About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Kristen Stewart will never win an Academy Award. Second, there was a part of me--and I have a fairly good idea how potent that part is--that wished Robert Pattinson was able to keep just a bit of his British accent. And third, the unconditionally and irrevocably sappy parts in the book turned out to be comedy on screen. --Meha

As a die-hard fan of the series for quite a few years now, I showed up to the midnight showing of Twilight more than an hour before it started. While the theater I sat in was not sold out (but it was full enough), other theaters were completely. Three theater rooms at Loews Cineplex in Crestwood were screening the film at midnight, and they were all sold out by Thursday afternoon. Same with Marcus Cinema in Orland Park. So. Apparently, people read (and then see movies inspired by those books.

The Con

Like I anticipated, I did not love Kristen Stewart's performance. There were some quirky oddities about how she portrayed Bella that I thought worked. Other times, I just did not see her as Bella. It's like they were two different mindsets.

Btw--she blinks way too much, she shakes her head way too much, and she butchers lines way too much. I was sad; there was a point when I was really rooting for her to do better, and for me, she fell flat. Not my ideal Bella, but I guess she was an....interpretation of her.

As for Robert Pattinson? When he came on screen, girls in the audience were cat calling. They were cheering, they were whistling, and I think all our hearts kind of flipped a bit in our chest. Then when he came back for his third scene and actually spoke to Bella? It was like my NSync phase (esp. when they sang ballads on live TV. HOT) all over again. 

I love him. But I love Edward Cullen more, the most. And Robert Pattinson is still no Edward Cullen. He had a very Hayden Christianson-quality to him in this movie.

THE PRO

I gotta say though: The movie did some stuff I wish we saw in the books. Like Edward is just a hair more witty, a bit more playful with Bella in the movie, which I absolutely loved. Jumping on her car, or when he put his arm around her the first time they walked into school together. He was like a rock star. And even their first kiss--way better on screen than in the book, shockingly enough. Throughout, Robert Pattinson didn't exactly pull off Edward, but I have faith he'll smooth out the rough edges for the second movie. And other things I won't mention because I don't want to give any more away.

Despite how this review began, there were things I loved about the movie. I loved how the setting could be full of bright-green (ala Forks) but still be vampire-dark. I liked the portrayals of many characters, including Jasper. Man almost never spoke but the actor pulled off that quiet painful way about him. The character of Mike, too. I didn't like him in the book but found him endearing on screen. As I did with Charlie and Billy Black, trying to be "hip with the lingo" and kickin' it with the kids. Charming. 

I also loved how whenever Stewart and Pattinson gazed at each other for too long, the die-hard fans in the theater (me included) found it hilarious. Or when Bella first meets Edward in biology class. FUNNIEST THING EVER.

The SHOCK-factor of the movie.

CHARLIE!! My God, I did not like Bella's dad, Charlie, in the books. I felt like his scenes were pointless, his character completely one-dimensional in the worst way and that he wasted perfectly good ink and paper in the book doing nothing but watching TV and fishing. On screen, Billy Burke plays him beautifully. Absolutely hilarious!

Bella: "Dad, Edward's outside, he wants to meet you."

Charlie: Really? *cocks rifle* Ok, let him in.

Now that's more like it!

((Other fave quote:

Rosalie: How do you even know she's Italian?
Emmett: Her name is BELLA.  ))

FINAL GRADE

I got a lot more thoughts about this movie--I can rant and rant about how they took this part out, they twisted this part, Stepenie Meyers had a cameo!, James was built (tee heeee), and everything but I'd really rather you go SEE THE MOVIE and tell me what you thought.

Grade: I give the movie B-.