Saturday, November 29, 2008

Not Nearly as Dazzled by the Movie


Last night I conned a friend (who hasn't read the book) to go see the Twilight movie with me. I loved the book a lot (I'll get into that later) so I had fairly low expectations for the film, because I had heard it was bad. Still, there was part of me that was ridiculously excited to see it. I think I had expected it to be closer to the book. It took me hours afterwards to fully explain to my friend what she just watched, she had so many questions. I wouldn't recommend going if you haven't read the book, because it just won't make sense.
I thought I wouldn't like Robert Pattinson as Edward, because the picture of Edward I had in my head was so different. However, I was pleasantly surprised by his hotness, I think mostly because of the fact that he was Edward... if that makes any sense. Casting-wise, I had no major beefs, my beefs were mainly with the plot.
It felt like the build of the relationship between Edward and Bella was done in fast forward, so it didn't really make sense that all of a sudden they were in love and couldn't live without each other (especially if you haven't read the book). Also, Edward's explaination of everything about vampires seemed like it was given in bullet points - Bella is supposed to slowly unravel it, not have it all given to her at once. What what happened to the relationship between Alice and Bella? It was just non-existant. Not to mention Bella's friendships at school with Jess and Angela were also barely developed.
My other beef was with the filming itself. Who decided that the entire movie needed to be shot in close ups and bumpy forest shots from bizarre angles? I could see the covered up pimple on Bella's face, and my friend noted that she was wearing contacts. Not necessary I'd say.
Overall, I would strongly recommend reading the book first if you're going to see the movie, but if you're expecting something exactly like the book, you're probably not going to love the movie. But, if all you want are gratuitous amounts of the goodlooking and and swoonworthy Edward, then it'll be worthwhile to go see the movie.

17 comments:

Kerri W. said...

And the pasty vampire makeup? Oh, dear Lord, the pasty vampire makeup. That was, honestly, all I could focus on every time any of the other vampires were on the screen. Especially Carlisle and Jasper. Seriously hilarious. Hilarious, I say!

I agree, if you haven't read the book, then you're going to hate the movie. Or, at the very least, won't get it at all. (Hence, the terrible reviews.)

And I also agree with the Edward thing. Seriously? That guy is not photogenic. I was all grumpy about the casting until I saw him on screen and literally melted into a puddle of obsession in the theatre. It was good times. :)

Anonymous said...

I went to see the movie with my sister (who I got hooked on the books!) Walking out, we agreed we liked it but that if you hadn't read the book, you wouldn't really understand the movie or the relationship between Bella/Edward. I found myself filling in a lot of the movie with what I remembered from the book. And the acting left something to be desired.. there was a little too much heavy breathing and staring at each other that probably just seemed creepy if you hadn't read the book and didn't know what Bella was thinking.

But vampires are still hot and nice to look at. heh

Unknown said...

i have the frist book 7 times the second one twice the third one three times and the froth one four times i was begging my dad to read faster so i could go see the movie cause he wanted to read the book first when we finally went to the movie i was really dissapionted there were alot of gaps that i had to fill in from wat i had read in the book i thinkk they cast the charachters good but need to work oon the plot more. the bookks were great but they should have done better on the movie
ivytwilightchick

Anonymous said...

The day I went to see the movie, well lets just say I didnt pick the greatest day... It was the same day I finnished the book. And the entire time I was watching the movie I couldnt help but complain about well everything. It could have been a lot longer, they dont just fall in love that quick that kind of stuff takes time, He (Edward) always looked scared in the movie and in the book he is suppost to look mysterious and well sexy,when Bella had edward in her room for that kiss in her bed... I was VERY dissapointed... she pretty much attacked him, In the first book everything is suppost to be innocent because he doesnt know if he can handle it.

I went around for two weeks talking about how much I hated it...

but then... I went to see it again thinking that maby it was because i had JUST finnished the book that first time and because I remembered EVERYTHING about the book.

and that seemed to be the problem. Because the second time around I really enjoyed it. I was able to focus on everything else rather than just the mistakes...

Anonymous said...

Kristen Stewart wore contacts b/c her eye colour isn't the same as Bella's so yeah, kinda necessary.

Lori said...

I just finished the book yesterday and I'm going to try and catch the movie this weekend before it's gone from the theater. Just from the trailer I'm worried about how much they've changed things. I know the movies is never as good as the book but I am just so excited to see Edward and Bella brought to life on the big screen...

Anonymous said...

I actually saw the movie before reading the books because I knew I was getting the series for christmas and wasnt going to invest in buying them myself.

knowing that the book was amazing - for me the movie was inspiring. I think the love story in the movie made me INTENSLY excited to read the book and see how the author went about it. After hearing reviews about hte movie being bad - i was excited for the book b/c thats exactly how i felt about the harry potter movies - AFTER reading the books.

the movie = good
the books = AMAZING

the only thing that was a down fall to reading after... was my own mental image of Edward wasn't my own it was robert pattinson... but much more handsome.. haha

Anonymous said...

Well , I saw the movie first then reed the book. I was really exited to wacth the movie( I meen he is so hot) I went into shock when my friends told me he(edward) was in the harry pother movie. I in the harry pother movie he was not hot, then whatch the movie and me and my friends melt. But still, why did it had to be different from the book. I want to come out alredy . I cant stand not watching his face. Please tell me when it comes out. Oh i also want the disc, the shirt, the bag, the posters and all the books. i only have two


-adasha

Anonymous said...

i disagree. i didnt read the book and i went with my frends who had read it and all of us loved it. we understood it and loved it. then i read the books and still loved it. we all went and saw it twice on the same day. duno wat all u guys are talking about with the not-getting-it-if-you-havnt-read-the-book stuff i fricken loved it!

Anonymous said...

i absolutly loved the film i thaught that the casting was good and the location was good. i have never seen the red the book but i hear its great so im gonna buy it. but i think that you should see a film as a film. you cant expect the film to be the same as the book coz its got to fit in 1 and a half hours its a long book so there isnt time to develop relationships and i think its a good film in its own right i understood all of it and didnt need to get my friend to explain anything i also think that bella and edward had real chemestry so tto be short I LOVE TWILIGHT !

Anonymous said...

Having read all 4 books before I watched the movie, I found the movie didn't really touch on the power of Bella and Edward's relationship. The characters were'nt developed very well, the whole aspect of the lullaby, which i thought was an intrinsic part of the portrayal of their relationship, was not emphasised. When reading the book, you feel Edward and Bella as beings, firstly as singular entities, and then you get to know them together and you see how their love is transformational, and you feel how unconditionally they love each other, and in the movie the chemistry feels a bit forced.
I pretty much cringed throughout the entire movie. Not because its a bad movie, i've seen worse movies, but because even though the setting seemed right, and the casting was ok, the emotion was compressed, not emphasised in the right areas to make you fall in love with the characters as you do in the book. But trying to maintain the emotional connection readers feel to the book is a tremendously difficult task, because we all craft the story to suit our personal tastes. Edward becomes the man of our dreams when we read the story, and we tend to forget, that he isn't he man of our dreams, but the man of Bella's dreams... beautiful to her in a way that only her soul mate can be. Hence, I was initially disappointed with Edward's casting as Robert Pattinson, but had to remind myself that the Edward I had expected was my own projection of what I look for in a man. Edward could have been played by many actors, more important than the casting, is that viewers understand, feel, and eventually admire, the depth and singularity of Bella and Edward's love.
It was the passion, and conviction that was missing. The soul of the story that grasps us when we are reading it was missing.
I think everyone is getting lost in the glits and glamour the movie has brought. In the celebrities and the fame. We are forgetting that this story was originally literature, and that was how it was meant to be received. I encourage everyone to read the books, and get to know the beauty of the story properly, as Stephenie Meyer meant it to be.
Two thumbs up to her :)

Anonymous said...

Jasper looked like he was constipated in all the scenes he was in, and the part where Bella walked into the classroom and the fan blew her scent over to Edward who clutched his nose ever so dramatically was SO so soOO over the top. I actually fell off my chair laughing.

Anonymous said...

I think u'r right.I expected more from the movie too...the only thing I wasn't upset about was Edward,robert pattison made it perfectly perfect...t.t.y.a

Anonymous said...

I watched it the day after it came out and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I mean... I liked it a lot. That's probably because I didn't expect it to be much like the book because... well, the last few Harry Potter movies were nothing like the book so I didn't think Twilight was going to be much better either. Also, I didn't think Twilight could be portrayed as comical but apparently, some parts were funny. The whole biology part was overly dramatic with Edward holding is nose and all. But the wings in back of him was really ironic. I loved that. Overall, it was great. All the girls melted by Edward's beautifulness.

Anonymous said...

!!!!!!! I LOVE EDWARD CULLEN :) Btw you stole my word (Swoonworthy x) )

Remul said...

ok.i;ve nvr read any of the book and i loved the movie. i would say i was kinda shock when it seemed like the nxt day & she claimed to be in love. it was not rocket science. if you havent read the book and u got lost in the movie, then your stupid. no offense but its was hard to understand at all. now lets jus say robert pattason aka edward cullen was the sexiest thing i've ever seen in that movie. lol

Sarah said...

i had read all the books beforehand and sorta had the film in my head so i thort that the movie would be the same... i was dissapointed.

the movie isnt that bad but there were several faults like:
.alice+bella= their relationship was virtually none existant unlike the book
.lets face it... the edward in your head was sooo much fitter than rob (no offence rob)but u gotta admit that rob is still pretty cute *swoon
.CHEESY!! some of the scenes had me cringing especialy the line 'ive killed people before' which is followed by *cringe* 'i dont care!!! it doesnt matter' or 'what if im not the good guy?'(which is followed by a very neat trick with an apple)
.and lastly bella+edward= they go from strangers to lovey dovey staring at each other while breathing heavily which makes no sense if you havent read the book, also the movie bareley touches on bellas lullaby

sooo... all in all not great movie but amazing books!!!


P.s this is just my opinoin and others may completly disagree!!