Oh, where to begin...Several of my friends have listened to my ranting and raving about the Twilight saga but, for the record, this is my position. I read (no, DEVOURED) the books in the summer of 2008. I read each several times in fact. I was amazed that someone had written such a wonderful story, spun off of a dream. It was such a tale that you wanted it to be true. It was pure genius (why didn't I think of it first???), and I sang Stephenie Meyer's praises for months. I was die-hard Team Edward, and I have the shirt to prove it.
Then I saw Twilight in November 2008. Opening night. I ordered advanced tickets, and drove through a snowstorm to see it. I was nearly crushed in a wall of screaming teenage girls as I waited for the theater doors to open. And I was incredibly disappointed. Halfway through the movie I was bored and I could tell Scott was too (yes, we were still dating then, so he went quite willingly). I realized that not only was I bored, I was annoyed because I knew what was going to happen at the end, so what was the point in sitting there shifting around??
What didn't I like? Okay, I didn't like Kristen Stewart as Bella. I adore her as an actress (Speak and Adventureland, to be specific), but she wasn't what I had pictured as Bella. As for Edward? I believe he was depicted in the book as the most perfect thing in existence. To me, the actor playing Edward was not at all what I had pictured...that's all I'm going to say about that. Taylor Lautner was a pleasant surprise, but as we all know the ending, I can't help but feel bad for him.
New Moon was sort of the same thing...it had been my favorite book of the series, but the movie did not do it justice. I can't blame actors, directors, or screenwriters. There was a magic in the books that just doesn't translate onto the screen for me. This is my personal opinion, of course. The sad part for me is that I don't know if I'll ever be able to read the books in the same way again. If I enjoy a book, I'll read it dozens and dozens of times. I haven't touched the Twilight ones in over a year.
I will go see Eclipse this weekend though, I'm sure, just because. Why stop now? And I'm kind of curious. Since I haven't seen it yet, my opinion is based on prior knowledge and this website. They give all kinds of movie reviews.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/twilight_saga_eclipse/?page=1&critic=approved&sortby=date&name_order=asc&view=#contentReviews
This post may seem a little ridiculous and silly. And it probably is. But it was these thoughts that came to mind as I saw a 35ish-year-old woman in a Team Edward shirt today. Kind of reminded me of how mine's still hanging in the closet.
The movies are definitely a bit cheesy, and I hate many of the casting choices, as well. I purchased the first book before the movies and the craze, and I have yet to read it (or any of the subsequent books in the series that I purchased). Now, after having seen all of the movies, except for the most recent one, I think I will find it difficult to go back, read the books, and actually enjoy them. It will be hard not to picture some of the annoying people and scenes from the movie, and I'm afraid that it will take all possible joy I might have had out of reading the books. Only one way to find out, I guess...
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