not a lover and not a hater... my thoughts below

Rating: 7/10 (29 May 2009)

First of all - I was stuck between 6 and 7 here but I liked the film better than its' present 6.1 rating so I'm going with 7.
We'll start with the good.... The Cinematography is first rate. Not only does the film succeed with it's locales and it's stunning scenery but there is a sense of style and originality in the filming. Haze. Clarity versus Blur. The dark Blue tone of everything. It's as if a Blue Moon is cast over the entire film only much of the film is shot in daylight.
That's another thing that I really liked about this one. Twilight is a departure from some of the usual Vampire fare in that it bends the rules of vampirism just enough to make it interesting but not enough to completely separate it from the genre as a whole.
I think the love story has substance and the fact that it's optimistic is yet another twist on the usual vampire fare. The leads do a spectacular job of selling the love story and treading the water between human and daywalker. I loved the fact that the movie stayed true to other vampire films in it's portrayal of the thirst for blood but still allowed the lead male to put love before hunger.
All in all the cast did a fine job... not spectacular... but fine.
the bad.... and there really isn't much here to speak of... we could have used a little more 'horror'. I think that was the product of the films' pg13 rating... but it certainly seems as if they could have piled a little more scary moments into the film.
the story is a bit shallow and the ending leaves the door a little too wide open... not finishing the story and basically stamping the fact that there is an inevitable sequel.
I would have liked to have heard some crazy music... I loved the "Muse" they threw in there but would've also liked to have heard some NIN or something else with a little kick.
This is a good movie. Not Great. But Good. If a substantial storyline and plot is your bag then you might want to opt out. If you appreciate cinematography and enjoy the vampire genre on the whole - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Maybe not worthy of the hype but certainly a decent effort. Worth a second view and I will catch the sequel.
67/100 or 3.5/5
You'll like it if you liked: Near Dark, Ginger Snaps, The Bride, The Faculty, and Interview With a Vampire.