Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope (1977)

Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope (1977)

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher.

Directed By: George Lucas

Plot: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a civil war has erupted between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance.  With the help of the new battleship, the Death Star, the Empire's victory is all but assured, but the Rebels have a plan that could possibly turn the tide of the war, which involves sending a astromech droid named R2-D2 to the desert planet Tatooine, along with his companion, C-3PO.  When the two droids cross paths with a young man named Luke Skywalker and a mysterious old hermit named Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi, they discover that Princess Leia (a Rebel leader) has been captured by the Empire, and is being held inside the Death Star.  With the help of a pair of smugglers named Han Solo and Chewbacca, they will attempt to rescue the princess and bring her and R2-D2 to the Rebel Alliance.  Can they accomplish both these goals while not getting killed in the process?

Characters: The characters in this film barely need an introduction, since they've become so iconic.  Nearly everyone gives a great performance, making their characters likable, interesting, and entertaining.  Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker does an amazing job showing the growth of his character.  Despite being naive and a bit immature at first, watching him mature and find a purpose in life is very satisfying to watch.  Harrison Ford gives an often hilarious performance as Han Solo.  While he may seem like a scoundrel at first glance, his comedic moments and charisma make his character one of the best in the whole movie.  James Earl Jones' voice as Darth Vader has become legendary, and for good reason.  He does a fantastic job of portraying the power, ferocity, and sophistication of the character, creating the building blocks for arguably the most famous villain of all time.  Probably the weakest major performance comes from Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia.  Most of the time, she's good enough, showing a snarky side and a courageous spirit, but the scenes between her and Vader are really weirdly acted.  She switches a faux-British accent on and off during these scenes, and it feels really awkward and makes little sense, especially when there's no explanation for it.  But for the most part, this film nails the acting department.  

Writing: This script is one of the defining examples of the hero's journey in film.  Luke (the hero) finds Princess Leia's message(the call to adventure), meets Obi-Wan Kenobi (meeting the mentor), and so on.  It's actually quite interesting how perfectly this story fits into the mold.  While it may seem lazy to create a story so close to a certain formula, in my opinion, it makes this story a classic.  All the scenes are memorable, whether it's the opening scroll, the Death Star blowing up Alderaan, or Luke, Han, and Leia trying to escape the trash compactor.  There are also many homages to old movies serials, like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers.  This is most apparent during the opening text, as well as the moments when the heroes are in some sort of peril.  You can almost imagine an announcer telling the audience to come back next week to see how they get out of their predicament. The plot moves at a relatively fast pace, getting through all the major plot points without staying in one place for too long, while also slowing down at the appropriate moments.  The dialogue can feel a bit too cheesy at times, especially in the very beginning, and this can turn some viewers off to the film.  However, as the film progresses, the dialogue feels less and less clunky, and eventually blends into the world that is created. 

Production: The design of this film is one of the reasons it still hold up today.  The sheer amount of creativity that went into the look of this film is very noteworthy.  The costumes for the aliens look amazing, especially Chewbacca, who still looks like a real creature.  The human costumes are also good, looking simple, yet unique to the world.  The spaceships are exquisitely detailed, and are almost works of art by this point.  When the Star Destroyer appears in the first scene, looming over the relatively puny rebel ship, chills run through me nearly every time.  The original special effects hold up pretty well today, including the space battles and the lightsabers.  However, there are some obvious effects, such as when the automatic doors are opening and closing, which is obviously a mediocre stop motion effect.  As some of you may know, George Lucas added a lot of CGI to the original trilogy, and this film arguably has it the worst (Han shot first, by the way), and this has made fans very angry.  In my opinion, the changes are a mixed bag.  They range from improving weaker moments (like when it's obvious that Obi-Wan is holding a fencing sword instead of a lightsaber) to ruining moments that needed no changes (such as the scenes in Mos Eisley, where a lot of poor CGI is added for no good reason).  John William's score is arguably his best in his large resume.  My favorite pieces would have to be the opening theme with its loud and triumphant tone, and Binary Sunset, which adds gravitas to the story.  The only real "flaw" with the score is that it doesn't include The Imperial March, which wouldn't be introduced until The Empire Strikes Back.  Watching scenes with the empire seems strange without it.

Trivia:

• The skeleton that C-3PO passes on Tatooine was left on location in Tunisia after filming.  When the crew for Attack of the Clones returned for filming in 2001, they found it was still there.  
• When Lucas screened an early cut of the film to his director friends, the only person who believed that it would be a hit was Steven Spielberg.
• The planet Tatooine is never mentioned by name in this film.
• Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin) found the boots for his costume to be very uncomfortable.  So he only wore them when they were shooting full body shots, and wore fuzzy slippers the rest of the time.

Final Verdict: In case you didn't guess before, I love this movie.  As I said in my last editorial, this film was part of my childhood, and holds a very dear place in my heart.  Even without added nostalgia, this film still holds up, even after nearly 40 years of age.  The special effects are great, the score is fantastic, and the story and its characters have become iconic.  If you are one of the very few that hasn't seen this film, or if you haven't seen it in a while, stop what you are doing and go watch it.  I highly recommend it.

   

Next time, I'll take a look at the first volume of a bride's revenge against her ex-lover.

Stay Tuned

Daredevil (2003)

Daredevil (2003)

Starring: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, and Colin Farrell

Directed by: Mark Steven Johnson

Plot: Matthew Murdock is a down on his luck lawyer in Hell's Kitchen (a neighborhood of New York City) who was blinded at a young age by a toxic chemical.  Luckily, the chemical enhanced his other senses, as well as giving him a new "radar sense" that allows him to "see" the world around him.  This allows him to become Daredevil, a vigilante who protects the innocent against criminals.  Unfortunately, this lifestyle doesn't lead to many long lasting relationships, until one day, he meets a beautiful woman named Elektra Natchios.  They immediately hit it off, and start dating, as things start finally looking up for Matt.  However, crime boss Wilson Fisk (a.k.a. the Kingpin) has ordered a hit on Elektra's father for trying to bail on their dealings, and hires the marksman known as Bullseye to pull off the assassination.  And when the Kingpin assassinates someone, he goes after their whole family.  Will Matt be able to protect his new love and take down the biggest crime lord in Hell's Kitchen?  

Characters: For the most part, this film is pretty well acted, with every cast member giving a decent performance.  Ben Affleck makes an okay Matt Murdock.  He pulls off the stunts well, and his chemistry with Jennifer Garner feels genuine.  He also does a great job with the physicality of being a blind person, using small details such as feeling the walls to figure out where he's going, or staring off into space when he's having a conversation with someone.  Jennifer Garner is also pretty good as Elektra.  She manages to balance the emotional and physical aspects of her character pretty well.  Despite this, I don't think she was the best choice to play Elektra, since the character is supposed to be Greek, and Garner is obviously not.  However, the best performances come from Michael Clarke Duncan and Colin Farrell as Kingpin and Bullseye (respectively).  They both look like they're having the time of their lives, hamming it up whenever they get the opportunity.  Duncan was a great choice as the Kingpin, giving off a great sense of power and confidence that the character needs.  Farrell, on the other hand, is just insane, and uses every opportunity to act crazy, which is very entertaining. 

Writing:  Despite having a fairly simple plot, this film feels very overstuffed.  Elements like Ben Urich reporting on Daredevil's activities and the Kingpin's assassination attempts feel shoehorned into the story in order to make room for the romance.  This also goes the other way, with the action scenes making the romance feel rushed.  I'm fine with having a movie be romantic as well as full of action, but the writers should have chosen to chose between making the film a love story or an action movie if they wanted to make the film under 100 minutes, instead of trying to do both and making both sides weaker for it.  Affleck, despite putting in a passable performance, is very poorly written.  His dialogue is okay at best and cheesy at worst.  Also, his character arc is very ill defined.  The the movie tells the audience that he's learned how to be a better hero, but his actions never show a change. Garner, like Affleck, is also very poorly written.  She falls in love with a man she just met, her reasons for learning martial arts are ill-defined, and she feels like she was shoved into the movie because of her character's popularity in the comics, making her feel like a cardboard cutout of a much more fascinating character.     

Production: The film has a very stylized look to it, with great lighting and coloring.  Many of the scenes, especially the ones with young Matt Murdock, look like they've been ripped right out a comic book, which looks very cool.  The sets are also well made and convincing, with Wilson Fisk's office being a particular highlight.  Unfortunately, those are about the most positive things I can say about the production.  The choice of nu metal for the soundtrack was unique, but it doesn't really fit the character of Daredevil in my opinion.  The action scenes aren't that great either, using a clunky mix of wire fu and CGI that doesn't hold up very well.  There are many scenes where characters will jump impossibly far distances without breaking a sweat, and are replaced with rubber-like CGI stand-ins while doing so, which can really take the audience out of the movie.  This is most apparent in the final fight between Bullseye and Daredevil, where all of these elements come together in a very silly-looking climax. 

Trivia:

• The eye contacts Ben Affleck had to wear in order to appear blind were so thick that they actually block out most of his vision, effectively making him blinded for real.
• This was the film that Affleck would meet his future wife, Jennifer Garner.  They would meet again when he filmed a cut scene on the spin-off, Elektra, where the actors started their relationship.
• Affleck was originally supposed to play Bullseye, while Colin Farrell was supposed to play Daredevil, but were recast after auditioning.
• There are many cameos of and references to comic writers and artists who worked on the Daredevil comic.  Many of the boxers Matt's dad fights are named after famous comic writers (including Brian Bendis and and John Romita), Frank Miller (the man credited with revamping the character) is killed by Bullseye for his motorcycle, and Kevin Smith (another writer on the comic) plays a lab assistant named Kirby (after Jack Kirby, one of the comic's first artists).

Final Verdict: I wouldn't consider myself a huge fan of Daredevil, but I know enough to recognize that the filmmakers could have done a lot better.  Although it does have some entertaining performances (especially from the villains) and an interesting visual aesthetic, the poor CGI, awkward action scenes, and overstuffed plot drag the film down.  I know that there's a supposedly better director's cut out there, but this is a critique of the finished product, not the director's original vision.  As it stands, I definitely do not recommend seeing this film.  Instead, if you want to see a faithful adaption of the character, I would suggest watching the recent Netflix original series, Daredevil.  It has better acting, better fights, and the thirteen episode format allows plot threads to play out more smoothly.

Next time, in preparation for the much anticipated seventh installment, I'll start my journey that takes place a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

Stay Tuned     

Harvey Reacts: Star Wars

Harvey Reacts to:

The Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer

Ever since I was a little kid, I have been a fan of Star Wars, specifically the first one, A New Hope.  It had everything, from aliens to spaceships to lightsabers, everything a little boy could want.  Eventually, I saw The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, as well as The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones (I actually have yet to see Revenge of the Sith all the way through).  While I would eventually dislike the prequels, I will always be a fan of the original trilogy.  So when it was announced that Episode 7 was in the works, I was very excited.  When the first teaser dropped, my excitement level reached a new high.  In case you haven't seen it, here it is:

Awesome, right?  While it doesn't show much in terms of story or meaningful dialogue, it still brings me joy to see the Millennium Falcon flying to the Star Wars theme, and the teasing of new characters intrigued me.  After a while, my excitement began to calm down.  But a few weeks ago, the second trailer was released on the internet.  Here it is:

 

As soon as I saw the first shot of the star destroyer in the desert with the force theme playing, I nearly cried.  This whole trailer is absolutely amazing.  The special effects are awe inspiring, blending the CGI and practical effects seamlessly.  I especially enjoyed the Stormtrooper being flung away by an explosion.  You can almost hear the Wilhelm Scream.  The new footage is great, dropping interesting hints about what happened after Return of the Jedi.  I'm very fascinated by the new characters, especially John Boyega as Finn.  If the film goes in the direction that I believe it will, we might see the Star Wars universe from the eyes of a Stormtrooper, which is potentially fascinating.  Of course, I can't leave out Luke Skywalker's voice-over, as well as Han Solo and Chewbacca on the Millennium Falcon.  That was just the icing on an already delicious cake.  It will be interesting to see how they fit into this story, and I hope they don't take the spotlight away from the new characters in the series.  I cannot get more hyped for this movie.  You can consider my ticket for opening weekend bought.  December can't come fast enough.

What do you guys think?  Are you excited for Star Wars: The Force Awakens?  Next time, I'll try to find the time to review Daredevil.

Stay Tuned  

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Directed By: Edgar Wright

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Timothy Dalton.

Plot: Nicholas Angle Angel is the best at what he does, and what he does, is police work.  With 400% more arrests than any other officer in London, Angel is promoted to sergeant, but is transferred to the small town of Sandford, due to him making the rest of the officers look bad in comparison.  He begrudgingly agrees, and immediately arrests many underage drinkers and one drunk driver, who turns out to be his new partner.  Over the next few weeks, they'll investigate various petty crimes, but suddenly, a string of mysterious and suspicious deaths leads Angel to believe that there's a murderer in town.  Unfortunately, no one believes him.  Is he correct in his assessment, or will become the embarrassment of the town?

Good: This film does a lot of the same things right that its predecessor, Shaun of the Dead did.  Simon Pegg is once again amazing as Nicholas Angel.  He pulls off the intensity of the strictly by-the-book sergeant, using a near deadpan voice, and rarely ever smiling.   This makes him a great straight man to the madness surrounding him, whether its chasing a runaway swan or investigating a sea mine.  Nick Frost is also great as his partner, Danny Butterman.  His innocence and naivete make him the heart of the movie, and his constant references to famous cop movies make a great satire of action films.  Both Pegg and Frost have great chemistry on screen, and its great to see their friendship grow as the story unfolds.  The rest of the cast is also great, with some of the highlights being Jim Broadbent as the good-natured chief inspector and Timothy Dalton as the suspicious supermarket manager.  The writing is also great, creating a memorable story within layers of great jokes.  Almost all the jokes hit their mark perfectly, no matter if they're physical or verbal.  One of the great moments is when Nicholas and Danny see an awful rendition of Romeo and Juliet, where the performers have a ridiculous song and dance number after a "dramatic" moment.  The combination of the terrible acting and wonderful reactions of the leads make this scene amazing to watch.  The action is also phenomenal, using practical stunts and effects to really make it look more visceral, and the comedy and fast editing make it very entertaining.  The violence, while few and far between, is also very well realized, with great gore and blood effects.  Another excellent aspect of the film is the editing.  Everything seems to move at a breakneck speed, with quick jump cuts showcasing the passage of time in an efficient and comedic way.

Bad: While they all pull in good performances, the rest of the police squad in Sandford aren't that great.  They range from boring (like Olivia Colman as the only woman on the team) to annoying (like Paddy Considine and Rafe Spall as the detectives).   They make the story much more cliche when they don't believe Nicholas, and start acting like idiots when presented with legitimate evidence.  While this may not be a problem for some people, the quick jumps and speedy pace might make it difficult for some viewers to keep up with the story without paying more attention to what's happening.  Also, those who didn't like Shaun of the Dead's style of comedy probably won't be swayed over to the supporters side, since it's very similar in tone and execution.

Trivia:

• Both Peter Jackson and Cate Blanchett make cameos as Father Christmas and Angel's girlfriend (respectively).
• Simon Pegg lost about 28 pounds in order to play the part of Nicholas Angel.
• Many police officers have claimed that this is one of the most accurate cop films ever, due to the acknowledgement that there is a lot of paperwork in police work.
• In the original script, Nicholas had a love interest named Victoria, and when she was cut, much of her dialogue was given to Danny.

 
Final Verdict: Despite having some minor issues, Hot Fuzz is a blast to watch.  It's hilarious, action packed, and has memorable characters.  In my opinion, Shaun of the Dead is a better movie, due to it having better characters and a more unpredictable script, but that's setting a pretty high bar.  This film is still a worthy successor, and a great addition to the Cornetto Trilogy.

Next time, with so much talk about Ben Affleck as Batman in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice next year, we'll look at his first dive into superhero movies.

Stay Tuned        

Pleasantville (1998)

Pleasantville (1998)

Directed by: Gary Ross

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Jeff Daniels, and Joan Allen.

Plot: David and Jennifer may be twins, but they're far from similar.  While Jennifer is extroverted and popular, David is introverted and awkward.  These conflicting personalities come to a head when Jennifer wants to watch a concert on MTV, which happens to air the same time as a marathon of David's favorite show, the 1950s sit-com "Pleasantville".  This leads to the TV remote getting broken, bit a mysterious repairman quickly replaces it with a magical one, that sends the twins inside the monochrome world of Pleasantville, where everything is, well, pleasant.  Using his advanced knowledge of the show, David tries to blend in with his surroundings, but Jennifer's rebellious nature causes many changes within the town, including the addition of color to certain objects and people.  How will the townspeople react to the sudden changes in the only world they've known, and will David and Jennifer be able to escape the show?

Good: The acting in this film is great, especially from the people of the titular town.  They do a great job portraying the innocence and almost childlike behavior of their characters, and it's fascinating to watch their reactions to the changes that happen throughout the film.  Jeff Daniels as Bill Johnson, the owner of the soda shop, is a great example of this, as he starts out as clueless without instruction, but shows hidden depths when he discovers his artistic talent.  Joan Allen and William H. Macy are also fantastic as Betty and George Parker, the main parental unit in the show, displaying the different reactions towards the changes that occur.  Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon as David and Jennifer make good leads, and their respective character arcs are interesting to follow.  One of the best characters comes from Don Knotts (of The Andy Griffith Show fame) as the TV repairman.  Not only is this a clever cameo, his character is always hilarious whenever he's on screen.  Randy Newman's music is excellent, ranging from smooth jazz to a beautiful suite.  The writing is also amazing, with themes of change, repression of who you really are, and the false hope of an 'ideal' life.  While some parts are a bit on the nose, many of these messages are important to remind the audience.  This story could've easily been about just the hijinks that would ensue when '90s kids are stuck in a '50s sit-com, but they decided to go the extra mile by including these themes.  But by far, the best part of the film is the special effects.  The mixture of color with black and white is beautiful, and adds to the overall themes of the film.

Bad: Despite never having seen color or experienced things like rain, the people of Pleasantville seem to recognise what they are almost immediately.  They still react with surprise and shock, but the fact that they can identify what the changes are called seems a bit lazy.  Also, as the story continues and becomes more complex, Jennifer seems to get pushed to the background.  This is unfortunate, since she's the one that gets the plot moving by introducing sex and other concepts to the world, and her character arc is pretty interesting.  Finally, the addition of a villain to the story feels a bit lazy.  It gives the characters someone to put the blame on, rather than making the antagonist people's opposition to change in general.  While this does happen during the film, it could've been handled a bit better.

Trivia:

• The books that David describes to the teens in Pleasantville are The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Catcher in the Rye, two of the most banned books in America.
• In the original script, the TV repairman was supposed to be played by Dick Van Dyke.
• Though many people believe that the shot of David raising his arms in the rain is a tribute to The Shawshank Redemption, according to the director, this wasn't intentional.
• When Jennifer enters Pleasantville, she becomes a character called Mary Sue, which is also a fan fiction term for a character who solves all the other characters problems, as well as when an author inserts him/herself in the story as a character.

Final Verdict: I'm surprised that this film isn't as well known as it should be.  It has great characters, smart writing, and amazing visual effects.  The concept alone makes it one of the most unique movies I've every seen.  In short, I'd recommend it to anyone who's interested in this story idea, especially if you grew up watching these kinds of sit-coms.

Next time, we'll return to the world of Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Edgar Wright, and Cornettos.

Stay Tuned

Mary Poppins (1964)

Mary Poppins (1964)

Directed by: Robert Stevenson

Starring: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, and David Tomlinson.

Plot: It's London in 1910, and the Banks family is having trouble keeping a nanny, due to the children (Jane and Michael) constantly running away.  This leads Mr. Banks, who runs a strict and firm household, to put an advertisement in the paper in search of a new governess.  The next day, a woman by the name of Mary Poppins literally blows away the competition, and immediately becomes the new nanny, much to the confusion of Mr Banks.  Wary at first, the children warm up to her after they realize that there's something magical about their new governess.  Through a series of adventures, Mary Poppins and her friend Bert will teach the children valuable life lessons, but Mr. Banks remains unmoved.  Will Mary be able to make him see the importance of family and the values of kindness?

Good: This film is a masterpiece in nearly every aspect.  It has amazing performances from all of its leads, including Julie Andrews as the titular character.  She pulls off the complexities of the mysterious character, while also making her seem human enough for the audience to care about her.  Andrews's singing voice is also amazing, and she's one of the reasons the songs are so memorable.  Dick Van Dyke is also very entertaining as Bert.  He accomplishes a lot of the comedy with ease, and the chemistry he has with the rest of the cast feels genuine.  Another fantastic performance comes from David Tomlinson as George Banks. He starts out as completely unlikable, but throughout the course of the movie, as the lordly life he leads becomes slowly tarnished, he becomes more and more sympathetic.  The other cast members are also good, including a delightful performance from Ed Wynn as Uncle Albert.  The writing is also amazing, with a subtle feminist feel to it.  Whether its Mrs. Banks being a suffragette to Jane being the more reasonable of the two children, this film can be interpreted as pro-women's rights.  All of the characters are written wonderfully, especially Mary Poppins.  She's firm but kind, whimsical but sensible, and proper but energetic, which makes her a fascinating character to watch.  While she does show some characteristics of a Mary Sue (such as the majority of the characters taking an instant liking to her, as well as being described as "practically perfect in every way"), unlike Bella Swan, Mary is more of a plot device than a character, pushing the characters in a certain direction.  Also, Mary has a charisma and energy that Mary Sues don't have.  The special effects are pretty good for the time, with the blending of the live action characters and the animated backgrounds being a particular highlight.  However, the best aspect of the film is the music.  The Sherman brothers have done great soundtracks before (such as The Jungle Book and The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh) but this is probably their best work.  These are songs the audience will be humming for many days to come, including "A Spoonful of Sugar", " Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", and "Feed the Birds".  Without these songs the film would fall into obscurity.

Bad: Despite being a great movie, Mary Poppins isn't perfect.  One of the most common criticisms towards the film is that Dick Van Dyke's cockney accent is something quite atrocious.  And yeah, if you know what a real cockney accent sounds like, those criticisms ring very true.  Also, some of the scenes can go on for just a bit too long, such as the Jolly Holiday and Step In Time sequences.  Finally, some people might not like some of Mary Poppins's Mary Sue tendencies.

Trivia:

• Karen Dotrice's and Matthew Garber's (Jane and Michael Banks, respectively) reactions to the medicine changing color were genuine. They were also unaware that Mr. Dawes Sr. was played by Dick Van Dyke.
• Despite saying that this was the best film he's worked on, Dick Van Dyke believes that he was miscast as Bert.
• "Feed the Birds" was Walt Disney's favorite song while working on the film, and would tell the Sherman brothers to play it for him after long days at work.
• P.L. Travers (the author of the original book) was very resistant to the idea of Disney creating an adaptation of her story.  She had major qualms about the musical numbers, the casting of Dick Van Dyke, and the animation sequences.  After years of begging and compromising, Walt Disney finally convinced her to give him the rights.  Even after the movie was released, she still disliked the film's treatment of her creation.

Final Verdict: When I had to make the Bad section of this review, I had to really stretch to find anything I disliked about it.  In my opinion, this is one of Disney's best movies as well as one of the best musicals ever made.  The characters are memorable, the acting is great, and the songs are amazing.  If you haven't watched this movie yet, stop reading this review and go buy it now.  You won't regret it.  It's practically perfect in nearly every way.

Next time, I'll take a look at what would happen if two '90s kids found themselves trapped in a '50s sitcom.  What could possibly go wrong?  

Stay Tuned

Twilight (2008)

Twilight (2008)

Directed by: Catherine Hardwike

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Billy Burke

Plot: After her mother remarries, Bella Swan decides to move from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington to live with her father.  When she arrives at her new home, she immediately makes many friends at her new school.  They warn her not to interact with the Cullens, a group of rich, pale, and antisocial foster siblings, especially Edward Cullen.  After saving her from an out of control van, Bella begins to suspect that there's something supernatural about him.  She tries to get him to confess, but he refuses to tell her, and warns her to stay away from him.  Despite his warnings, she continues to interact with him, until she discovers that Edward is a vampire.  Now that they're being honest with each other, they begin to develop a romance.  Unfortunately, a small group of nomadic vampires have been killing various people around town.  When one of them realizes that the Cullens have been interacting with a human, he decides that she'd be good prey to hunt.  Will Edward and his family be able to protect Bella from becoming vampire chow?

Good: Despite what many people have claimed, this movie does have some redeeming qualities.  Billy Burke as Bella's dad does a great job as the concerned father and the dedicated police chief.  It would have been cool if there was a story about him and his struggle between caring for his daughter, while also solving a supernatural murder mystery.  Taylor Lautner is good as Jacob Black, making the friendship he has with Bella seem natural.  Peter Facinelli is also serviceable as Dr. Carlisle Cullen, who's dedication to his family is very evident in all of his scenes.  There are some moments when the two leads have some genuine moments of emotion, such as when the Cullens and Bella play baseball during a thunderstorm.  The audience can see the genuine bond these characters have for each other as they use their powers to have fun together.  It's also one of the few moments when the movie decides to have fun with its premise.  I wish the rest of the film had been like this small scene.

Bad: Although there are some moments of good acting from the leads, for the most part, they're very flat.  Kristen Stewart as Bella rarely shows any emotion, even when she's in danger.  Robert Pattinson as Edward is not much better, with his acting ranging from boring to hilarious.  It's very difficult to watch the scene where Edward reveals his sparkly skin to Bella, and not smile when he says that "It's the skin of a killer".  However, this isn't necessarily the actors fault.  They've put in good performances in the past, so I have to assume that this was a mistake on the director's part.  The special effects are serviceable at best, and awful at worst.  The effects for the sparkly vampire skin and Edward's super speed are laughable, and take away from the seriousness of many of the scenes.  Also, the majority of the daytime scenes in Forks have a blue filter on constantly.  While this is obviously a stylistic choice (since I can tell you from experience that the Pacific Northwest is not constantly blue and grey), it makes the film look really bland.  The biggest problem, however, is the writing.  None of the dialogue feels genuine, with many of the conversations ending abruptly, leaving the audience confused.  The pacing is awkward, with 75% of the film focusing on the romance, then some antagonists suddenly show up for the last quarter of the story with very little build up.  Most of the characters are all written with very few flaws, especially the main cast.  The Cullens are incredibly bland and one dimensional, with very little personalities.  Edward's only personality traits seem to be either creepiness (more on that later) or blandness.  However, Bella is the worst offender then it comes to characterization is Bella.  Like The Room's Johnny, Bella's a great example of a Mary Sue.  This is most evident when she arrives at her new school, and nearly everyone either falls in love with her, or become her best friend.  I find it ironic when she tells one of her friends to take control of her life, because she is a "strong, independent woman", since she ends up wanting to dedicate her life to a man she's only known for about a couple months.  She even goes as far as wanting to make the ultimate sacrifice and become a vampire just so she can be with him for eternity.  While it may be that she only feels an attraction towards Edward, as many teenagers do when they have a crush on someone, but he constantly sends up red flags that even a teenager would notice.  He has sudden angry mood swings, he constantly talks about how he wants to taste her blood, and he even watches her in her sleep without her permission.  Bella ignoring these obvious warning signs makes her seem like an idiot.  Not only does this make her a bad character, it makes her a horrible role model for some of the audience members.  While many of these issues are from the source material (from what I've heard), it's the filmmakers' fault that these issues remained in the adaptation.

Trivia: 

• During the scene where Edward perform "Bella's Lullaby", Robert Pattinson was actually playing the piano.
• Kristen Stewart had to wear a hair pieces so that the crew didn't have to use up time doing her hair, leaving more time to film.
• Robert Pattinson spent a few weeks before shooting not talking to anyone in order to feel as isolated as his character.
• The movie grossed about $69.6 million during its opening weekend, which was the largest opening for a movie directed by a woman, as well as one starring a woman.

Final Verdict: When I first went into this film, I was expecting a movie on par with The Room, with many laughs to be had at how horrible it would be.  However, for the most part, it's pretty boring.  Oh sure, there are some moments that were genuinely good (i.e., the baseball scene) and some that are so bad they're hilarious (i.e., the sparkly scene).  I just couldn't get into the unrealistic romance, the bland characters, and the poor special effects.  I would only recommend this movie if you were already a fan of the books, because if your not, this won't make you a fan.

  

Next week, we'll look at my first review of a musical on my blog, with Mary Poppins.

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