Really Good Overall

Rating: 8/10 (23 November 2008)

I saw this movie on opening night with my husband, who has never read the books and really had no interest in seeing it. We both enjoyed it a lot. I thought the director did a great job of creating atmosphere, the cinematography was beautiful, the soundtrack was evocative, even the special effects looked pretty cool and believable. Of course it is very talky and obsessive and not a lot actually happens - same as the book! I thought the movie stayed very true to the source material, and enjoyed watching the two leads interact. Stewart pretty much nailed Bella's plainness and clumsy demeanor - Bella is not an emotive character, unless she thinks she is losing Edward (e.g. hospital scene). If you hype anything too much it's going to lose its flavor, but if you go into it with an open mind, you should not be disappointed. A- for artistic rendition.