THE TEEN CULT FAVOURITE: Look beyond the mesmerizing glare to the message of Catherine Hardwicke's TWILIGHT!

We've all been there. You read the book or played the video game and now even if the movie sucks serious [insert rude comment here], you will still pledge alliance to it. The most recent being Twilight, following such popular trends as Harry Potter and High School Musical. I read the books, grudgingly, after being shut out of most conversations with my friends because I didn't have an opinion on Edward Cullen. But do I ever have an opinion now!

I had high hopes for this movie because the trailer was really interesting and because I didn't really like the book, I thought the movie might give it a chance. The really sad part is that it didn't. The concentration seemed to be on the atmosphere of the film instead of the characters and plot line. The acting was good at some moments and really, really bad at others, which made me question the editing and choices of the director. The plot doesn't really begin until about an hour into the film and the secondary character seem unnecessary in the storyline. The Cullen family seemed to be in the movie because they are in the book and you can't cut them out, though there nothing significant about their characters that impacts the story.

I felt like it was really difficult to understand Bella's character, not only because of her obsession with Edward, but because of her dismissal of her father who is nothing but nice to her, if a little distant. Kristen Stewart's performance is typical of a misunderstood teenage girl gone wrong. She is so entranced by the Cullens that she brushes off the quirky, interesting characters at her high school who seem to genuinely want to get to know her. She is a teenage snob obsessed with the grass on the other side, which does not give a good name to the teen romance or teen movies in general. The teenage stereotype is one too-cool-for-school or good-natured fun whether it be with friends or family, which makes it so easy for critics to smash them to pieces. Teens are depicted as one-dimensional characters who deal with problems without thought or care, which personally, I find insulting. If more movies were made about the different people trapped in a teenage body dealing with teenage circumstances, than it may come to be more respected. Success has come in movies like Juno and even Superbad, and performances by people like Ellen Page and Michael Cera.

This movie did fabulously well at the box office securing the sequel to come out next year. But it was nice to know that some people were noticing aspects beyond Edward Cullen's otherworldly appeal to the disturbing portrayals of love that are being put into the minds of young girls today. A great summary of my basic problems with the series in general was written by blogger otahyoni in her review of the book :

I'm not going to go into the disturbing way Bella and Edward's obsessive relationship is portrayed as true love, or how borderline abusive it is, with Bella's complete lack of self outside Edward and Edward's controlling, emotionally unstable behavior.

Blogger avadriel has a similar attitude and some great insight into the problems of the series in her review. This is an attempt to save my readers from a rant about my somewhat feminist opinion of the love story, but I also think these are worth reading for a critical view into the scary phenomenon (scary for its popularity and the reasons behind it). But it was not just bloggers, another criticism I really respected was, again, by trustworthy Roger Ebert, who just can't seem to understand women. This review proves Ebert's wisdom and insight into human nature which is really interesting to read compared with his skill to recognize a film for what it is. But I will end in the way Ebert has taught me. Fans will love this movie just as they loved the book and rightly so. My only suggestion would be to investigate what they love so much about it and take a more critical stance as to why, because the results might give some surprising personal insight.

Favoiurite quote: "Well, since I'm already going to hell." - Edward Cullen
Chemistry level: 4/5 I think the fact that he wants to kill her, even kills some of the chemistry even on a subconscious level. Otherwise, their attraction is, admittedly, interesting to watch.
Best performance: Billy Burke's quiet, contemplative, and somewhat distanced father of Bella, Charlie Swan, is right on the ball. He is so likable that when Bella treats him badly, it makes it very hard to like or sympathize with her. I felt bad for him for having to deal with such an angsty, self-obsessed brat.
Most Awkward Moment: When Bella and Edward admit their feelings for each other. It's not all in the performance, even the blocking makes me cringe. Their pained faces are about an inch from each other as they admit these deep, dark emotions that is so unbelievable. I just don't believe the intensity of the feelings they have for each other, and they way it was visually presented on-screen didn't help.
Lack of Realism: I can't understand why Bella puts up with Edward's mood swings: "Your mood swings are starting to give me whiplash". Who is honestly attracted to, nay, obsessed with someone who plays mind games? Should she stay away or do you want to be friends? Please pick one. If the guy doesn't have enough confidence in himself to convince you to go out with him, his chances in real life of getting a date is slim.
Cullen Family or Fork's High Students: The high school kids were normal, seemed nice and knew how to have fun. The Cullen glared at her and brushed her off with cool disregard (no pun intended). So why, I ask, did the Cullen family hold such appeal? Maybe the same reason Edward did. I still wanted more of the kids who humped trees to get her attention and called her Arizona. The Cullens paled in comparison (pun intended).
Edward Cullen, Hot or Not?: I like Robert Pattinson. I think he's really interesting and he brought a lightheartedness to the character that wasn't in the book. I also respected that it wasn't an arrogant performance because the character is so beloved. But how is one to create a facial expression of wanting to suck human blood exactly? Sadly, it turned out pretty comical.