Jason KingTwilight ($12-)
December 3rd 2008 10:19
Twilight ($12-)
TWILIGHT is an action-packed, modern-day love story between a teenage girl and a vampire. Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) has always been a little bit different, never caring about fitting in with the trendy girls at her Phoenix high school. When her mother re-marries and sends Bella to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, she doesn't expect much of anything to change. Then she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a boy unlike any she's ever met. Edward is a vampire, but he doesn't have fangs and his family is unique in that they choose not to drink human blood. Intelligent and witty, Edward sees straight into Bella's soul. Soon, they are swept up in a passionate, thrilling and unorthodox romance. To Edward, Bella is what he has waited 90 years for - a soul mate. But the closer they get, the more Edward must struggle to resist the primal pull of her scent, which could send him into an uncontrollable frenzy. But what will Edward & Bella do when a clan of new vampires - James (Cam Gigandet), Laurent (Edi Gathegi) and Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre) - come to town and threaten to disrupt their way of life?
ABOUT TWILIGHT: Based on the #1 New York Times Best-Selling series with over 17 million books in print by Stephenie Meyer, TWILIGHT is a cultural phenomenon, with a dedicated fan base that eagerly awaits this movie. There are over 350 fan sites devoted to TWILIGHT, and it has been chosen as the New York Times Editor's Choice, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, Amazon's "Best Book of the Decade...So Far", Teen People's "Hot List" Pick, and The American Library Association's "Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults" and "Top Ten Books for Reluctant Readers," among others. Critically acclaimed director Catherine Hardwicke brings to life this modern, visual, and visceral Romeo & Juliet story of the ultimate forbidden love affair - between vampire and mortal.
This film is hard for me to review - I am one of the biggest fans of the book series and just got swept away by the forbidden and unending love of the tale - I am a true romantic at heart. But whenever you love a book so much you will always compare the film to that book and this can ruin the film for you. The books are long and they have so much detail and little things in them that you just can't fit into a 2hr film but are what you love about the book. A lot of these are missing from the film and I got slightly disappointed by this but then tried to look at the film on its own. Once I did this I could enjoy the film.
Points FOR the film:
1) The leads were cast brilliantly and their chemistry is strong - you can feel it - if the chemistry wasn't there the whole film would have been a waste of time
2) The cinematography is beautiful - being set in a town with the highest rainfall in the US there are beautiful forest greens throughout and the film's contrast is well done.
3) Robert Pattinson is HOT
- he has come a long way from Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter.
4) The soundtrack is sensational - see below for details
5) It will have mass appeal to its target audience - the teenage girls who won't sit and compare to the book because they get to see Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen brought to life - they will be screaming to be bitten
6) The flow of the film is quick - no time to get bored as it happens so fast.
7) I loved the forrest scenes with the two of them jumping through trees - it gave me a rush
8) The baseball scene is awesome - I wished there was more of her falling in love with the vampire life.
9) Jacob was cast well and I look forward to seeing him progress in the second film.
10) The entire color grading is a pleasure to watch. This film looks good on screen!
11) I did start getting the same feelings towards the end of the film that I experienced when reading the book. Things like "why is Edward being this way - just do it this way" and "no bite ME" (lol)
Points AGAINST the film:
1) Vampires are actually dead beings - why does Edward look like he needs to shave in quite a few scenes?
2) The Cullens are meant to wear the best clothes, they only use the best of everything - why does half of Edward's wardrobe make him look like he is on his way to a mosh pit?
3) The Cullens are meant to be the best looking people imaginable - Edward pulls it off, Alice pulls it off, Emmet pulls it off but the others do not, what on earth is with Dr Culen's hair and I know Jasper is the youngest vampire and has trouble refraining from human blood but most of the time he looks like a person who requires a padded cell, downright odd! Also, Jasper is meant to have been through the toughest times out of the family and seen the most violence, often defeating numerous enemies, yet he looks like an insane feminine man. His freaky eyes and the hair pissed me off!
4) I wanted more from the sunlight scenes - it is meant to be superhumanly, but I thought it was a letdown.
5) Again from comparing to the book - the pace was too fast - the discovery he is a vampire happens too quickly - Bella comes to the conclusion without thinking of the craziness of her thoughts (even though they are founded) - it (don't laugh at this) doesn't seem real enough.
6) The hunt is so quick, one minute James is after Bella and the next minute the credits are nearly rolling
7) Besides the one fall over the whole "Bella is clumsy" is missing - I found this so important to her character development in the book that is was a shame it was missing from the movie.
8) I needed Bella to spend more time with the Cullens before all the action - the film starts out well, but stays close to the front of the book, it skips stuff from the middle and jumps to the end.
9) The bad vampires are better looking than the Cullens (Edward excluded).
The film has a brilliant soundtrack that sets the pace and keeps rolling. Included is Robert Pattinson's first ever recorded song - Never Think.
1. Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
2. Decode - Paramore
3. Full Moon - The Black Ghosts
4. Leave Out All The Rest - Linkin Park
5. Spotlight [Twilight Mix] - Mutemath
6. Go All The Way [Into the Twilight] - Perry Farrell
7. Tremble For My Beloved - Collective Soul
8. I Caught Myself - Paramore
9. Eyes On Fire - Blue Foundation
10. Never Think - Rob Pattinson
11. Flightless Bird, American Mouth - Iron & Wine
12. Bella's Lullaby - Carter Burwell
Verdict:
I enjoyed it but wanted more, the most important thing was the chemistry between Bella and Edward and this works. If you worship the books you may get disappointed but if you are a teenager you will love it none the less. It's more from a completed story, even if you know the ending. Teenagers want a Harry Potter replacement and while this appeals more to females it may fill the void. It outsold Bond on every pre-ticket purchase in the US and looks like doing the same here. Congrats to Hoyts Distribution for scoring the rights in what will no doubt be their biggest film ever released in Australia.
I wanted more but think it will go well. Production on the second film is in motion and they will film the quick so Ed and Bel don't age. I just hope they learnt from any mistakes and can either amend or improve for the second installment. Out next week and worth $12-
TWILIGHT is an action-packed, modern-day love story between a teenage girl and a vampire. Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) has always been a little bit different, never caring about fitting in with the trendy girls at her Phoenix high school. When her mother re-marries and sends Bella to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, she doesn't expect much of anything to change. Then she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a boy unlike any she's ever met. Edward is a vampire, but he doesn't have fangs and his family is unique in that they choose not to drink human blood. Intelligent and witty, Edward sees straight into Bella's soul. Soon, they are swept up in a passionate, thrilling and unorthodox romance. To Edward, Bella is what he has waited 90 years for - a soul mate. But the closer they get, the more Edward must struggle to resist the primal pull of her scent, which could send him into an uncontrollable frenzy. But what will Edward & Bella do when a clan of new vampires - James (Cam Gigandet), Laurent (Edi Gathegi) and Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre) - come to town and threaten to disrupt their way of life?
ABOUT TWILIGHT: Based on the #1 New York Times Best-Selling series with over 17 million books in print by Stephenie Meyer, TWILIGHT is a cultural phenomenon, with a dedicated fan base that eagerly awaits this movie. There are over 350 fan sites devoted to TWILIGHT, and it has been chosen as the New York Times Editor's Choice, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, Amazon's "Best Book of the Decade...So Far", Teen People's "Hot List" Pick, and The American Library Association's "Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults" and "Top Ten Books for Reluctant Readers," among others. Critically acclaimed director Catherine Hardwicke brings to life this modern, visual, and visceral Romeo & Juliet story of the ultimate forbidden love affair - between vampire and mortal.
This film is hard for me to review - I am one of the biggest fans of the book series and just got swept away by the forbidden and unending love of the tale - I am a true romantic at heart. But whenever you love a book so much you will always compare the film to that book and this can ruin the film for you. The books are long and they have so much detail and little things in them that you just can't fit into a 2hr film but are what you love about the book. A lot of these are missing from the film and I got slightly disappointed by this but then tried to look at the film on its own. Once I did this I could enjoy the film.
Points FOR the film:
1) The leads were cast brilliantly and their chemistry is strong - you can feel it - if the chemistry wasn't there the whole film would have been a waste of time
2) The cinematography is beautiful - being set in a town with the highest rainfall in the US there are beautiful forest greens throughout and the film's contrast is well done.
3) Robert Pattinson is HOT
- he has come a long way from Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter.4) The soundtrack is sensational - see below for details
5) It will have mass appeal to its target audience - the teenage girls who won't sit and compare to the book because they get to see Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen brought to life - they will be screaming to be bitten
6) The flow of the film is quick - no time to get bored as it happens so fast.
7) I loved the forrest scenes with the two of them jumping through trees - it gave me a rush
8) The baseball scene is awesome - I wished there was more of her falling in love with the vampire life.
9) Jacob was cast well and I look forward to seeing him progress in the second film.
10) The entire color grading is a pleasure to watch. This film looks good on screen!
11) I did start getting the same feelings towards the end of the film that I experienced when reading the book. Things like "why is Edward being this way - just do it this way" and "no bite ME" (lol)
Points AGAINST the film:
1) Vampires are actually dead beings - why does Edward look like he needs to shave in quite a few scenes?
2) The Cullens are meant to wear the best clothes, they only use the best of everything - why does half of Edward's wardrobe make him look like he is on his way to a mosh pit?
3) The Cullens are meant to be the best looking people imaginable - Edward pulls it off, Alice pulls it off, Emmet pulls it off but the others do not, what on earth is with Dr Culen's hair and I know Jasper is the youngest vampire and has trouble refraining from human blood but most of the time he looks like a person who requires a padded cell, downright odd! Also, Jasper is meant to have been through the toughest times out of the family and seen the most violence, often defeating numerous enemies, yet he looks like an insane feminine man. His freaky eyes and the hair pissed me off!
4) I wanted more from the sunlight scenes - it is meant to be superhumanly, but I thought it was a letdown.
5) Again from comparing to the book - the pace was too fast - the discovery he is a vampire happens too quickly - Bella comes to the conclusion without thinking of the craziness of her thoughts (even though they are founded) - it (don't laugh at this) doesn't seem real enough.
6) The hunt is so quick, one minute James is after Bella and the next minute the credits are nearly rolling
7) Besides the one fall over the whole "Bella is clumsy" is missing - I found this so important to her character development in the book that is was a shame it was missing from the movie.
8) I needed Bella to spend more time with the Cullens before all the action - the film starts out well, but stays close to the front of the book, it skips stuff from the middle and jumps to the end.
9) The bad vampires are better looking than the Cullens (Edward excluded).
The film has a brilliant soundtrack that sets the pace and keeps rolling. Included is Robert Pattinson's first ever recorded song - Never Think.
1. Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
2. Decode - Paramore
3. Full Moon - The Black Ghosts
4. Leave Out All The Rest - Linkin Park
5. Spotlight [Twilight Mix] - Mutemath
6. Go All The Way [Into the Twilight] - Perry Farrell
7. Tremble For My Beloved - Collective Soul
8. I Caught Myself - Paramore
9. Eyes On Fire - Blue Foundation
10. Never Think - Rob Pattinson
11. Flightless Bird, American Mouth - Iron & Wine
12. Bella's Lullaby - Carter Burwell
Verdict:
I enjoyed it but wanted more, the most important thing was the chemistry between Bella and Edward and this works. If you worship the books you may get disappointed but if you are a teenager you will love it none the less. It's more from a completed story, even if you know the ending. Teenagers want a Harry Potter replacement and while this appeals more to females it may fill the void. It outsold Bond on every pre-ticket purchase in the US and looks like doing the same here. Congrats to Hoyts Distribution for scoring the rights in what will no doubt be their biggest film ever released in Australia.
I wanted more but think it will go well. Production on the second film is in motion and they will film the quick so Ed and Bel don't age. I just hope they learnt from any mistakes and can either amend or improve for the second installment. Out next week and worth $12-
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For those that haven't watch it yet, you should spare some times for it!
By the way, it's a spectacular review, Jason.
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Wilson - great praise - glad you love it. Have you read the books? Would be interesting to know. And thanks for your kind words!!
Am off to watch High School Musical 3 tonight - this should be fun!!
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I saw the shorts for this whilst catching Quantum of Solace earlier this week.
It looks really good (I thought), I will treat myself to this on the big screen (I thought). I liked the on screen chemistry postrayed in the few seconds of the trailer (*cool* i thought)... I like many of the teenage, fast paced action films (like Jumpers, (I thought) which I thouroughly enjoyed) .. and since I havent read the books, will probably really enjoy this.
However, I have to laugh at this;
hahahahaha
..and can respect your dissapointment in this;
Many films are like that after reading the book, I agree, but it is a shame that the budget can dictate such things, despite the need for slower realisations.
Perahps further proof that it is not the young who always seek fast and furious, but the brainwashers themselves?
Great review Jason, thoroughly enjoyed it.
Lilla ...
Comment by The Rusty Can
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Great post, Jason!
Rusty.
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Michaelie
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Thanks Rusty! Let us know what you think after you watch it!
Journeywoman - the book rock!! Thanks for your comments.
Michaelie - it might be like Harry Potter for me. I never even heard about them. Watched the first film and got hooked so bought the next book and yu pretty much know the worldwide phenomemon after that. But the first book in this series is the best "hands down". If you like the movie maybe then read the book.
Thanks for commenting everyone!
Comment by Journeywoman
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Also, I was expecting more from the sunlight scene; Ed barely sparkled at all whereas in the books it's described like he's made of diamonds.
Jacob definitely was fantastic, though there are rumours that Taylor Lautner won't be recast for the second film because he's not beefy enough (apparently he's gaining as much muscle mass as he can, to save his job). I thought he was great so here's hoping the producers choose to keep him.
All in all though, an enjoyable film, and Edward, Bella, Jacob and Alice - my fave characters - were perfectly cast. Looking forward to seeing the second one.
Comment by Twilight Luva