Twilight (2008) **1/2

Rating: 6/10 (30 March 2010)

Another movie watched to appease my wife, though it wasn't as torturous as it might have been had it not been about vampires and featured Kristen Stewart, who I felt gave a satisfactory performance as Joan Jett in THE RUNAWAYS. This movie was just what I expected ... a teenage romance for the ladies, not bad but not necessarily good either. Stewart plays Bella, a high school student who becomes smitten (if not bitten) by an attractive male classmate named Edward Cullen who happens to be a modern-day vampire. She's drawn to him and quickly falls in love but must face extraordinary challenges when he reveals to her exactly what he is. Does Edward love this human female enough to restrain his urges to feast on her blood? And can Bella be accepted by Edward's offbeat family (who are also non-human vampires, albeit the friendly kind)? Once you abandon any ideas of Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, or traditional vampires who sported fangs and capes in general, this is tolerable for what it sets out to be. Of course, you also must be prepared to accept the idea that Edward's family of bloodsuckers enjoys passing their time by playing baseball together during lightning storms. Kristen is only adequate as Bella, but Robert Pattinson seems well chosen for his part as the alluring Edward. **1/2 out of ****