A certain relative of mine has been pestering me to write about Twilight. Since this blogger has not seen Twilight (and adamantly refuses to), my personal reflections will probably be pretty biased. So instead, I’ve asked her and another friend to write their own reviews.
The 'Good' Argument:
I’ve been asked by my movie-loving sister (who tends to take an uncalled for elitist position with regards to movies, although she did just post about Fraggle Rock) to write a review for the popular teenage vampire flick Twilight. Despite Slumdog’s run at the Oscars, or the Dark Night’s box-office records, unarguably, no movie created as much hysteria in 2008 as Catherine Hardwicke’s Twilight.
The story of a forbidden teenage romance is nothing new on the big screen, but Twilight gives it a fresh spin with faces that are pretty to look at and a story that’s easy to get lost in. Robert Pattinson is perfectly cast as the scary but yet swoon-worthy male lead, Edward Cullen. He melts hearts and raises pulses. Although Kristen Stewart was not a perfect fit for Bella, she does a fair job of conveying just how much Bella hates life and has chemistry with Pattinson that is believable.
While some of the CGI will have movie-goers rolling their eyes, there are scenes where the special effects perfectly capture the vampire’s strength and truly reinforces they are not humans despite all outward appearances.
Fans of the book will not be disappointed; however, non-readers will wonder what the fuss is all about. For those who argue that it’s not realistic, let’s get serious – this is a movie about vampires, it’s not supposed to be realistic. This movie certainly isn’t going to gather any awards, but those willing to be transported into pure fantasy will surely enjoy the ride, and will find themselves anxious to see what Chris Weitz has in store for us next year with New Moon.
The 'Bad' Argument:
One of the biggest downfalls of the Twilight movie was its inattention to the love story between the two main characters, Edward and Bella. The majority of the book, which is very long, is concerned with the development of their relationship but the movie brushes this development aside in favor of the more exciting action sequences. The result is a completely artificial love story that comes out of nowhere.
The absence of a deeper love between the main characters completely ruined the movie for me, making it no better than any other teen drama. Robert Pattinson was Twilight's only saving grace. He's beautiful, talented, and gave Edward a depth that he didn't even have in the book. The rest of the acting was abysmal. Finally, what really pushed Twilight from the category of bad teen drama to bad movie in general were the special effects. I mean, the sweetest part about being a vampire is the super speed and super strength, but it's no fun for the audience if the sprinting vampires are only a blur. The tree climbing scenes were ridiculous and unnecessary. I can't even explain how stupid Edward looked while he was clawing his way up 100 foot pine trees. JUST RIDICULOUS. Ugh, it still makes me angry.
At least they both agree Pattinson is 'the Good.' This blogger disagrees; I think he's fugly.
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