'Twilight' Countdown: L.A. Times gives 'Twilight' movie a big thumbs up

It's here! Today is the big day.

Yes, midnight is technically Friday. But the point is most of you are mere hours away from seeing "Twilight."

I've seen the goods, and I can assure you, the movie delivers whether or not you've read Stephenie Meyer's vampire book.

But don't take my word for it. Here's what our pro, L.A. Times film critic Kenneth Turan, had to say:

As romance fans know, love needs obstacles to hold our interest, and in this egalitarian age, obstacles are hard to come by. The Oscar-winning "Ghost" of several years back had one lover living, the other deceased, and "Twilight’s" notion that he’s undead and she’s not is just as good, maybe better. Connecting this to the extreme emotions of the young teenage world, where every moment is a crisis and the chaste romance of passionate soulmates is more attractive than dubious sexual shenanigans, was the masterstroke that created a phenomenon.

It’s very much to the credit of director Catherine Hardwicke and screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg that "Twilight" the movie really gets this. This film succeeds, likely unreservedly for teens and in a classic guilty pleasure kind of way for adults, because it treats high school emotions with unwavering, uncompromising seriousness. Much as you may not want to, you have to acknowledge what’s been accomplished here.

He even gives extra props to the actors playing Bella and Edward:

Hardwicke also was intrumental in casting Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattison as the star-crossed Bella and Edward, and those choices were excellent, not only because they’re skilled performers but because they, too, threw themselves into their parts as if they were Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor doing "Camille" for George Cukor.

Read the entire review here.

And our Countdown isn't over just yet! Tomorrow I'll have outtakes and exclusive art from Gina McIntyre's interviews with Catherine Hardwicke and Kristen Stewart. Her big "Twilight" feature ran in today's paper. Check it out!

I'll also be posting the best of the fan reviews here. So come back, and don't forget to send in your thoughts. I can't wait to read them.

Seeing "Twilight" on Thursday at midnight? E-mail me your review at denise.martin@latimes.com and I'll post a roundup first thing Friday morning. I want to hear all your thoughts!

And catch up on past Countdown interviews: Robert Pattinson (Parts 1, 2 and 3), Kristen Stewart, author Stephenie Meyer, director Catherine Hardwicke (Parts 1 and 2), screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, Peter Facinelli, Edi Gathegi and Taylor Lautner.

-- Denise Martin

Related:
Complete "Twilight" Countdown coverage
Complete "Twilight" coverage on Hero Complex

Photo: Associated Press

Comments

[Olivia]

As a Twilight mom, I think the movie was great. Not only am I an avid reader, I love movies. I think the teen fans of this series were expecting Twilight verbatim onscreen. Impossible. Twilight is a fantasy. Actors are real people as are directors and screenwriters. They all bring a bit of themselves to a film. The movie was in the spirit of the book (Stephenie meyer wrote it for goodness sake and loved it), not an onscreen copy,.

Go with realistic expectations. Don't take the novel and read along with the film. Go, see all the hard work and creativity these folks made on a limited bdget with nearly impossible to please book fans.

[Emily]

Wow. Huge dissapointment!.

I am obsessed with the Twilight books and have been waiting for this movie for a long time now. It was awful. NONE of my favorite scenes from the book were in it, and in there place where completely pointless stuff. I have absolutely no earthly idea what the director was thinking-did she even read the book! I really did feel akward watching most of it because the acting was really not that great. I still however adore Robert Pattinson.

[Leah]

I have already seen the movie twice and I plan to see it many more times. I loved it, for me it was absolutely perfect. I only wish it could have been longer, but unfortunately there are no 8 hour long movies.

[regina]

very bad movie.i really want my money.i must listen critics

[Kim]

I have the SECRET TO LOVING TWILIGHT THE MOVIE!!!
After seeing ‘Twilight the first time I came home and read a slew of disappointed and even angry posts about it. I, having loved the movie, was shocked. I went back to see it a second time to see why these book-loving fans like myself didn’t like it. (Well, and I couldn’t wait to see it again.) WHILE WATCHING A SECOND TIME, it clicked. I knew the minute that Edward opened his mouth, what set them off: Edwards’s non-melodic lack-luster approach in line delivery. Bella sees Edward as a velvet crooner who spills each word in fluent confidence; however this is not how Rob Pattinson chose to deliver it, and for good reason. REMEMBER, Edward is dealing with 4 MAJOR DILEMAS while talking to Bella: 1. He has an intense desire to launch at any moment and drink the blood form her body. 2. He is feeling intense love for her, something he’s never experienced in his over 100 years on earth. 3. He is an imposture—not human—and he’s trying to act as if he is. 4. He’s never communicated with somebody whose thoughts he can’t read. Rob Pattinson played the character true to this. So, IF YOU WANT TO LOVE THE MOVIE—and who doesn’t--Look for where the REAL MAGIC HAPPENS: IN THEIR EYES. Rob HAS mastered Edward in the eyes! The intensity of his love & desire for Bella is evident in his hypnotic fix as they are locked into each others gaze. SIMPLY BRILLIANT!

[Tracy]

I saw the movie twice on Friday and will see it at least twice more over the weekend. I liked it the first time, loved it the second time, and can't wait for the dvd. I understand people's disappointment in that it's not exactly like the book, but how could it be? Come on, they can't make a 10 hour movie to include everything. I thought the acting was great and the direction and production was beautiful. I feel sad for the disappointed book fans and hope they will be able to open their minds and give it another chance. I love love love the books too but understand that a book is always better than its movie adaptation and appreciate the hard work and total heart that went into bringing this story to the big screen.

[Fille]

Saw it with my 13 year old daughter last night. It was her 2nd time seeing it after her midnight viewing with friends. She liked it. I also enjoyed it. I was very annoyed by several things however. The production values (blue fliter) over the entire film looked low budget. The music was poor quality and un-memorable. Too bad there wasn't a soundtrack composed that would be a gorgeous and interesting theme to carry through the entire 4 book series. The most annoying and LOL aspect was the horrible lipstick on Edward. It was annoying to the point of humorus. The entire theater laughed when Dr. Cullen made his first appearance due to his ridiculous movie makup job. However, Dr. cullen's acting was spot on.
On the positive side, I thought that all of the actors really tried to portray their characters well. Jacob was so perfect. Billy charismatic. Charlie perfect. Esme charming. Bella was just right too. Edward was pretty good too but just needed the stupid thick lipstick wiped off.
I liked the baseball scene. I thought that Edward sparkled just like in the book. The forest looked right. I imagined Bella's room larger. The beach was perfect. I thought that the Cullen's house chould have been much more grand. It was missing the grand staircase and a more elegant feel. I thought Rosalie's characterization was good but that she should have been more breathtakingly beautiful. At the end, Victoria should have been watching them through the window and had a sad look or tear on her face (due to her mate being killed) and then turned angry and get the wicked look of revenge in her eye as she left. She looked great though. I do hope that all of the books will be made into movies. The negative things can be fixed. I look forward to the next one.

[Alicia]

I also am gravely dissapointed by the remake of the gifted authors wonderful book! i was too excited and then utterly let down. I do belive the actors did a good job portraying the charactors but i feel that it was all in the production and direction of the film. whoever re did this didnt see into the mind of stephanie meyer or even try! it went by way tooo fast and they did NOt need to add all of the extras that tokk way to much time and distraction from what the story was really about. I do have to say i really appritiated the fight scene and the settings but that was it. I found myself laughing more then ne thing. they squezzed a bunch of crap into two hours that WOULD HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF TIME TO PORTRAY WHO THE story was really about... its a shame... over all dont go see it! just keep reading an leave your imagination to the rest! ~ a disapointed fan

[Mikki]

I'm a Twilight mom and my family has read them as well. we've read all of the books and think that are fantastic! I've never read a series of books that have captured not only my mind but my heart as well, I can't get them out of my mind and find myself with feelings I haven't felt in such a long time. I think the movie was great! They kept the essence of the book in the movie and was able to with the short 2 hours they had. I definitely think they could've gone longer to capture more of the relationship and a bit more of the Cullen family. Yes there were a few things off in the movie (I won't say them for those who haven't seen it yet). I sincerely hope Stephanie writes more Twilight books, finishing Midnight Sun and she could even go beyond with more (I have ideas). I cannot wait to see the rest of the series on screen - the actors and actresses did a great job becoming their characters and you can tell they worked very hard.

Kuddos to Stephanie for making sure she was involved in the movie process. Catherine did a great job - thank you so much Stephanie, Catherine, Melissa and Summit for bringing such a wonderful fantasy to life. Please hurry and make the rest - vampires don't age but actors do.

I was highly disappointed with the Eragon movie after reading the books. I wish someone else would re-do that movie completely and bring back what they screwed up. You can tell Christopher didn't like it either which is too bad, he's a fantastic writer and I'm sure he put too much heart and time into writing his series. The only movie that I've seen that has even come close to the books and were actually good movies are The Lord of the Rings. So people - please be realistic. What YOU read and picture in YOUR mind is going to be different than on screen and different from every other person. So, PLEASE Give them a break - they did a fantastic job with Twilight.

[Angel]

C'mon give it a break people! I havent seen the moivie yet, but me and my three daughters are tonight.But all this negativity is driving me crazy. Anyone and everyone should know that a movie that is based on a book is NEVER as good as the book. You need to go and see the movie with an open mind and dont set your expectations to high.Thats what me and my daughters are doing. I will post later after i see the movie and im sure its not as bad as everyone is saying it is.Two words describe all the negativity..... LOW BUDGET! Everyone knows that with all the attention this movie is getting it will be the top grossing movie this weekend and if it is... then it means more money to spend on New Moon when it goes into production! So stop hating and be patient...and look forward to the next three movies New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn getting better and better with each movie!

[Mikki]

I am a Twilight reader and mom, along with my family reading it as well. I've never read a book that has captured not only my mind but my heart as well, I cannot get it out of my mind. We all went and saw the movie yesterday and we all thought the movie was fantastic. They definitely grasped the essence of the book in the movie in the short 2 hours, they could've gone longer and still kept the audience interested. The actors and actresses did an excellent job in becoming their characters and you can tell they worked very hard. They could've gone more into the Cullen family and more into other area, but again they did great with the little time they had. I sincerely cannot wait for the rest of the series on screen, hopefully they will be longer 2 1/2-3 hours, that would definitely give them an opportunity to gain more of the books into the movies and still keep the audience. WB had the same problem with Harry Potter but have succeeded overall.

The only other book that was made into a movie that I believe was as good as the book was The Lord of the Rings movies. Of course I'm sure they had more finances involved. The other movie that I was completely devasted seeing was Eragon - I read those books and loved them but the movie was completely screwed up. I hope someone else re-does that movie correctly so they can actually complete the movie series. You can tell Christopher was disappointed, which is terrible because he is a fantastic writer.

So PLEASE people, give them a break - they did a fantastic job. Kuddos to Stephanie, Catherine, Melissa and Summit for bringing this fantasy to life. Great job to Rob, Kristen, Ashley, Nikki, Jackson, Kellan, Peter, Taylor and the rest of the cast! PLEASE hurry and make the rest of the films, vampires age and humans don't.

[Amy Beck]

I'm back again. I have already posted a comment and went again lastnight to watch the movie. For all you nay sayers out there, I advise going and watching the movie for the second time. Once you get past your expectations of the book and just watch the movie, which keeps the key details of the book in it, you will see how good it really is. You pick up on alot of subtle details you miss in the first viewing and you understand how the actors are portraying their characters better. The movie is actually really good and all of the actors did a great job. :)

[KLLMBC]

I've been twice; the Midnight showing Thursday and then again on Friday. I am a Twilight Mom I suppose, if you consider that I am not a Teen but have 2 teenage daughters that are also huge fans. We've all read the series several times and have been waiting patiently for the movie while absorbing absolutely every little tidbit of news that's been published on the internet etc.

I think the movie was extremely well done and very very enjoyable. One has to realize that this is an adaptation, and that is all it can be. If they were to follow the book verbatum it would have been 6 hours long and even that would not have been enough time to fit in every little nuance, every favourite phrase, smouldering look or burning desire between Edward and Bella. Looking at it as an adaptation rather than something that was supposed to be the book word for word they pulled it off impeccably . Robert and Kristen as well as the rest of the cast were amazing in their roles, the mood of the film was incredible, the music was extremely well chosen and well placed and by the time it ended it left me wanting more and looking forward to New Moon.

If fans are blinded and closed-minded by their perception of books then these movies will not fare well and that is unfortunate. If fans are open to allowing the imagination the Director and the Screenwriter to pull out as much of the essence of the books as possible to put it on film then there may be a chance that we could see more of these movies. If the fans allow the Actors the opportunity to perform these mythical characters in the way that they've perceived them then again maybe we will see them come back in future adaptations. Unfortunately the main audience is a fickle bunch and as we found with the release of Breaking Dawn they can sometimes be unforgiving so who knows what the furture holds for this franchise.

I wish the best of luck to this movie effort, they did an incredible job bringing this book to life. They went into it without the knowledge of how huge the fanbase was. They went into it without the benefit of a HUGE Hollywood budget. They were fans too and they wanted to do the best for something that they loved and I think that they should be applauded rather than criticized.

I am sure that none of you out there could have done it any better...

Catherine Hardwick, you pulled it off Congratulations!!

Robert Pattinson, no one could have brought Edward's brooding painful torment to the screen better than you, you were the embodiment of Edward Cullen, Amazing job!!

Kristen Stewart you were the perfect Bella Swan, your protrayal of this deeply emotional and perceptive character was bang on. I have a daughter this same age and she is exactly this way, you captured her perfectly, Well Done!!

To the rest of the cast you were awesome in your roles and portrayed these characters very well. I for one look forward to seeing you all in future adaptations of the books and look forward to seeing how your careers take off from here.

Kudos to Twilight, I look forward to more!!

[Lovin' the Twilight]

Hey! So I saw Twilight last night with a group of friends (guys and girls) all of whom already read the books. Now, we're a bit older and knew going in not to hold any real expectations, and over all we left satisfied. There was definatly some things that left you wondering (bella's lack of emotional diversity, lack of character development, and no where near enough sunlight sparklin' in my opinion!) But after watching it the first time and getting all the dissappointment out of the way, we stayed to watch it again, and have to admit, loved it the second time. Once we knew what to expect, (and where to hide our heads in shame for the poor people lol) we could really jsut sit back relax and enjoy the ride for what it was. A cute little teen movie, with some over (and under) acting, and a low budget. I left pleasently satisfied, and would totally go again.

and btw, hello Edward is beyond perfect... he's got the smirk nailed!

[Imaan]

OH MY EDWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE MOVIE WAS SOO FREAKING GOOD I LOVED IT I T WAS REALLY GOOD AND ROB AND KRISTEN WERE OUTSTANDING PLEASE GO SEE IT IT IS REALLY REALLY GOOD I JUST WATCHED IT AND NOW I'M LEAVING TO SEE IT AGAIN. GOOOOOO SEE IT!!!!!!

[Jasmine]

saw the movie too last night and imma a Twihard fan (i read the whole series in a week) and i LOVED it. I think it wasn't as serious as the book but if it wasn't funny do you think as many new fans would want to see it? It wouldn't make as much money if it wasn't alittle funny. Edward and bella played their parts very well and from the previews i wasn't expecting that. At first i was worried that they weren't going into enough detail and it would be hard for people who didn't read the book to understand what was going on. But it was the opposite. The people i went with hadn't read the books and they not only understood it perfectly but they LOVED it. Everyone was so hawt! Especially James! Edward, Jacob, Carlisle Emmett, Jasper All of them were so sexy! The girls were pretty too.Charlie was REALLY funny also! And i loved how it ended with a "to be continued" theme (with the surprise character at the end).

[bee-]

I am obsessively in love with the twilight series and think its just a great series overall... Its definitely an "attention grabbing" book...Although movies can never compare to the actual book, and nor did i expect it to be half as good as the book, I have to say i was COMPLETELY DISAPPOINTED.& wish that i would have just stayed content with my book fantasy. The characters were on point but their acting was NOT! There was no type of passion, or deep development of their love as to how it was portrayed in the book.I mean, was this an actual comedy? Because everyone in the theatre was laughing throughout the ENTIRE MOVIE. I mean, NOT ONCE did i laugh while i read these books. What a let down. Stephanie Meyer should be disappointed as well and be more involved in not letting the fantasy of her books get destroyed through on screen!

[Angel]

After two viewings, I am warming up to the film. The initial expectations are gone (along with some disappointment) and I can watch the film with enjoyment. If you think of the movie in terms of an independant film (very low budget and very young movie studio), as opposed to a Hollywood blockbuster, you will appreciate it more. Give it up to the promoters who really gave it that Hollywood blockbuster flare. I feel that if they continue to make the other movies, larger production budgets and learning from mistakes will help the future films of the saga. We should be happy that the characters we love so much have come alive on the big screen. Remember that there are a lot of character and story introductions in "Twilight" that should not have to be revisited in any future films of the series. This should give creators more of an opportunity to incorporate more of the books original writings into the movies and also tell a better story in accordance with the books. Lastly, be patient with Kristen and Rob. Although most of us noticed the same things in the acting, read some of the writings about how serious they were with regards to getting the characters right. Sometimes we all try a little to hard at something and things do not turn out as planned. I think the performances will improve as the two actors embrace their characters for possible future roles with the saga.

[Jess]

I thought it was great. Some people have too high standards, and it's not the movie's fault. Most people finsh the book in about a week, and it's hard too fit everything in a 2 hour movie. The cast was great, i loved the extra scenes, and they tried their best and it was good enough. I loved the cast for Bella's school cast the most. Anna is the perfect jessica, and I though Gregory was an amazing Tyler for his first time acting. It can't be perfect, but I would say it almost was.

[TwilightLover---]

I read all four books 6 times each, and I'm also the biggest film critic.....It ROCKED!!!!!!!!

[Victoria Dew]

I think overall, this movie was pretty good. id have to agree with jenny with the whole acting thing. it really seemed like half the scenes in the first 45 minutes were either meant to be funny, or the acting was just horrible. however, as the movie progressed it got alot better. i think that the actors they picked for the cullen family was really good, but i wish we had seen them more because i think it wouldve made for a better movie. i really thought the cullens' entrance into the school at the very beginning was very cool.i will say though, if you havent seen the movie yet i wouldnt go in thinking its gonna be a typical romance/action type movie. the way its filmed and directed is very different, not bad but different. i really like the mood music they had going throughout the movie, it really set the tone that the book seemed to set. i think honestly, it began and ended strong and thats what most people remember in the first place. with this movie though, i advise accepting helf of the first 45 minutes might suck to you, because it did to alot of other people haha. but again, as i said, give it a chance, because it gets ALOT better as it goes on, and remember people its a low budget movie! once this one shoots off their gonna have lots of money for the second one, i believe itll just get better and better. so if you didnt like it, dont give up hope!!

[Nat]

Ouch! This movie was not good. I knew it wouldn't be as good as the book but man, they could have at least tried! Where was the writer? Editor? Director? Was this a high school class project? The romance was sucked out of the movie. The actors could have been good if there was something for them to act out other than a lot of uncomfortable staring. Jasper? Bella seemed annoyed the whole time. They didn't develop the love story that the books so generously gave us. I can't believe anyone 'loved' this movie. It was underdeveloped and sadly but expectedly, did not live up to the hype. I also agree with previous reviewer, I wish the Cullens were more developed, they were cast perfectly. Overall, the cast has potential. Not sure if I want the sequel made. Its going to take a while to block this one out of my mind. Go at your own risk!

[CM]

People seem to forget that this was a low budget movie. For what they were given to make it, I think they did a pretty good job. Was it perfect? No. This movie was made with a budget of $37 million, I went into the theater expecting to hate it but I walked out like wow they did a good job considering they were given nothing for money to work with on such a popular book.

Kudos to the crew who worked so hard on trying to live up to such a phenomenon and Kudos to the cast for bringing to life characters we fell in love with. You may have some people who hated it but in this case, it seems that every where I have looked, the good out weighs the bad. I and many others that I know will be anxiously awaiting New Moon.

[Sadly Disappointed]

So Bella is Italian and likes Italian food (and the Cullens make it for her) based on her first name? And who remembers the nickname "Spider Monkey" from the book, or the flying up into trees, or the first kiss being in the wrong place with significantly less clothes on, or the out of sequence events, the infusion of humorus lines (or attempted humor) that made the audience laugh, etc, etc, etc.? And lets talk about the Volvo- I don't recall the book referencing Edwards hot Volvo as a hatchback...why not at least pony up for the real Volvo model referenced in the book- SR60 wasn't it? Don't hop all over me about the cynicism, but this movie missed the mark by miles. No pun intended, but it was WAY out there in left field even Edward could not have ran fast enough to catch up with it. The screen play left alot to be desired in the sense that many scenes should have been left out to make room for some scenes that actually happened in the book. The flow of events from day to day were not fluid, and it was excessively choppy at points. The inclusion of made up scenes that were not part of the origianl book did nothing to clarify viewers experience of the event flow. The only scene that I agree they needed to include that was not directly and explicitly referenced and included in the book was the ballet studio fight scene (which fell short of the potential it had). And can I say that the acting left much to be desired??? Kristen visually hit the mark for Bella, but her portrayal of the true characteristics of Bella was lacking in some areas. Edward was so-so with a poor makeup job, and the rest of the family was not on screen enough for me to make a real judgement call. The one character they really seemed to get right was Alice- too bad she didn't have more screen time since I think she had the potential to really redeem the casting director. I guess I will go back and read the book (for the 4th time) just to get back to Stephenie Meyer's vision of the vampire/mortal struggle of love and life.

[MzLoathsome]

BIG DISSAPOINTMENT, bella and edwards relationship had nothing special about it, The movie wasnt suppose to be a comedy, and what was wrong with Robert pattinson he played edward soo...retarded. Kristen I have to say played bella very well but I have to say I enjoyeed the basball scene (thts about it) but overall I give it a 2 star.