Twilight

Genre - Action/Thriller/Romance

Year Released - 2008

Running Time 122 minutes

Rated PG-13 (for some violence and a scene of sensuality)

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke (who also directed Thirteen and Lords of Dogtown)

*Based upon the Novel Written by Stephenie Meyer

Screenplay Written by Melissa Rosenberg (who has written for a ton of Television Shows, including: Party of Five, Dark Skies, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, The O.C. and Dexter)

**Note: Rosenberg has also been commissioned to write the screenplays for the 2nd & 3rd movies, based on the 2nd & 3rd novels, New Moon & Eclipse. No one has been commissioned for the 4th novel Breaking Dawn, yet.

Cast Includes:
Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan (she is also in Panic Room, Cold Creek Manor, Zathura, The Messengers, and Into the Wild)
Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen (he also played Cedric in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black (he played Sharkboy in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl - he is also in Cheaper by the Dozen 2 as well as the television show My Own Worst Enemy)
Billy Burke as Charlie Swann (he is also in Along Came a Spider, Fracture, and Untraceable, as well as Season 2 of 24)
Gil Birmingham as Billy Black (he is also in House II and Gentle Ben 1 & 2)
Peter Facinelli as Carlisle Cullen (he played Van from the television show Fastlane)
Elizabeth Reaser as Esme Cullen (she is currently in this season of Grey's Anatomy)
Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen (she is also in Otis)
Jackson Rathbone as Jasper Hale (he is also going to be in next year's sequel to Donnie Darko)
Nikki Reed as Rosalie Hale (Nikki wrote Thirteen - based on her life - and played the character of her best friend, Evie - she is also in Lords of Dogtown)
Kellan Lutz as Emmet Cullen (he is also in Accepted)
Cam Gigandet as James (he played Ryan in the 1st MMA movie Never Back Down - he is also going to be in next year's Re-make of The Unborn)
Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria (she is also in The River King as well as the television series Swingtown)
Edi Gathegi as Laurent (he is in Crank and Death Sentence - he is also going to be in next year's Re-make of My Bloody Valentine 3-D)
Christian Serratos as Angela Weber
Anna Kendrick as Jessica Stanley
Michael Welch as Mike Newton

Rating: 5 Skulls

Plot Summary:
Based on Stephenie Meyer's best-selling novel - Twilight follows the saga of Bella Swan, who moves to a small town to live with her father. At school, she meets Edward Cullen, a mysterious classmate who reveals himself to be a 108-year-old-vampire.
Despite his cautions, Bella falls in love with Edward, which endangers her life when a coven of bloodsuckers arrives to challenge Edward and his family.

Kristin Stewart as Bella Swan

Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen

Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black

Cam Gigandet as 'the hunter' James

Edward & Bella

The Cullen Family (from left to right: Emmet, Rosalie, Esme, Edward, Carlisle, Alice, Jasper)

Review:
I understand that this movie (as well as the books) are geared toward teenage girls, however I just cannot help myself! I have read all four books, and I have eagerly been anticipating the release of this movie [can't you tell? I went to the midnight show, in 18 degree weather, for crying out loud!] :-)

If you have never read Stephenie Meyer's novels, then I highly suggest them, as they are superbly written! [she is basically our very own J. K. Rowling]

I was thrilled when I found out that Catherine Hardwicke was going to be directing, as I absolutely loved the movie Thirteen! I also figured that if anyone could pull off putting the novel onto the big screen, then she was the one. I was just as happy when I found out that the author of the screenplay was a female as well. There is just something that Meyer's captured in her novels - I do not think that they would have turned out the same way, had they been written by a man. [I guess it's just the emotions that are played out, throughout the saga - something only females could capture.

Well, enough about the book - let's talk about the experience. As I mentioned, I attended the midnight show. I arrived an hour early, only to find the theatre already packed - yes, with mostly teenage women, though there were a few guys scattered about here & there [yes, they were with their girlfriends... so what!] :-)

The movie started off perfectly, with a deer being hunted ~ Right away, I knew that the movie was going to be good, and it was!
Even if you have never read the novels, the dynamic between Edward & Bella is absolutely fantastic! I loved when they first met ~ Edward's "seeming" repulsion of Bella ~ Classic!
As for the rest of the cast - My personal favorite character is Alice Cullen, and I am pleased with Ashley Green's performance. As for the other Cullens - Peter Fasinelli as Carlisle is the only one that I couldn't grasp - I just kept seeing him as Van, from Fastlane. . . Nikki Reed as Rosalie - I hardly recognized her! She played the character very well, as did Jackson Rathbone as Jasper. As for Emmet - sorry, I pictured him way bigger than Kellan Lutz
Also, Gil Birmingham as Billy Black is great, as he is very funny, in the movie. Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black is also a good choice - I just can't wait to see his character evolve, in the sequels!

Also note that Stephenie Meyer pulled a Stephen King cameo - she is seen in the Diner that Charlie & Bella eat at (which is different in the book, since Bella generally cooked all of Charlie's meals)

As for the Cullens playing Baseball - that scene was terrific! Another of my favorite moments was when Charlie first meets with Edward - too funny! [and of course, we now get to hear Edward play Bella's song, on the piano] Another very cool thing was, if you pay close attention, you will notice that each member of the Cullen family wears their Family Crest somewhere on them. For instance, Edward wears his on a bracelet around his wrist. Rosalie's is worn as a necklace. . .

Well, I feel as if I am starting to ramble [it is after all almost 4:00 in the morning right now]
Let me just leave you with this ~ see this movie! Even if you have never read the novels, or you think that this isn't your type of movie, give it a shot! [and then go read the novels, so you know what else is coming!] :-)

Here's the Trailer:

Twilight's sequel, New Moon, is scheduled to be released in 2010.

Jason