Pretty bad, but fans of the book will want to see it anyway.

Rating: 4/10 (24 November 2008)

Is there anything more a director can ask for than millions of people really, really wanting to love their movie? That's how I felt when I went to see Twilight but unfortunately, the movie fell hopelessly short. I don't think my expectations were too high, in fact, I was quite willing to make allowances...movies are rarely on par with their literary counterparts. What I wasn't prepared for were the horrible production values that made the movie seem like it was made by amateurs.
As the movie ended, I heard someone in the row behind us say "wow, that was really bad acting". Well, I don't know if it was the acting or the screenplay, but something was really off! There were very few instances of dialog that actually seemed natural. Surprisingly, most of them involved the supporting characters, such as Jessica in the dress store and the Cullens making dinner.
I don't think that the tension between Edward and Bella at the start of their relationship was nearly as apparent as in the book. This was a major downfall in the movie because it didn't give a good enough sense of the conflicts that Edward was facing and the danger that Bella was in.
Robert Pattinson looked the part of Edward, except for the really dreadful make-up he was wearing. It was quite distracting, particularly the lipstick! Kristen Stewart was an O.K. Bella...she's very pretty, but her acting was just a little too flat for my taste. I saw no evidence of great chemistry, but maybe that's just me.
I didn't mind the special effects as much as some other reviewers. I thought they were acceptable, and Edward 'sparkled' well enough.
Another glaring flaw, IMHO, was the music and editing at the end of the movie. What was THAT? It felt like the end of a TV episode...in the 90s! It was so hokey and undramatic that it certainly didn't leave me wanting more.
In the end, fans of the book have flocked to see this movie regardless of bad reviews. The creators of the movie should not see this as a major success. Yes, they did some things right, but were it not for the existing fan base, I don't think they would be seeing the same numbers at the box office. I hope that if they do make a sequel, they'll do a much better job, because next time, we'll all be a little wiser.