Twilight (Summit Entertainment)
High School Dramacal
Stephanie Meyers mega-selling book TWILIGHT has been brought to the screen with all of its teen-age angst intact. This modern day telling of the Romeo and Juliet story should go straight to the hearts (or at least jugulars) of teens and make them beg for more. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart adequately portray the star-crossed young lovers with zeal and best of all charisma. This movie should take a huge bite out of the box office and set the stage for many sequels to come.
Bella Swan (Stewart) is the new girl in town when she moves to Forks, Washington to live with her father (Billy Burke). She had been living with her mother but she had to go on the road with her baseball playing husband and so Bella moved on to Washington state.
At the local high school Bella immediately fits in with the local kids but is attracted to the Cullen family, who are basically the outsiders of the student population. Edward Cullen (Pattinson) is assigned to be her Biology lab partner and this arrangement seems to be to his disliking. Bella is mystified by his reaction but soon learns Edward is one of the undead and his natural instinct is to eat her up literally.
The chemistry between Bella and Edward is too strong to overcome, but he must constantly work to keep his animal desires under control. Bella wants him any way she can have him even if it means becoming like him.
The real danger to Bella is an outlaw clan of people who do want her for supper. James (Cam Gigandet) is most avid in his pursuit. His determination will either break up Bella and Edward or make them stronger. Or a third alternative is that he will kill Bella.
Stewart and Pattinson are thrust into super stardom with this film. They will be bigger with teens than Zac Efrom and Vanessa Hudgens from :High School Musical because this film is much more intense and dramatic. Meyers second book in the series NEW MOON has already been announced as the next film.
The film is rated PG-13 for violence and intensity.
Some may think the script is a little cheesy in places but I found it to tell a story about teens that sounds like teens. The characters in this movie are silly, serious, raucous and rowdy. Their world is high school and the story plays out well against that backdrop.
Stewart and Pattinson are totally into their roles with Pattinson being the most brooding leading man since James Dean was on the scene. It takes a strong actress to get the attention of viewers away from him but Stewart holds her own.
Twilight will find its core audience in the 13 to 18 age range but those older can also enjoy its intensity and its true love story. Those who have read the book may have some quibbles about everything not being shown on screen or other things being added, but for the person who experiences the story for the first time it is solid entertainment.
I scored Twilight a dawning 7 out of 10.
