First, I will have to admit that I am a Twilight fan. I've read the books and I look forward to each film with almost the same anticipation that a new Harry Potter installment generates. Granted, I am almost always disappointed.
I wouldn't say that I'm a "Twi-hard," though. The series has it's shortcomings, and I can recognize that. New Moon was difficult to get through, both as a book and as a movie. What teenager hasn't had his or her heart broken at some point? You don't just "check out" of the rest of your life. You cry, you eat chocolate and ice cream, bitch to your friends and you move on. See? I can be unbiased.
I love the vampire genre. Going back to The Lost Boys, Anne Rice books, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the series, NOT the movie), Angel, True Blood...I love a good vampire story. However, one must recognize The Twilight Series for what it is...not a vampire epic, but rather a tale of teen angst that happens to contain vampires and wolves. The true story is in the love triangle.
That being said, Twilight fans will have to agree that this is the best film by far. Will it change the minds of non-fans? Absolutely not. Is it easier to follow if you've read the book? Undoubtedly. Personally, I have never felt the intensity of the relationship between Bella and Edward is as strongly portrayed in the movies as the books. The person who does the best job getting those emotions across is Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black, who pines for Bella.
Realizing that he's just a child, I still have to say that Lautner's performance was worth my $10. That could be because there was only one scene in which he wore a shirt, although I like to think that I'm more mature than that. But, still...wait, where was I?
Robert Pattinson's performance as Edward Cullen is as superficial as always. His character just lacks depth. Pattinson is a handsome man, there's no denying that, but they try to make his look too ethereal (somewhat ironic as vampires don't generally have souls), and as a result he usually looks as if he's about to cry. Perhaps the passion that he feels for his Bella is too much for him. Perhaps it's the amber contact lenses irritating his eyes.
Billy Burke as Charlie Swan is priceless. He's not the star of the movie; in fact, if you look on IMDB, you have to hit "more" on the cast list to even see his name. However his clumsy dadness (yes, I made up that word -- alert Websters!) lends a refreshing touch of humor to the film.
All in all, it would seem that all things Twilight remain status quo with this movie. The fans will love it, and the non-believers will continue to scoff, which is fine. As a fan, I will give it 3 popcorn buckets.
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