Worthwhile and compelling film!

Rating: 10/10 (1 January 2009)

Twilight, being dubbed as the next Harry Potter, is the modern day Romeo and Juliet. Bella Swan, an ordinary girl, grudgingly moves to the small town of Forks WA to live with her father Charlie while her mother travels. To her surprise, all the boys vie for her attention, but she is drawn in to the one exception: the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen. Initially utterly repulsed by the strongest scent he's smelled in his 108 year existence, Bella uncovers his secret and they soon fall in a forbidden love. When 3 nomadic vampires arrive, including a tracker who makes it his mission to kill Bella, Edward and his family fight to protect her.
To avid fans of the novel, Twilight will not disappoint you despite weaknesses in the movie. E&B chemistry may seem quite awkward, and Jacob & Esme are just faces in the movie - no personality, no story, no lines. The Quileute scenes are somewhat disappointing because they have been scrambled and lack appropriate time. The biggest disappointment was how Alice's past was never mentioned, and how can that possibly be written in NM? The special effects of a sparkly Edward were exceptional, which compensated for the insignificant meadow setting and emotionless scene. However, I enjoyed the E&B tension and chemistry, as well as the Ballet Scene (exceptional acting!). Viewers are sure to laugh at the characters (Emmett & Alice in particular), and the baseball scene is a personal favourite. For those who haven't read the book, Twilight will fail to disorientate you with the arrival of the nomads as they are given a good back story.
Overall, despite missing significant scenes, characters and the E&B tension that allures readers, Twilight is my personal favourite, and is a worthwhile experience to see the movie which follows suit to the book despite its flaws.