Twilight
Review by Todd Hertz | posted 11/21/2008
 1 of 3
Because of immense buzz for this first film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series of novels, some have compared this tween and teen phenom to Harry Potter. Like the last two Potter movies, this vampire romance film made Fandango.com's top ten list of all-time advance ticket sales—thanks to a rabid fan base whose hearts were set on swoon ever since they first saw images of the vampire and werewolf dreamboats they've fallen for in the books.
But this is not Harry Potter. As Entertainment Weeklyreported last week, the seven Potter books have sold 400 million copies; Twilight's four books have sold 17 million. And the most crucial difference: The Potter books—and movies—seem to draw all ages and both genders. Twilight captures young girls. So, can Twilight satisfy the teen girl devotees of the books and reach a bigger audience too?
Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan
Well, I think most Twilight fans will eat this up like vampires at a blood bank. The movie, directed by Catherine Hardwicke (The Nativity Story, Thirteen), is very true to the book in telling Meyer's soap opera of forbidden love and angst with passion. I saw the film at a public screening with many young girls sporting Twilight shirts and even vampire regalia. I overheard them saying things like, "That was amazing," "I wish it would have gone on forever," and "It was everything I hoped for."
But on the flip side, the adults nearby were saying things like "That was horrible" and "I thought it wouldn't end." I'm somewhere in the middle. While I think the adaptation has some great touches, I don't think the film does much for the uninitiated or adults. Boys will really only like the big fight at the end—if they're still awake.
Twilight is a simple love story—with a twist right out of Buffy the Vampire Slayer—that taps into the longings of lovesick girls. High schooler Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) moves to Forks, Washington, to be with her dad and feels alone and miserable. That is, until Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) mysteriously enters her life. There is something different about the ridiculously handsome, pale, and moody Edward and his brothers and sisters. And that something is that they're vampires who've chosen to live as a family and be "vegetarians"—in other words, only eat the blood of animals. Still, Edward craves human blood. So when he is drawn to Bella romantically, he knows he should keep a distance because of the temptation she presents to the killing monster inside him. Is their love worth the danger?
Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen
Meyer, a Mormon, interjected her book with moral themes with which Christians resonate. For more on this, see this story from teen mag Ignite Your Faith about the books' handling of the supernatural, romantic love and temptation. (While the use of vampires and other "evil" creatures can be offsetting to some Christians, they are not symbolic of demons here. They are merely a story device to create a forbidden and mysterious love interest. In fact—save for about 10 minutes of vampire action at the end—the Cullens could just be a lightly-pigmented family with superpowers.)
Browse More Movies
CT Movies Home Page | Now Showing | New on Video | All Reviews
Coming Soon | Discussion Guides | Interviews | Commentary
News & Misc. | Special Sections | About Us
Your Feedback | About Us | CT Mag Home Page
| |
|
