A Movie as Strong as the Vampires Themselves

Rating: 8/10 (21 November 2008)

I am a huge fan of the books. But I wasn't expecting the movie to be exactly like the book. That being said, it was thoroughly enjoyable. I knew there weren't going to be the exact same scenes and the movie would leave out some parts of the book, but I think that's what made the movie beautiful and unique in its own way. It stayed true to the book's overall plot, and I think Melissa Rosenburg did an excellent job on the screenplay. She interlocked all the scenes and aspects of the relationship between Edward and Bella flawlessly, and as a plus, she threw in a bit of humor that provided comic relief after a particularly intense scene. The scenery, of course, was impressive. The beautiful, lush green backgrounds took my breath away.
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson did respectable jobs. Their chemistry on-screen was absolutely amazing. It was excellent and carried the movie. Together, they were magnificent. Even (the few scenes they were) apart, they acted well. Contrary to what some say, Kristen Stewart gave a very convincing performance and moulded and shaped herself into the Bella I had in my mind. Robert Pattinson stopped my heart every time he was on screen. Not just because I think he's gorgeous, but because his torn, brooding portrayal of Edward was so convincing and played out even more so.
The background characters provided extra structure to the movie. I was especially surprised as Charlie's performance in the movie, I thought it was great. As I said before, he provided comic relief and the appropriate father-figure to Bella. Anna Kendrick also gave a very convincing performance as the quirky Jessica Stanley, even though the character was never one to be liked. Even though some of the Forks High School humans were changed and moulded, I enjoyed it.
The movie was a refreshing take on the book. I refuse to be upset or angry over a few left-out scenes, no matter how good I thought they would've turned out, or the added scenes, because I thought they blended with the plot and didn't do any harm. The credits, though, strangely enough, I was impressed with. I thought it was really cool they had Victoria walk down the stairs while the credits rolled. I liked that. I left the theatre feeling satisfied, wanting to watch it again. The only negative thoughts in my head were the few goofs committed and how New Moon wasn't made already.