I have to say I was excited as all hell to see this, but still had a great deal of trepidation because the footage I had scene didn’t instill much confidence, and I am a huge fan of the novels by Stephenie Meyers (I would have read all 4 in only a week if they had all been out when I started the series). This romantic tale of a young girl falling for a Vampire was in fact very well adapted, with my only complaints being that the effects are pretty low rent (and I sure hope they get more money to do them for the rest of the films), and I am not sure about the casting of some of the Cullen family because they don’t look at all as described in the book, and since their roles were so small in the film, you can’t really see why they were cast in that case. On the other hand the many of the ancillary characters were perfectly cast. The high school students were all great, and cast very interracially, which is not what I got from the book, but works perfectly in the film. Charlie Swan was perfect, showing all of his uncomfortableness dealing with the daughter he so obviously loves. Billy and Jacob Black were also perfect. Kiristen Stewart as Bella Swan was another amazing choice of casting, having only seen in her in Zathura, I can say she is perfect for the role. And the person I had the most trepidation towards, Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen was in fact perfectly cast. He had the perfect look of horror, where he loves Bella, but at the same time wants to eat her. This is one of the better adaptions of a novel I have seen in a long time, better than many of the Harry Potter adaptions (except of course the perfect PRISONER OF AZKIBAN) and gives me great hope for this whole series. I read this film was budgeted around 37 Million (though it seemed less than that, even in them not having a Porche for Edward), but since it made that much on opening day, I am sure we will be seeing more of these films, and after seeing this one I just hope it doesn’t take them too long! In fact I already want to go see it again today!

Isabella “Bella” Swan (Kristen Stewart) has just had her ditzy mother Renée Dwyer (Sarah Clarke) get married to a pro baseball player Phil Dwyewr (Matt Bushell) so they will be on the road allot, so Bella has decided to make it easy for them, and move from her beloved Phoenix, Arizona to her father’s home in the wet and cold Forks, Washington. Her father is the local chief of police Charlie Swan (Billy Burke) and she used to come visit every summer, but hasn’t been up in ages. Charlie obviously loves hid daughter, but isn’t too good at interpersonal relationships, and gives Bella her space, which is exactly what she wants. Charlie also brings over his friends, the wheelchair bound Billy Black (Gil Birmgingham) and his son Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) who live on the local reservation, and who Charlie just bought their old pickup truck for Bella. On Bella’s first day of school, she is surprised to find that she is instantly a hit at school, all the boys falling over her, like Mike Newton (Michael Welch) and Eric Yorkie (Justin Chon) and also quickly makes friends with some of the girls, like Angela Weber (Christian Serratos) and Jessica Stanley (Anna Kendrick). Bella quickly becomes interested in the aloof adopted students of the local doctor, Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinelli) and his wife Esme (Elizabeth Cullen). There children are Rosalie Hale (Nikki Reed) and her guy Emmet Cullen (Kellan Lutz), the cute Alice Cullen (Ashely Greene who while Cute is nothing as gorgeous as Alice in the book, so she will really have to prove herself in the next films) and Jasper Hale (Jackson Rathbone) and of course Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). Bella ends up having to sit next Edward in Biology class, and it is immediately obvious that he hates, her, rushing out as soon as class is done, and trying to get transfered out, which she catches. She decides to confront Edward, but doesn’t show up at school for a while, until finally coming back and starting to chat with her, and she is completely confused. One day another student Tyler Crowley (Gregory Tyree Boyce) loses control of his car, and almost hits Bella, who was looking at Edward across the school yard, but instantly he is by her side, and saves her, stopping the car with his hand, before rushing off. Bella is OK, but ends up at the hospital, and tries to confront Edward, though he tries to push her away, and he is obviously in trouble with his family for saving her. Now she knows something is up with Edward, who keeps telling her to stay away from him, but can’t seem to stay away from her.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

Her friends invite her to go to the beach on the reservation to hang, and she invites Edward, but he cryptically says he can’t go, so she goes, and sees Jacob again, who tells her a legend about his tribe of Wolves, and their animosity with the Cullen family, the Cold Ones, and Bella starts to suspect there is much more to Edward.

After turning down going to prom with both Mike and Eric, who she gets to go with Angela and Jessica, she goes with them to a local town where they plan on buying prom dressed, but where she plans on getting a book on the legends of Jacob’s tribe, so she leaves her friends and wanders off alone. She gets the book, but then is attacked by 4 drunken guys, but Edward immediately shows up in his Volvo, having been following her, and then takes her to dinner (not eating himself) and telling her friends he will drive her home. At dinner he admits to being able to read minds, but not hers, and her reaction is that there is something wrong with her, and not him.

At school he still tries to convince her to stay away from him, but after school she leads him into the woods, and confronts him that he is a vampire, and he admits it, and shows her his speed and agility, carrying her through the forrest, and showing her why they don’t show up when it is sunny out, since he shines like diamonds in the son. And she admits she loves him, though he won’t touch kiss her.

Bella gets a call from her mom in her bedroom, and looks up and sees Edward, and the two kiss, but she gets frisky, and he has to push her away, though she falls asleep in his arms.

Edward then invites Bella up to his house to officially meet his whole family of vegetarian vampires, since the Cullens don’t eat human, they live off of animals. Things don’t go perfectly since Jasper is a newly turned vegetarian, and Rossalie just hates Bella.

When a storm is coming, Edward brings Bella out to the Cullen’s own style of Baseball, which can only be played when there is lighting since, the strikes are so loud, and the ball goes so far, but things go badly when a trio of human drinking vampires show up, and get a wiff of Bella.

These Vampires are Laurent (Edi Gathegi, who played the Mormon on last Season of House, and who I am glad is getting a lot of roles, and is ripped like a son of a bitch), The tracker, who becomes obsessed with Bella James (Cam Gigandet) and his mate Victoria (Rachelle Lefévre) who have also been causing trouble for Charlie by killing people in the area. Things explode, but the other vampires back off, for the moment, and Edward drives Bella away, wanting her to leave right now, but she makes him go back to Charlie to say goodbye.

Bella hurts Charlie, by using the same language her mom used when she left, knowing it is the only way he will let her go, and she leaves. THey end up splitting up, with Alice (who can see the future) and Jasper taking Bella to Pheonix, while Esme stays to watch over Charlie, and the others hunt James, whom Laurent has warned them about. They try to lead James off, but he catches that it is Rosalie who he is tracking, and goes after Bella.

Bella gets a call from her mom, but it her screaming, and James tells her she has to get away from her watchers, and go to her old ballet studio, where he is holding her mom. She gets away, and goes, but it is just an old video tape of her and her mom, so she was tricked, and James plays with her, breaking her leg. Edward shows up, but James manages to bite her before, the others show up and burn James. Edward bites Bella to get the venom out, and manges to stop sucking her blood, and not kill her.

Bella awakens in the hospital with her mother Renée there, telling her, the cover story of her having fallen down 2 flights of stairs and down a window. Bella then tells her mom she will be returning to Forks.

Back in Forks, Edward takes Bella to the prom, cast on her leg and all, and they dance, and kiss. And her promisses not to leave her, and we see that Victoria is watching.

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An impressively good adaption of this film! I really enjoyed it, in fact I would love to see it again, right now!!!!!

Well not only did they announce that a sequel has already been greenlit, but Kelly and I went and saw it again, and really enjoyed as much or more the second time. In fact this time I liked both Alice and Jasper a lot more with the second viewing. This is a really well done adaption. Sure I could do with less of the shaky cam, but that seems to be how every film is shot of late (UP WITH THE STEADY CAM!).

Really a great film, and an amazing adaption. Of course not as good as the book, but still really enjoyable. A great film!