Like it or not, the relevance cannot be denied

Rating: 8/10 (15 March 2016)

"Twilight" is the first film from a series of 5 movies based on the literary works of Stephenie Meyer. I do not want to say this took over from Harry Potter as the big movie franchise as Potter was still running at this point, but it had pretty much the same impact on young people back then. "Back then" sounds somewhat strange, but the first film is already almost a decade old, so it is an appropriate description. In order to appreciate this film (and the sequels), it is essential what you expect before actually watching them. If you expect a new "Godfather", you will of course be disappointed. But if you expect a fantasy film that is not scared of going over-the-top on many occasions during its 2 hours runtime, then you may have a pretty good watch here like I did.
Let us look at the cast. Kristen Stewart is one of the most talented actors from her generation and was a pretty successful child actress before this film already. Needless to say she was the perfect choice for the character of Bella Swan. She carries the whole franchise tremendously and her talent is absolutely visible. Robert Pattinson made Harry Potter fans fall in love with him and this was certainly the role that gave him a shot at playing Edward Cullen. I do think he is a better actor than he is allowed to show here and despite a couple not-so-good moments overall, he works the part. Thumbs up for him too. Finally, Taylor Lautner: He is clearly the least talented actor from the lead trio I guess. Luckily here, he does not really have that many moments to show us his (lack of) talent, but it becomes painfully visible in the next films when his character has a bigger role, also in Bella's life. The supporting actors, especially Billy Burke who plays Bella's dad, are pretty good too.
Finally, the story: Yes the writer here, i.e. Melissa Rosenberg, who also worked on Dexter, totally makes sure we never forget Edward is the greatest, fastest, most eloquent and most desirable male on the planet in general. And Bella is the new queen of their school that every male wants to be with and go to the prom with. It is a bit cringeworthy sometimes and there are moments of schmaltz, such as the "maybe I am the bad guy" quote, but let us always keep in mind for whom this film was made. Young teenage audiences that do not see the ridiculousness of such statements and suck them in, even really love them. Let them have their fun I say, we grown-ups can smile at these parts, but not in a condescending manner, and enjoy those sequences that were better-made. There are more than just a few.
What I liked maybe the most about the film, apart from Stewart's star-making turn, is how nicely clean-structured the film is. The first part is about Bella's new life in her dad's town. Second part is about getting to know Edward (and his family) and fall in love with him. Last part is about a gang of actually evil vampires and how the good vampires fight them in their attempt to protect Bella. It's all a bit predictable, but that is not a problem at all in my opinion, because it is nonetheless fun to watch for the most part. And lets be honest here, the music in this movie, especially the soundtrack is truly outstanding. I recommend "Twilight", a really strong beginning to a good franchise. It's tough to decide for me if this first film is the best or one of the final two, but maybe you can make a clearer decision. You really need to check this one out. Highly recommended.