film. But if you have never cracked open Twilight, you will probably enjoy it for what it is: A good date movie you will forget 10 minutes after leaving the theater.
Twilight is about a forbidden teen romance between Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). For anyone who has read the novel, the back-and-forth dialogue between Bella and Edward is the highlight of the book. The film, however, is unable to translate that chemistry to the big screen. The fire Bella and Edward have for each other in the book is barely a spark on screen.
Pattinson fits the physical aspects of Edward perfectly, but his acting leaves something to be desired. Far too often in the film, he is shot as if he is posing for an advertisement, rather than shooting a movie.
As if the acting and chemistry isn't enough to make this film forgettable, the special effects seem like they would be more at home in a television production rather than a Hollywood blockbuster. For example, when Edward and Bella go into the woods after she figures out his secret, Edward picks her up and takes off at breaking speed. This is one of the most vivid recollections of the novel, and I had high expectations for this scene, but the special effects failed to deliver.
Instead of feeling like I was along for the ride with Edward, I felt distanced from the movie because it didn't look realistic. The worst part, however, was when Edward shows Bella what he looks like in the sun. Instead of being in awe of the crystal-like skin of Edward, I was laughing at the way he looked. Director Catherine Hardwicke really dropped the ball when it came to the special effects in the film.
The film wasn't completely horrible. For the most part, Hardwicke chose the most important aspects of the book, which is often not the case when it comes to films based on books.
My recommendation is that if you read the series, or plan to, do not watch this film. But if you have never cracked open Twilight, you will probably enjoy it for what it is: A good date movie you will forget 10 minutes after leaving the theater.
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