Official Synopsis:
Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) doesn't expect much when she moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, until she meets the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) - a boy who's hiding a dark secret: he's a vampire. As their worlds and hearts collide, Edward must battle the bloodlust raging inside him as well as a coterie of undead that would make Bella their prey. Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling sensation by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight adds a dangerous twist to the classic story of star-crossed lovers.
Our Take:
As someone who likes to always have my finger on the pulse of pop culture, I actually went and saw Twilight in theaters. Granted, I’m not a teenage girl, but I knew that the books were a phenomenon and I thought the trailer looked pretty good, so I figured, “Why not?”
It turns out that Twilight is a surprisingly good film, and it’s based on a series of surprisingly good novels. Sure, the original core audience for the stories is made up of teenage girls, but the movie does a really great job of balancing between the weepy teen angst stuff and the vampire lore; the result is a film with a little something for everyone. I was impressed with how much humor there is in the film, and even more impressed at how well the movie crafts its supporting characters, especially considering how many of them there are.
Now, look, if you’re a die-hard vampire junkie who loves blood and guts and that kind of thing, this won’t be the movie for you, and yes, there is certainly a romantic aspect to it. But then again, I think most classic vampire stories have relied heavily on a healthy romantic component; it’s part of the genre’s charm. With Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson perfectly cast as Bella and Edward, the film is much more than just the weepy teen chick flick that I’m sure a lot of people think it is.
On a side note, having now read the Twilight books, I’d like to point out that I have never, ever seen a movie adaptation as faithful to the source material as this one is. If you’ve read the Twilight books but were afraid you wouldn’t like the movie, you’re mistaken. This film is a literal translation from the page to the screen of the entire novel, and it’s really quite impressive to see just how right the filmmakers get everything.
Special features on this two-disc set include:
* Audio Commentary – With director Catherine Hardwicke and stars Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart. This is a fun and lighthearted discussion that is very enjoyable to listen to.
* Music Videos – Three videos (two are live concert performances) by Muse, Paramore, and Linkin Park.
* Extended/Deleted Scenes – Ten scenes total, with introductions by Hardwicke.
* The Adventure Begins: The Journey from Page to Screen – A seven-part documentary that looks at the creation of the film, its world, and its special effects, among other things.
* Comic-Con Phenomenon – An eight minute collection of footage from the ComicCon Q&A panel with Hardwicke, Pattinson, & Stewart.
* Trailers & Sneak Peeks – All of the marketing materials created for the film.
I know there are a lot of film snobs out there who won’t watch Twilight simply because it’s based on a property that’s adored by 12-year-old girls the world over. I’ll simply remind those people that the Harry Potter films started as a kids’ franchise, too, and they seem to have done okay for themselves. What can I say? Those people are missing out on a highly entertaining and interesting film, and this DVD will just have to hold me over until the sequel arrives later this year.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Overall Picture:
Movie: A
Extra Features: B+
- Mike Spring
Editor
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