'Twilight': So how did you like it? (Spoiler alert, duh!)
Nov 22, 2008, 10:30 PM | by Amy Wilkinson
Categories: Everyone's a Critic, Film, Twilight
After what felt like an eternity-long wait (we feel your pain, Edward), we finally got to sink our teeth into the highly anticipated Twilight movie this weekend. So it's about time we have a spoilerific discussion of one of the biggest films of the fall.
I've seen the vamp flick twice so far -- once at a press screening and later during the midnight release -- and I'm surprised by what a difference the audience can make. During the first show, with a crowd mostly made up of journalists and a few lucky fans who nabbed spare seats, the mood was fairly sedate. Sure, there were a few woots and hand claps when Robert Pattison first appeared on screen, but that was about it. I left the theater pretty jazzed about what I had just seen. But after attending Thursday's midnight showing, where gaggles of girls giggled throughout the entire film -- frequently during parts that weren't intended to be funny -- I felt slightly less enthused. Perhaps I'm easily influenced, or perhaps the movie doesn't hold up to a second viewing, but after twirl No. 2 with Twilight, the movie seemed cheesier than I had remembered. That said, I do like the movie overall. But what about you? I'll start our rehash with a few of my specific likes and dislikes, after the jump.
LIKES:
Fairly faithful adaptation -- It's no easy
task winnowing a 500-page novel into a two-hour movie, but I think
screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg did a good job. All of the pivotal
scenes are there -- Port Angeles, the meadow, the baseball game -- and
although certain events happen out of sequence (like Bella meeting
Jacob during her first day in Forks), I don't think it damages the
integrity of the story.
The supporting cast -- Billy Burke's portrayal of Bella's uptight police-chief father garnered the most laughs from me. Subtle, yet funny, like the scene where he's cleaning his shotgun. Anna Kendrick, who plays Jessica, and Michael Welch, who portrays Mike, are also standouts. The duo add some much-needed comic relief to the otherwise somber script. (But I would have liked to hear more from the Cullens. Poor Jasper and Emmett have, like, two lines each.)
The beer -- Okay, this is totally silly, and I'm probably the only one to notice or care, but Charlie always has a Rainier beer in his hand. As a native Washingtonian whose grandpa was a big Rainier beer fan, this kinda makes me happy.
Miscellaneous likes -- Edward looking like he's going to barf when he first catches Bella's scent (very human response), the mortar board wall installation, the Cullens' house (love me some picture windows), the baseball scene
DISLIKES:
The special effects -- Granted the film
had a smallish $37 million budget, but seriously, the "dazzling in the
sun" Edward is totally messed up. My colleague Jean likens the effect
to an overly generous slathering of shimmer body lotion, while I
think it looks more like a billowy veil from a bedazzled belly
dancer's costume.
The overacting -- Especially during my second viewing, I really felt like I was watching many of the actors give a performance, not embody a character. Kristen Stewart's sputtering, especially during the hospital scene, really started to grate on me by the end.
All right, Twilighters, that's my two cents. It's your turn to have at it. What did you like/dislike? Which of your favorite scenes were left out? Did Robert Pattinson's hair have you swooning? And are you craving a(n inevitable) sequel...or not?
More Twilight:
'Twilight': The EW Review
'Twilight' trivia challenge!
Robert Pattinson talks 'Twilight'
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