Twilight: Vampire Movie? Or Tween Drama?
Critics have compared Stephenie Meyer's series to the likes of Harry Potter which has yet to experience a lull in popularity among children and adults alike (the next movie installment is due July of 2009). On this I would like to call attention to a group of acquaintances, I am seriously reconsidering our relationship, who have scorned my scorn of the HP series by scoffing, "It doesn't get good 'til book four," after I confessed that I had only read books 1-3 before proclaiming the series lame.
However, it is unlikely that Twilight will live up to this comparison as it seems to appeal only to tweens (tween girls, that is) and one of my friends. Ironically, the lead vampire is played by Robert Pattinson, who played Cedric Diggory in HP#2 and 4. Or is it ironic? You decide. Before writing this series, Meyers was apparently a housewife from Phoenix, Arizona who graduated from BYU(Mormons!). This alone, should be enough for many to judge the quality of the book, as anyone who's been to Phoenix or has seen the Arizona Diamondbacks original uniform will tell you.
A first time author, Meyers has created a world of "vegetarian" vampires (they don't drink human blood) who break all the rules of vampire stories, which contradictorily, is a typical vampire movie move. I have been known to badmouth Harry Potter on occasion and see no reason not to do the same with Twilight while ultimately succumbing to watching it online as I do with the HP movies, followed by more badmouthing.
Other deciding factors: Writer, Melissa Rosenberg, also wrote for The OC, Boston Public and Party of Five. Director, Catherine Hardwicke created such gems as Thirteen and Lords of Dogtown.
The San Francisco Chronicle's Peter Hartlaub says, "Twilight has Jason Patric and Jami Gertz, but it needs a Kiefer Sutherland. The bad guys are an afterthought in this movie and when they show up they're only slightly more menacing than a class bully. The special effects are also borderline ridiculous—particularly when the vampires are either running super fast (you'll want to fill in you're own Six Milllion Dollar Man sound effects) or exposed to the sun. Which brings us to the sparkling, a phenomenon that causes light stricken vampires to suddenly look as if they've had a horrible accident involving a glitter truck and an angry mob armed with Bedazzlers. What may seem cool in the book looks like a human disco ball onscreen...Twilight has a few gory plot turns—mostly off screen—and one near-sex scene that may offend a few Amish people but the rest is maybe 33 percent less wholesome than High School Musical. It's almost certainly less risqué than what you were watching when you were 14 (cue the soundtrack to Risky Business). One more small note, which is very important for the future of our economy: Several characters in this movie have George Michael's gravity defying bird's nest hair from the Wham! Make It Big sessions which looks only slightly less ridiculous now than it did in 1984." (full article here)
WSJ says: "Attention, all 13-year-old female readers of this newspaper: Run, do not walk, to the nearest multiplex playing Twilight, the screen version of Stephenie Meyers' best selling pot-boiler about a principled vampire and the teenage girl who loves him. Others needn't run. Or walk."(Weekend Journal W1, Joe Morgenstern. 11.21.08)
New York Times says: "This carefully faithful adaptation traces the sighs and whispers, the shy glances and furious glares of two unlikely teenage lovers who fall into each other's pale, pale arms amid swirling hormones, raging instincts, high school dramas and oh-so-confusing feelings, like, OMG he's SO HOT!! Does he like ME?? Will he KILL me??? I don't CARE!!! :)"
If you're still in the mood to see a vampire movie now that I've ruined that for you, consider Let The Right One In, the tale of a friendship between a 12 year old boy and 12 year old looking girl(?)/vampire set in Sweden in the 70s. Also worthy of note, the sheer incompetence of the vampire's keeper to discreetly get blood for her. Unlike Twilight's leads both children have received praise, and the plot is an original twist on the classic vampire as opposed to a contrived one.
Here are some reviews:
and 97% from Rotten Tomatoes
Finally, as promised, a list of enjoyable vampire movies/show/book in no particular order:
(Disclaimer: to enjoy vampire movies you must allow a certain level of hokeyness as a given)
Blade Trilogy (Wesley Snipes as a 1/2 human 1/2 vampire. As a person of mixed race myself I appreciate the problems Snipes encounters with self identity. More like an action movie shot at night)
30 Days of Night
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (classic metaphor, read more analysis here)
28 Days/Weeks Later (Do zombie movies count? I think this one does just cuz it's so great, I'm pushing for 28 Months Later and 28 Years Later sequels)
From Dusk Til Dawn (Tarantino=pretentious but brilliant)
The Lost Boys (The end scene at the house makes the whole thing worthwhile)
Queen of the Damned. Just kidding.
Underworld, Underworld: Evolution, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (if you don't love these, you don't like vampire movies)
Honorable mention: Resident Evils (another zombie series which I have to watch everytime they are on TV)
Although I Am Legend totally sooked, the book was supposedly far superior and featured more vampire-like zombies so that gets on the list too, the book that is.
Any suggestions?
Answer to above question regarding irony: No.
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3 comments:
Okay I was a little late on the Buffy criticism links. But I am happy this blog post came along. Because I was feeling the need to see Twilight just to see another vampire movie. But now I know it's okay just to rewatch the same old ones I know and love. Yay for Blade!
Don't forget the book, Fledgling, by Octavia E. Butler.
Ooh, Fledgling, just started reading it again and was delightfully disgusted.
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