Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli
Dir: Catherine Hardwicke
Rating: 4/5
Right lets get one thing out of the way if you are going to watch this movie expecting a vampire fest then you are going to be disappointed this is not Blade it’s very much a vampire movie aimed at teenage girls.
The film mixes hot young stars a bit of romance as well as a bit of action and, having never read the books and not being a thirteen year old girl, I found myself really enjoying this movie.
Bella Swan (Stewart) has never been bothered about fitting in with the trendy kids at her school in Phoenix and she doesn’t expect things to change when she moves to live with her father in Folks after her mother re-marries.
Then she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a boy unlike any she's ever met. Edward is a vampire, but he doesn't have fangs and his family is unique in that they choose not to drink human blood. Intelligent and witty, Edward sees straight into Bella's soul.
Soon, they are swept up in a passionate, thrilling and unorthodox romance. To Edward, Bella is what he has waited 90 years for, a soul mate.
But there new found love s put to the test when tracker James comes to town with Laurent and Victoria in the hunt for Bella.
Right lets get the negative part out of the way first running at just over two hours director Hardwicke does drag out the beginning the meeting of Bella and Edward just takes too long and the action really is only a small part of the story, which is a shame as it really is of the highest quality.
Apart from that this film really is a stylish and enjoyable supernatural come teen romance teen movie that welcomes a new franchise to cinemas and ticks all the right boxes with its target audience.
But it’s the romance between the two leads that really carries the movie their sidelong glances of desire really will get under your skin as Hardwicke catches the breathless thrill and excitement of first love.
However it’ s the performance of Robert Pattinson that has really caught the imagination of the film’s core teenage audience and a star has well and truly been born he really is one to watch over the next year as he delivers a great performance as the tortured and lonely Edward.
Hardwicke and co have produced a very faithful adaptation of the novel, followers of the book will not be disappointed, they built up and developed the characters and let them and their relationship lead the film rather than relying on CGI and big impressive set pieces.
And $70 million at the US box office in it’s opening weekend guaranteed that a sequel would go into production as New Moon got the green light dare I say move over Hogwarts!
Twilight is out now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Twilight