“The kids are all right” (review of the movie, Twilight, with spoilers)

Remember that small four book series (and maybe more) called “Twilight”? The one with such a fourth controversial book that fans are still debating its merits (or lack thereof) four months after its official release? Well, if you have been living in our solar system this past year, you know that there is not only a book series but also a movie based on the first book of the same name, “Twilight” that was recently released to theaters across the country.

First though. About the books. The Twilight vampire series, written by Stephanie Meyers was a very romantic series about a young teenage girl (Bella) who moves to Forks, Washington to start a new life with her father (mother and father are divorced). Trying to connect with her police chief father (they hadn’t seen each other for some time and he was distant), Bella falls headlong into the new high school scene, feeling very strange and alone. There are others that feel the same way as she does, however, they aren’t alive. Known as the ‘Cullens‘, the other students think that this family of ‘adopted’ brothers and sisters are odd. Oh, if they only knew how different. Yep, they’re a ‘family’ of vampires. Pieced together from those that he loved (wife, Esme Cullen) and the people that he ‘saved’ from dying (turned into vampires) (Edward Cullen, vampire whom Bella falls in love with almost died from Spanish Influenza), Dr. Carlisle Cullen has sworn off killing humans for their blood and is trying to live with his family quietly in Forks. Wash. Why the vampires want to relive high school and not college again and again (I’d prefer collage and grad school), was always a bit confusing for me but it is a young adult series and the concept (vampires in high school)works well for bringing the undead (and their issues) to the teenagers of today.

With vampires and a “Romeo and Juliette” theme, Meyers’ books touched a deep chord with core audience made up of both teenage girls and people in general who enjoy reading romance fiction. At her best, Meyers writes wonderful romantic passages. And while there is very little sex mentioned (until the fourth book), the passion between the two characters, Bella and Edward is intense and deep and highly sensual. Meyers was (and is, she’s writing about aliens taking over people's bodies (some interesting implications about souls and things) book one is called “The Host”) one of the most original voices I’ve read in a long time. I don’t always agree with her philosophies but then, I enjoy reading authors I both agree and disagree with. Authors who do not share my opinions are often those I choose to read. Their take on ‘issues’ make me think about why I believe such and such. And as both a reader and as a writer, I think those books (and movies) that make you think are a very good thing.

OK, what did I forget? Oh, yeah, the actual movie. Though I confess I read the book a while ago, I did really greatly enjoy Meyers first book, “Twilight” and came away from the book with an impression of not only liking it but of being eager to read the next book in the series. I had heard mixed reviews of the actual movie and so, I went to see it with some measure of trepidation. Because when vampire movies are good, they’re very good. But when they’re bad, they’re…. yeah, very bad. I have to say, though I was well over the average age of the teen audience, I think I really enjoyed it as much as they did.

In the movie, Bella leaves her home since her mother married a minor league baseball player and now wants to travel with him on the road. I’m getting old and my memory of the books are fuzzy but I’m not certain if this was the original setup for why Bella leaves her mother’s house. But, as a plot device, it works. And works well. So, Bella moves from Phoenix, Arizona to be with her police chief father in Forks, Washington. The movie starts out with a nice detail of Bella saving something (a small, delicate cactus plant) from her mother’s place. And really, that’s what’s good about the movie. It’s ‘heart’ is in the right place. I really enjoyed the young actress who played Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart). Under the direction of Catherine Hardwicke (good at showing teenage world, director of “Thirteen”), I think that Stewart gave a well rounded, multi-layered performance, showing both a young woman can be both outwardly clumsy and unsure but yet, shows steely determination underneath when she finds the one she loves and wants to stay with him, no matter the great hurdles that they may face.

I read somewhere that the Twilight movie was not made with a large budget and so, the vampires’ makeup, particularly Robert Pattinson’s as Edward is a little too jarring and tends to distract from the action at hand. There are a few awkward moments of dialogue as well but overall, these are very minor and did not detract from my enjoyment of the movie. The really good parts? Edward roaring in (love to see movies where they underscore vampires’ great driving skills. Hey, vampires should be great drivers. Enormously fast reflexes and been driving a very looong time)just in the nick of time to save Bella from certain violence in his silver Volvo (was interesting to see that they did not replace it with a BMW. Huff’s vampire, Henry in her books has one as well as Bill in “True Blood”. You know, there should be an ad that says “Official car of the undead” but I digress…).

I also enjoyed the fight scene at the end (Meyers’ vampires have no fangs but they do move fast and jump around so they are scary and are reminiscent of werewolves in another teen movie that I enjoyed “Blood and Chocolate”) as well as the end of the movie where Bella ends up, body bruised but still physically able to dance in her prom dress with her vampire lover, Edward (a very Anita Blakish moment). I just wanted to mention that besides the main movie characters (thought the actors portraying the Cullens as well as the evil vampires did a nice believable job), I really thought the actor playing Bella’s father (Billy Burke) was both touching and rough in all the right places. The actor made the character who had the difficult job of becoming a parent almost overnight to a teenage girl whom he had not seen in years and found the relationship difficult to relate to (didn‘t want to drive daughter ‘away‘ from him like he did the mother), very heartfelt and endearing.

In summary, then, I’d give the movie 4 out of five stars and would recommend it to my friends and readers. Even though things and situations were changed in the movie, overall, everything worked and I think that all involved captured the magic of the first Meyer’s book that made the readers (including me) enjoyed in it. The movie, like the book, is extremely romantic, and I think, will fulfill expectations of romantics everywhere (even if you watch the movie first). In fact, watching the movie, made me want to go back to read the books to see what was changed for plotting purposes and what was not.

The title of this blog is called “The kids are all right” meaning that seeing the younger generation’s movies (Twilight and “Blood and Chocolate (older book, adaption of movie is new”), I’m excited about the future of both horror films in general and vampire movies in particular. As I’ve said earlier in this review, “Blood and Chocolate” was a great werewolf movie, bringing depth and sexiness to a supernatural being that had only previously been given to vampires. I really enjoyed "Twilight and will be buying the movie on DVD when it is released. Now, bring on “New Moon”! I’ll be waiting with my popcorn. And with my bottle of “True Blood”. Oh, wait that’s another…..


Take care all,
Chris

PS--Is anyone watching “Sons of Anarchy?” In my opinion, it’s one of the new series with the most compelling writing and characters I’ve seen. If you want the connection to vampires, the executive producer is James Parriott. Ring any bells? Yep, he was responsible for the development of the wonderful vampire series “Forever Knight”.


I began watching “Sons” because I’m a Ron Perlman fan (Beauty and the Beast, Hellboy) but the stories are excellent and his wife, played by the talented actress, Katey Sagal (husband Kurt Sutter developed series as well as series “The Shield” of which I heard other good things but did not watch it) is a looong way from being Peggy Bundy (“Married with Children”). But, much like Forever Knight did, SOA tells the story of a young man trapped in a group he would like to leave. With an evil ‘father’ figure and two love interests (one in and one out of the motorcycle gang), it reminds me a lot of Forever Knight. The stories are hard hitting, the characters intriguing. You go away from each episode thinking about the issues. Yep, great all around. I can’t wait for the next season. The episodes are on “On Demand” on your cable right now. Go and watch. You won’t be disappointed. I promise.