How to enjoy this movie.

Rating: 7/10 (27 December 2008)

The answer is simple. Watch 1 or 2 episodes of Buffy for about a week, then watch this movie.
Why is this helpful? Simple. Each episode of Buffy, minus the opening and closing credits, is about 40 minutes long. Multiply by 3, and you have a 2 hour movie. This, in essence, is Twilight.
Granted the stories are a bit dis-similar, and the cast here needs to grow a bit, but then, the same is true for most TV Shows. Twilight is quite the same. From the low-end graphics to the under-done acting, it has all the makings of a teen drama. If you've read the books, you'll know they were quite the same.
So does this make it a bad movie? Not at all. Will it win any Academy Awards? Nope. But many enjoyable movies never get nominated, but that doesn't mean they weren't entertaining. The same is true here. And it does follow the book quite well, really, and though "Edward" was not as convincing as I would have liked, Kristen Stewart was Bella dead on.
I have seen some call her boring and whiny. To those critics I say, Read the 1st book again. Bella WAS whining quite a lot in the 1st book. She is that shy girl who was always by herself in the back of class, never having too many friends, never too adventurous, and never quite outgoing. We all knew her, and she never jumped out in a crowd. Kristen doesn't either, in this movie, and that's what makes her perfect for this role. And for those who have read the book, as this movie's producer obviously had, you can Google Kristen to find that she will fit the bill for Bella in book 4 as well as she did here.
Yes, the action was a bit dry, and much of the story seemed to drag on at times, but I felt the same way with the 1st book. But just as I was going to put the book away, something would happen that made me pick it up again, and the same is true with the movie. Just when you're ready to walk away, you get pulled back in.
For those who feel skeptical about spending $10.00 to watch this movie, DON'T. Wait for the DVD, Rent it, and you won't be disappointed. If you've read the books, Just remember that this movie was made on a "TV Show" budget and you wont' be disappointed.
Accept the movie for what it is, and you'll enjoy it as much as I did.