I saw TWILIGHT last night and...

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 10:22am

I was extremely disappointed. I read the book three times and was expecting a really great, really smart film adaptation (especially from the undeniably talented director Catherine Hardwick). I saw it at midnight and almost fell asleep...not because it was late but because it was BORING.

It (excuse the pun) lost its bite in the transition from page to screen. What was thrilling, oddly touching, and ingenious in the novel is now plodding, uninvolving, and yawn-inducing. I thought the screenplay tried way to hard to capture the beauitful teen awkwardness that Meyer captured in the novel. It's not longer awkward in a good way. Some scenes are cringe-worthy. The relationship between Edward and Bella is also markably less involving, which is obviously crucial. It's underwritten, underdeveloped, and it shouldn't be because the movie is two hours long. That's more than enough time to capture a more distinct relationship between them and to clearly define many of the characters because the time that ISN'T spent doing that is spent harping on insignificant moments.

I also thought the special effects were pretty cheesy.

Another issue I had with the movie was that it doesn't know how to build up to an event. For instance, when Edward saves Bella from the car, it happens so suddenly without much of a buildup and it seems so pointless. Ditto to when Bella confronts Edward about being a vampire. The movie doesn't really peak at any point, it all just kinda stays on the same incredibly mediocre level.

The only time the movie rose above this level was in the sequence in the ballet studio (which still felt very rushed and anti climactic but was at least somewhat exciting) and the final interaction between Bella and Edward which is ruined by a laugh-inducing final image of Victoria looking and acting like she was about to walk the runway.

It almost feels campy...and not in a very good way. Kristen Stewart is fine, Robert Pattinson is very iffy (at times he's campy, other times he's trying to create a real character that he wants the audience to connect with, and at other times he's just doing a bad acting job).

I expected a lot more from the film. I hope the next three adaptations are improvements because, as of now, the book is BY FAR more thrilling than the film version of Twlight.

** out of **** (and I think I'm being a little generous...)

----------------

What did you guys think? Everyone else seems pretty disappointed as I left the theater. And people were laughing out loud at things that were not meant to be funny but were filmed and acted so poorly that they were pretty damn funny.

----------------

Updated On: 11/21/08 at 10:22 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 10:33am

Wait wait wait. You expected this not to be cheesy and/or campy? Hahah.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 10:36am

Campy, yes. But cheesy, no.

There's a fine line and it would have been great if it was just campy fun. But this movie has multiple personality disorder. It wants to be campy, emotionally involving and dramatic, thrilling, and an examination of teenage life. It really doesn't accomplish any...

It's awkward because of how many types of movies it wants to be. Updated On: 11/21/08 at 10:36 AM

[clever name]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 10:39am

Thanks for the review. I heard the special effects were pretty bad. I will, of course, still go see the movie... but wont be expecting much!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 10:44am

I also have to say that this weekend's gross will be big (expect $60 million or so) but expect a HUGE drop off in the coming weekends. This is not a movie that will have people running back to see it again and again. Even the diehard fans of the book. I would NOT see it again. Once was more than enough.
Updated On: 11/21/08 at 10:44 AM

[cubanpab]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 11:05am

wicked - i dont know much about them because i have never read them, but all i've ever heard is that the books are extremely cheesy and not well written. my cousin LOVES them, granted she's the target audience (a teen girl), and she's excited about the movie, but she herself told me they were really cheesy and fluffy...

how can you make a good movie out of a poorly written tween book?

i dont think it'll matter tho... the movie will make tons of money i'm sure... and the kids will love it.

[pli1018]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 11:57am

I'm never one to judge something before doing it myself, so I ventured into unknown territory last year by borrowing the first Twilight book. At first I was enjoying myself. About a quarter in the book I just started to enjoy it less and less. It became 300 pages of: Bella looked at Edward from across the room (and vice-versa), Edward licked Bella's tears, "You're blood smells amazing!" Not to mention once we final reached the book's big finale, it was very short and anti-climactic.

But like reviews have been saying, I can understand who likes this, god knows half of the girls I know were at midnight performances last night. I didn't feel it was poorly written, but maybe poorly developed.

Interest in the film for me is just not there. It looks very cheesy and though I enjoyed Thirteen and am regularly a fan of Kristen Stewart and I suppose Robert Pattinson, I don't see myself paying to see it.

[Marissa2]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 12:01pm

Wicked, I could not agree anymore with your review. I am STILL sitting here trying to figure it out. I walked out of the movie and literally said "What WAS that?" I thought the first half of the movie was pretty terrible, the second half got better but it still was so far from my expectations. I feel like they spent the first half of the movie STARING at each other, with crazy camera angles and weird zooms. It was downright awkward and weird, and I laughed through too many scenes that were not intended to be funny. You're right there WAS no buildup to anything! Even the ballet scene- it's supposed to be nearly impossible for Bella to escape from Alice and Jasper but she still does it (showing how stubborn she is)... and in the movie, she just casually hops in a cab. There was almost NO character development besides Bella and Edward, and even then, I was completely confused. Edward was either angry/mad, or depressed and hating himself. Though I tried not comparing to the book, I just looked through a few pages, and in my opinion, is a totally different person. YES, he IS angry and hates himself for what he is doing, but at the same time, is overpowered by falling in love and acts like a typical happy teenager. There was none of that in the movie, which was nearly always serious.

I do want to see it again, I'm not sure why... I almost feel guilty at how strongly I disliked it. But I'm a huge fan of the books, and have been waiting to see this movie for over a year now, and it was just so NOT what it should have been.

[tazber]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 12:30pm

It looks like it was directed by Tim Burton

[nealb1]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 12:47pm

"Twilight" will, more than likely gross over $100 million just this weekend.

Up until about 3 weeks ago, I had never heard of "Twilight" or anyone in it? Have no desire to see it. But, it will make for good chat on the site.

[tazber]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 12:50pm

There's no way it will gross 100 mil.

It'll be huge to be sure, but not that huge.

[nealb1]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 12:51pm

How much do you think it will make this weekend?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 12:52pm

$100 Million is high. I'd bet on $50+ though.

[nealb1]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 12:55pm

These past 2 weekends we had HUGE numbers at the box office. James Bond grossed $70 million, and the weekend before that "Madagascar" grossed $63 million - two films that essentially, got "normal" press coverage. Certainly not as much buzz as "Twilight."

"Twilight" will gross $100, if not more.
Updated On: 11/21/08 at 12:55 PM

[tazber]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 12:57pm

Advance tickets have been selling at a feverish pace (thanks in part to a free iTunes remix with each purchase) as no girl wants to be sold out of the main showtimes that their friends will be at. It's just uncool to show up to class on Monday being the one loser who didn't see Twilight. Grosses will be very frontloaded with an explosive Friday that will include Thursday midnight shows which have been selling out left and right. Saturday should drop hard and despite the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday cushioning the blow, the second weekend fall should be substantial. Still, the short-term fireworks will be enough to give birth to a brand new franchise so this won't be the last we hear from Bella and her vampire-loving ways. Flying into 3,419 theaters, Twilight might soar to an opening of $60M.
60 million

[nealb1]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 1:00pm

That's funny......I just read that on boxofficeguru.com.....ha, ha. Great minds think alike.

Well, we'll see how much come 11am PST on Sunday morning.

[tazber]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 1:03pm

Boxofficeguru also posts Saturday updates around noon or so.
I wonder how much Bolt will make.

[Taryn]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 1:23pm

I really enjoyed it. I thought it was fun and sexy, which is all I really expected out of it.

Edward was either angry/mad, or depressed and hating himself. Though I tried not comparing to the book, I just looked through a few pages, and in my opinion, is a totally different person. YES, he IS angry and hates himself for what he is doing, but at the same time, is overpowered by falling in love and acts like a typical happy teenager.

I know that Pattinson has talked about playing towards the self-loathing aspects of the character, because what actor is going to be interested in playing the "I'm perfect and good at everything" aspects?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 1:23pm

Bolt looks like a dog to me.

[nealb1]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 1:32pm

I'm sure that "Bolt" will do very well this weekend, too.

I'm in Los Angeles, and Boxofficemojo.com usually posts around 10:30 or 11am on Sunday morning for the weekend.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 2:55pm

I can only imagine that the film will be better than the book. I'm not seeing it, but my sister's dragging her boyfriend to see it, and she's excited-- so I guess I'll see what she thinks of it. I have to say, Edward Cullen from the book was a terribly unappealing character for me, so I guess Robert Pattinson's portrayal doesn't seem that weird to me ("normal happy teenager" doesn't really describe Edward at all for me), but the whole tone of the film DOES seem pretty dark. Bella and Edward always seem to stare at each other unsmilingly like zombies, from what I've seen.

I have a sinking suspicion that very few people will be attending the play I'm in tonight...

[Craww]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 3:05pm

I'm still caught up on the concept of anything in the book being referred to as "ingenious". I'm admittedly not taking any serious reviews to heart, because I'm not looking for anything legitimately good out of this movie going experience.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 3:26pm

I will admit that I enjoyed the first book. The second was a bit boring. The third improved a little on the second, I think. The forth was the worst book I have ever read. Wait... no... I read Tatum O'Neil's book. Second worst. I am seeing the movie Sunday.

[pli1018]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 3:28pm

$100 million? I don't think so, though I suppose it's got the potential...if the psycho fangirls plan on revisiting it. I'm thinking around $60 - 70million. It made $7 million in midnight showings.

[Shannon Bo Dannon]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 12:38pm

I've read all of the books, and as much as I enjoyed them (except Breaking Dawn..absolutely terrible) they are poorly written with weak character developments and annoying story-lines.

So going in to the film (I went to the midnight showing), I wasn't expecting a great movie so I wasn't disappointed. I thought it was good, but there was only so much they could do. I thought Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson did a great job, along with the rest of the Cullen clan (with the little material they had to work with).

The part where she escaped from Alice and Jasper made me mad too. It was supposed to be this tense moment trying to get away from them but in the movie she just moseys on outside. That was annoying.

I thoroughly enjoyed the baseball scene though, that was really cool. I could watch Jasper play all day. =D

I brought a friend who had never read the books, and he liked the film in a "so bad it's good" kind of way haha.

It didn't help that we were forced to sit in the second row (we got there at 11, we didn't realized it started seating so early), so all of those awkward close-up moments were right in my face.
Updated On: 11/22/08 at 12:38 PM