Twilight...

Here it is, as promised. My "official" review of Twilight. Now, the first and most important thing to remember when choosing to attend any movie that is based on a book is that there is absolutely no way that a 2-hour movie can include everything from the book. (Which, in this case, is a 498-page novel.) Even Gone With The Wind veered dramatically from Margaret Mitchell's text - but that certainly didn't make it a bad movie. I absolutely love the entire Twilight saga (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, and the partial internet release of Midnight Sun). Even so, I chose to go into the movie with an open mind and an understanding that there was no way that it would be exactly the same.

Are there scenes in the movie that aren't in the book? Yes. Are there parts of the book that were omitted from the movie? Yes. Are there parts that I wish had been included? Or that I would have done differently? Certainly. Overall, I think that both the writer (Melissa Rosenberg) and director (Catherine Hardwicke) did a very good job of adapting the book for the big screen. The scenes in the movie that weren't in the book helped to quickly add background to the storyline, within the movie's time constraints. Because the story had to be condensed, some of the dialogue in the movie did not match the scene it appears in in the book. But, honestly, if I hadn't recently started rereading the book, I doubt that I would have even noticed. There were some awkward moments in the movie - points where Rob's facial expressions seemed a little over-the-top. But, there were also times where those same facial expressions absolutely made the scene - especially Edward and Bella's first biology class together. The scene could have been incredibly dark. I'm actually glad that the writer chose to approach it a bit differently. And, there were times where Kristen's approach to the dialogue wasn't exactly how I had "heard" it when I read the text. There were scenes from the book that were omitted completely from the movie - but are integral to the storyline in New Moon. One example is the scene where Edward takes Bella on a tour of his house. In the book, Edward takes Bella to Carlisle's study where they look at all of the paintings, and Edward shares his families' history with Bella. That was completely omitted from the movie (at least in the final cut). The Volturi weren't mentioned at all. If you've read New Moon, you know what an integral part they play in the second book. Also, I wish there would have been more of a focus on Bella and Alice's relationship. And, except for Edward, the Cullen family only plays a small, supportive roll in the movie. I wish they had been included more in the screenplay.

In a perfect world where there are no time constraints and unlimited budgets, I'm sure that both the writer and the director would have chosen to stay completely true to the text. However, that's just not reality. Overall, I think the movie was done very well and recommend going to see it. I'll even confess that I've already seen it twice. (And I know I'm not alone. ;) You might call me a fanatic. I'm okay with that.

Another thing that I'd like to mention is the soundtrack. It is incredible! It's all I've been listening to at work/in the car for the last 2 weeks. If you get a chance, click here to listen to samples of the songs. As most of you know, I usually listen primarily to country music. But I absolutely love the edgy, alternative feel of this soundtrack - especially the songs by Perry Ferral and Muse.

I think that about sums it up. I give Twilight the movie two thumbs up! Just keep an open mind, and I think you will, too. =)

Well, I think I'd better start thinking about getting some sleep now...see you later!