Fantastic for Fans-Critics will be Critical

Rating: 9/10 (19 November 2008)

Considering all aspects of this film, it's fandom, and birth from a very long, tough to condense book, Catherine Hardewicke, Melissa Rosenberg, Kristen Stewart, and Robert Pattinson worked some serious movie magic. Fans of Stephenie Meyer's series will be, for the most part, thrilled with their interpretation of this vampire love story.
Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, with the help of Stephenie Meyer, created what I believe is the best possible script, dialogue, and scenes. Condensing over 500 pages into two hours of screen time while still conveying the major issues that are so important to fans is no easy feat, and she succeeded admirably. I think that any flaws should actually be blamed on the fans themselves, and their insistence of certain key phrases, that, while perfectly played out in the imagination, would sound slightly corny even said by say, Streep and Day-Lewis.
That being said, the actors who portray the main characters, vampire with a heart Edward and every-girl Bella, are explosive. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart played the roles to perfection. Instead of falling into the expected lovey-dovey, stary-eyed version the characters seem to call for, they seem perfectly uncomfortable with the entire situation, and each other. Instead of being like two magnets who are drawn to each other, they are like polar opposites, pushing away from each other. This dynamic gives perfect credibility to their should-be unattainable love affair. After all, they should not feel comfortable with each other; Bella's life hangs in the balance every second she is with Edward. Edward's fear of hurting his ultimate love, and the self-loathing he has for himself are constants in the novel. They prevented this film from becoming a sappy, camp, teen love story, which would have probably appeased critics, and lost 98% of their fans.
While critics will criticize everything from the lack of big-budget stunts to show off the remarkable skills of the vampires, the sometimes cheesy dialogue, and the staring actors for what they will undoubtedly title "emo" performances, fans will know better. They will see how the tempestuous emotion and drama of Edward and Bella are perfectly executed by Kristen and Rob, neither over- nor under-done; they will see the impression of vampiric feats that truly no studio could recreate, regardless of the budget. Most importantly, they will see the distilled, concentrated version of the story they love so much, brought to life by an amazing cast and crew.
Bottom line-if you're a fan, enjoy the movie in and of itself, and leave your book comparisons at the theater door. If you're a critic, well...don't be surprised if people ignore your probably plausible jabs at the film's imperfections. The magic of movies is that they affect each person differently, and each person impresses their own vision onto the film. Hardewick and Co. have given us just the right amount of our vision and theirs, turning out a film destined to be talked about by both critics and fans alike for years.