Stands on it's own as a love story between a girl and a vampire

Rating: 7/10 (19 November 2008)

About a year ago I was already reading and hearing about a new film, something called Twilight, which was going to hit in the fall of 2008. Well, the buzz is bigger than ever and the film finally opens this Friday. Gathering from earlier preview screenings, this film is going to be big. Based on the very popular books by Stephanie Meyer (there are 17 million books in print), Twilight is a unique vampire movie about a girl, Bella (Kristen Stewart) who moves in with her estranged father (Billy Burke) in Forks, Washington. Having always been different, she meets an even more mysterious guy, Edward (Robert Pattinson), who at first is disgusted by her (she's human, he is not) but then takes a liking to her. He's unlike any boy she's ever met and finds that Romeo and Juliet connection. Edward's family is unique; they're all vampires but don't feed on human blood, as a matter of fact, they don't eat at all. They live comfortably in a "green house" somewhere in the forest. His dad (Peter Facinelli, Jenny Garth's husband) is a doctor at the local hospital and they have gobs of cash (the books reveal how well off they are, but in the film, there's no explanation). A clan of new vampires are passing through and they threaten the little Pacific Northwest town feeding on the small population, but one in the group James (Cam Gigandet), is out to get the young Bella.
This modern day love story is the strangest vampire movie I've ever seen. It's sort of a cross between The Lost Boys and Gossip Girl, which if you think about it, is a pretty enticing combination. I have to admit, having not read any of the books in this four-part series, I didn't know what I was in for. I knew it was about vampire teens in some Washington coastal town and that's about it, but I was intrigued from the start. The young cast look like your every day teen, and the vampire cast are as pale as Casper the Ghost. Some move swiftly, some sprint up trees and some can see into the future, fast-drawing her visuals on paper. It's all quite impressive. The story primarily belongs to Bella and Edward. The teen vampire hasn't aged in 90 years and finally finds someone who isn't afraid of him. Unfortunately for him, she's mortal. She's definitely not afraid of his blood-thirsty needs and he fights off the temptation of human blood. I'd say he's sort of like an addict that keeps fighting his urges. See... I told you, it's unlike any other vampire movie I've seen. Twilight is certainly no Interview With A Vampire (my favorite vampire movie) or Bram Stoker's Dracula (my other favorite) but it certainly stands on it's own as a love story between a girl and a vampire; it's passionate, exciting, intense and the Northwest locations are beautiful, you just want to drive there for a weekend get-away.