Vampires haven’t been given much treatment in Hollywood in recent times, but much of that would be due to the superhero invasion and the overwhelming anticipation for the release of the first film in the Twilight Saga. Stephenie Meyer’s books have topped the New York Times Bestsellers list, knocking off the likes of Harry Potter, and have gained quite a cult following from teenage girls among others. The story of Bella Swan and her Prince Charming, Edward Cullen, is an old-fashioned romance with an unconventional twist as she finds love while settling in a small town. The secret Edward hides of his true being is what sets their relationship apart and brings danger to the already klutzy Bella wherever they go.

While Meyer had plenty to say on her website about what music fits with her books and who she imagined to play the roles (her website is quite extensive), much to the fans’ dismay she was relegated to a split-second cameo with no creative input. Director Catherine Hardwicke, of Thirteen fame, and her casting directors made some decisions which fans weren’t pleased with, particularly Thirteen’s Nikki Reed as the porcelain bitch Rosalie and Kristen Stewart as Bella. With so much riding on the adaptation, fans were never going to be pleased with everything. What we’ve been given is a rollercoaster ride with a few smooth moments in between the bumps and grinds.

Robert Pattinson is easily the best thing about Twilight. His looks help for the role of Edward (and Bella’s idea of perfection), but his awkwardness in the first half is so effective it makes you squirm in your seat. Followers will recognise this as well-portrayed, as Bella is also. For the role most heatedly discussed, Kristen Stewart shows she can bring a headstrong quality to her character among the cheesiness that the film brings. For viewers not exposed to the saga before now, you will be subjected to some one-liners that sound trite and cold. It comes unexpected from characters in their teens, and unexpected from established writer Melissa Rosenberg, best known for writing episodes of Dexter and The OC along with numerous production credits. Although the script follows in the vein of Meyer’s story, it should seem more polished on the big screen.

Hardwicke won’t be back for sequel New Moon, for reasons ranging from being unlikeable and ineffective on set, to the ‘official’ reason of not being allocated enough time to produce it. That seems ironic because that’s where Twilight’s prevented from being a great film. It is undoubtedly a slick visual production, with cinematographer Elliot Davis, who worked on Thirteen alongside Hardwicke, the drive behind the film. While faithful with its edginess and dreary scenery, at times we are bombarded with sharp cuts that would serve better with a lingering shot. The scenes almost followed too closely like chapters, with an event happening in each scene that wouldn’t carry over into the next. The story does progress well, and with a 2hr running time surprisingly doesn’t drag, but it would’ve benefited from slight expansion of particular scenes to explore other characters and even Edward and Bella themselves. The music is another feature that fans were very excited about and Meyer got her way with the feel of the record. So important it is that there is an individual website for it, extra tracks on the digital download, contributions from Rob Pattinson and a personal pick of Kristen Stewart’s. Tracks from Muse, Linkin Park and Paramore suit Twilight well, and didn’t interfere with the story, while Coen brothers’ favourite Carter Burwell provided a fitting score.

Conclusion:

It was always going to be hard to fulfill the expectations of the majority, and Summit Entertainment has pulled off an almighty effort. For those new to Twilight, it will come as a surprise and not as tweeny as it appears from plot description, but many fans may come away with points to pick at. To Hardwicke’s credit, it stayed truthful to the book (although perhaps underwhelmed by not including school bitch Lauren for a bit of bite) and changed around only minor details which won’t be relevant for the coming films. However, the potential it did have was huge and overall it does fail to deliver a truly great start to the saga. About a Boydirector Chris Weitz will be directing New Moon, for which Rosenberg has already written the script for, so the male perspective on such a female story will be interesting – but the fans will, pardon the pun, have his blood if he toys with it.

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