Opinion of the Movie

Rating: 4/10 (21 November 2008)

First of all I'd like to say that I am a HUGE movie buff. I'm not much of a reader because I would rather see the movie(in MOST cases, that is). When my younger sister told me about the book Twilight, to me it didn't sound like a book that I would really get into, but she convinced me otherwise. I read, and, of course, fell in LOVE with the books. I was so psyched to hear that the book was being made into a movie, and just like everyone else, couldn't wait for it to come out. When the trailers first came out, I was a little skeptical of how it would turn out, and right away knew that it wasn't going to be like the book. So, I went to the movies last night at the midnight premier with low expectations, hoping that they would be lifted by the end of the movie...BOY was I WRONG!
First off - I did NOT like how they first introduced Billy and Jacob. Was that added scene really necessary? They should have just kept it at how they met in La Push, would have been MUCH better.
As for the school cast - I thought it was OK. I thought Jessica was a great choice. Very self-centered and all about her. Angela wasn't the best. I was hoping for better. Mike..the same thoughts for him as well. He was OK, but could have been better. And what the HELL were they thinking when they cast Eric? Are they for real?
Now on to Edward and Bella. I thought that Kristen Stewart did a better job than expected. As for Robert Pattinson - HORRIBLE! I was expecting him to be better than he was and now my POV of him just went straight into the dumpster. The whole point of Edward and Bella was supposed to be that they were soul mates,but forbidden from each other because they are two totally different species. They're love story just got rushed completely. You never got to experience them falling in love like you should. It is supposed to be a love story, and to me, with all the added lines it felt like a comedy. I was laughing more than I was aweing. Edward, in the book, is so sweet, sensitive, caring, and compassionate.Whenever he is around Bella he just wants to keep her safe and protected. That is not how it was at all.
Some parts of the book were absolutely a must-have for the movie to incorporate. In my opinion, here are the scenes that SHOULD have been in the movie:
1.Edward skipping Biology class the day of the Blood Typing. You get to see more of how much Mike really likes Bella, offering to take her to the nurse. Plus you get to see more of how Edward is protective of Bella, and the rivalry of Mike and Edward. It also gives them their first chance to really be alone when he suggests to take her home. Making both the nurse and the receptionist swoon over him.
2.Edwards favorite place. I understand that they show him "sparkling" but he was supposed to take her to HIS favorite place. Not just in some woods right next to the School. How lame was that..? I was so disappointed in that. They did that scene so wrong. His place turns into their place, and when he leaves her in the next book, its where she goes to "hear" him. I don't know what they were thinking there.
3.Their history. When Edward first takes Bella over to his house to meet everyone for the first time, Bella is so captivated by all the art on the walls, especially in Carlisle's office. How they became is such a HUGE part of WHO they are. It helps Bella understand, not only Edward better, but his whole family.
4. The restaurant. The whole point was for them to be sat ALONE away from people. For her to try and understand him better. For both of them to get to know each other a little better. The waitress was supposed to be cute and charming, totally ignoring Bella, and being so smitten over Edward. Not some nasty, trashy, punky girl who can hardly act. Plus on the way home, their talk was supposed to give Bella more of an insight of what he really is.
I fully understand that not all movies can be based on the books and they have to make the movie more appealing to a more wide-ranged audience, but they totally got this movie all wrong. It looked like it was just thrown together in a short amount of time. Like it wasn't thought thoroughly through and so it lacked some key points that they should have touched. Like I said, I was laughing more at the movie and the acting more than I should have been. I wanted to be drawn into their love like I was in the book. I should have gotten chills and I wanted SO BADLY to fall in love with Edward like I did in the book. I was even more disappointed than I thought I would be. I really hope that if they decide to make New Moon into a movie, that they take some more time and put some more thought into how they are going to lay things out. I feel so badly for Stephanie Meyer because she created this great forbidden love story only to see it go down the drain, rather than blossom into something even more spectacular that it should be. I can sit here and BEG you to not go see the movie, but if you've read the book, I actually think you should, because it makes you appreciate the book SO MUCH MORE than you appreciated it before.