MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Twilight’ features hunky male lead, not much else

Kennedy, excellent points on the review but so far as the movie.

Using your friend as the basis for saying it has wide audience appeal is a bit narrow. If anything, your friend saw a really long ad for the books, creating a synergy in a marketing plan. I don't know that it makes it a better movie. One could also say, "I had a friend who really disliked it but so curious about the story, they decided to read it."

I also disagree with your assessment that Edward's character is complex and hard to understand. Surely, to the an audience and to Bella in the first book but as we learn more about him the driving forces behind him as pretty clear. He's a being crushed with guilt but also full of love (that he can't see, I suppose) for his family and well, he's a vampire and all that. I think in that regard, your right he did seem to play it well (those kind of deep moment) but those really meaningful responses felt over-the-top. A few moments but truly I think that was the Director's fault, he seemed to be dynamic an actor that he would have nailed it but our Director must have been like, "Give me more."

Oh, and far as the "Summit is the new kid on the block and they only had 32-mil argument" (Hollywood Reporter puts it at 40-mil but what's 8 more mil?). No excuse, Stephenie Meyer choose to sell the movie rights when she did, to cash in early. Tolkien on the other hand would never sell the movie rights because he didn't believe the film of his story could be made. Well, finally, his estate was convinced otherwise and I have to tell you, I was impressed with the LOTR franchise. Just because SM cashed in early doesn't mean they should be forgiven for a small budget. A major movie studio would have stepped up eventually, they just didn't want to wait.

The movie was made with a $32 million budget and Summit Entertainment was started in 2007. This movie was never expected to be such a phenomenon. These aren't excuses for why Twilight was lacking in the digital effects and cinematography department, but you should have mentioned that.

Pattinson and Stewart did a great job with the screenplay that was given to them. As actors they took it upon themselves to do a lot of character development. Edward's character is complex and very hard to understand. Pattinson played the role well in my opinion. Bella was the character that needed more development. For people I know who didn't read the book, Bella was the one they didn't understand. Did you write this based on your preconceived notions or did you actually pay attention?

I begged my friend to accompany me to the movie last weekend. He was the biggest skeptic of the Twilight novels I have ever met. He left the theater impressed with the complexity he saw in the movie and decided to pick up the first novel in the series. You really don't have a grasp on the wide audience that this movie and franchise appeals to, do you?

I believe you should think next time before you reduce audiences and fans of anything to a stereotype. Being 22, an avid reader of many novels, and a movie enthusiast, I do not like to be placed in the hormonal teenage girl category.

Thanks for your assertion, but it was a poor review.