Yesterday, I was offered the opportunity to begin writing movie and music reviews for our local paper. My first is on "Twilight", the object of my obsession for a long time... so here it goes:
A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine and I went to Findlay to see “Twilight”. We had been waiting for weeks for the movie to premiere, and on the car ride there, we were giggling and clapping our hands in excitement like little kids on Christmas morning. Both of us had read the Twilight series, by Stephanie Meyer, and fallen in love with her characters, especially Edward. The plot of the story seems generic; A teenage girl falls in love with the gorgeous and seemingly unattainable boy (one Edward Cullen), who turns out to be an immortal vampire. Of course, it can’t end there. This vampire family is “vegetarian”. They hunt animals rather than people, because they don’t want to be monsters. It’s hard to resist humans though, and when one of them falls in love with the girl, it becomes more and more dangerous for them to exist.
We arrived at the theatre, bought our popcorn and sat down in the best possible seats. We had come early, hardly able to contain our excitement, and had to sit through 45 minutes of ads, sitting on our hands, trying to contain ourselves until the actual movie started. We weren’t alone in this though. The movie had made girls all over the country (and even the world) crazy with anticipation. Eventually, the movie started, and we spent an amazing two hours finally seeing the books come to life.
There were parts in the book that didn’t make it to the film, one of which I missed especially. There were a few extra scenes also but none that clashed with the theme and feeling of the book. There were also some details that they left out in an effort to make the movie less confusing, which I guess makes sense, although it’s slightly frustrating for fans of the books. However, all of the pivotal scenes were kept, which is good, and more than many books-made-into-movies can claim. As a big fan of the books before I saw the movie, I can honestly say that I approve. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close.
Of course, not everyone has time to read a 498 page book, especially one aimed at teenagers (Although, there’s an internet movement going on now called, “Twilight Moms” for 30+ year olds who love the series). So, it’s important to know how the movie would be to a person who had never obsessed over the books. I talked to some of my friends, and I couldn’t find one that didn’t like it. (Well maybe one, but he hadn’t seen it, so it wasn’t exactly fair) My grandparents even enjoyed seeing it! I think the reason that the books are so appealing is that, even though it’s considered “fantasy”, it was completely relatable. There’s a first love which is dangerous and intense, and at the same time, very sweet and innocent, but most of all, completely forbidden. The onscreen chemistry was shockingly real and the acting was believable. Maybe the best part of this movie is the family of vampires. You’ll fall in love with them. Each character is surprisingly well developed and, of course, inhumanly beautiful, with golden eyes and pale skin.
And, you can’t have a movie without a climax, of course. You’ll get your fix of action and suspense from the flick when there’s a conflict with another vampire coven… one that isn’t “vegetarian”. There are some intense parts, and one that is slightly disturbing, but nothing too bad. Also, there is one scene when the leads kiss, but not too much more. Don’t take anyone too young (it’s rated PG-13), but it’s appropriate for most people.
So, is it worth paying nine or ten bucks and driving a half hour to the nearest big movie theatre to see? That depends. If you’re ready for a bit of cheesiness, a couple tears, and some predictability, then definitely! But there are also more important issues that are underlying the story: Moral and ethical dilemmas. If you were made into a vampire, a monster, would you have the strength to resist everything that you were made to be and do? Is it worth fighting against yourself to get back some of your humanity? If you can live forever, what do you live for? I do think that it’s a movie that you should see eventually, and while it was made for the big screen, I’m sure seeing it on DVD will be almost as good. In fact, when it comes out in the spring of next year, I’ll be first in line to get it!
A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine and I went to Findlay to see “Twilight”. We had been waiting for weeks for the movie to premiere, and on the car ride there, we were giggling and clapping our hands in excitement like little kids on Christmas morning. Both of us had read the Twilight series, by Stephanie Meyer, and fallen in love with her characters, especially Edward. The plot of the story seems generic; A teenage girl falls in love with the gorgeous and seemingly unattainable boy (one Edward Cullen), who turns out to be an immortal vampire. Of course, it can’t end there. This vampire family is “vegetarian”. They hunt animals rather than people, because they don’t want to be monsters. It’s hard to resist humans though, and when one of them falls in love with the girl, it becomes more and more dangerous for them to exist.
We arrived at the theatre, bought our popcorn and sat down in the best possible seats. We had come early, hardly able to contain our excitement, and had to sit through 45 minutes of ads, sitting on our hands, trying to contain ourselves until the actual movie started. We weren’t alone in this though. The movie had made girls all over the country (and even the world) crazy with anticipation. Eventually, the movie started, and we spent an amazing two hours finally seeing the books come to life.
There were parts in the book that didn’t make it to the film, one of which I missed especially. There were a few extra scenes also but none that clashed with the theme and feeling of the book. There were also some details that they left out in an effort to make the movie less confusing, which I guess makes sense, although it’s slightly frustrating for fans of the books. However, all of the pivotal scenes were kept, which is good, and more than many books-made-into-movies can claim. As a big fan of the books before I saw the movie, I can honestly say that I approve. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close.
Of course, not everyone has time to read a 498 page book, especially one aimed at teenagers (Although, there’s an internet movement going on now called, “Twilight Moms” for 30+ year olds who love the series). So, it’s important to know how the movie would be to a person who had never obsessed over the books. I talked to some of my friends, and I couldn’t find one that didn’t like it. (Well maybe one, but he hadn’t seen it, so it wasn’t exactly fair) My grandparents even enjoyed seeing it! I think the reason that the books are so appealing is that, even though it’s considered “fantasy”, it was completely relatable. There’s a first love which is dangerous and intense, and at the same time, very sweet and innocent, but most of all, completely forbidden. The onscreen chemistry was shockingly real and the acting was believable. Maybe the best part of this movie is the family of vampires. You’ll fall in love with them. Each character is surprisingly well developed and, of course, inhumanly beautiful, with golden eyes and pale skin.
And, you can’t have a movie without a climax, of course. You’ll get your fix of action and suspense from the flick when there’s a conflict with another vampire coven… one that isn’t “vegetarian”. There are some intense parts, and one that is slightly disturbing, but nothing too bad. Also, there is one scene when the leads kiss, but not too much more. Don’t take anyone too young (it’s rated PG-13), but it’s appropriate for most people.
So, is it worth paying nine or ten bucks and driving a half hour to the nearest big movie theatre to see? That depends. If you’re ready for a bit of cheesiness, a couple tears, and some predictability, then definitely! But there are also more important issues that are underlying the story: Moral and ethical dilemmas. If you were made into a vampire, a monster, would you have the strength to resist everything that you were made to be and do? Is it worth fighting against yourself to get back some of your humanity? If you can live forever, what do you live for? I do think that it’s a movie that you should see eventually, and while it was made for the big screen, I’m sure seeing it on DVD will be almost as good. In fact, when it comes out in the spring of next year, I’ll be first in line to get it!
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