By the way I’ll talk a bit about the books and films as a while but will mention the differences every now and again, oh and note I’m not taking aim at any of the actors just the characters. Oh if you haven’t read it or seen the films maybe don’t read…lol but up to you! And there is a slight spoiler alert as I mention about film 4 (if you are yet to watch it).
When I had first heard about the craze of Meyer’s book I wondered what the fuss was all about, I hadn’t heard much but apparently it was really, really popular. The first time though I had even heard it existed was the fact the first book was being made into a film. Naturally I was curious about the film. I went to see it, and yes I enjoyed it I think it told a decent story. A story many us have seen in all other films and read in books, and if you’re like me, you’ve probably written a similar story line. Boy meets girl, they fall in love and go on through all sorts of mishaps, adventures and all that…with the ending being what we always see…happily ever after.
So what made this story any different the rest? Well first of you have humans, vampires and wolves all somehow inter-connected with their relationships. After all the girl’s madly in love (a little too suddenly) with the vampire (which she doesn’t realise is one until a bit later) and the wolf (not seen as one until the second book/film) is in love with the girl.
This is, without a doubt many a teenager’s dream. We’ve all been there girls; we’ve all dreamed of meeting that one perfect man…right? Admittedly I have! (yes, I have when I have been board at school and distracted myself by paying attention to the cute guy I always see..etc..) To us he is someone who is dead set perfect, has no flaws and is totally utterly irresistible. In this respect I can understand Meyer’s fascination and story-telling of Edward as a character, but I by no means like it. For mind he is too perfect, his only flaw apparently is that he hates himself for what he is, which apparently he considers as a ‘monster’. Since Twilight and its fellow books are all written in first person just from Bella’s perspective, with the exception of the last book which we hear a bit from Jacob’s side of the story..to her I guess she sees her life as being a waste of time and boring where as Edward has it all and hence is put up on a pedestal.
I have read parts of Twilight but stopped reading after the meadow scene. I got sick of all the description and too much of the perfection that is Edward. Perhaps one day I’ll go back and re-read it and finish it…perhaps that remains to be seen.
Now film wise I think it did a good job and I did see it before reading it hence I don’t know, at the time what they left out and what they kept, understandably films have a time limit and to make it interesting it has to be short and sharp and to the point and the film did it so we didn’t have to waste all the time waiting to get to the next bit. However it could have slowed down some areas and made it more of a build up it seemed too rushed at the time and they definitely fell in love far too quickly; and I think throughout it always felt to me like she was mainly fascinated and infatuated with him rather then in love.
New Moon is a film did a better job, because we really got to see and understand Bella’s torment, anger and depression as she tried to deal with her losses, the sad bit about the film is it didn’t really explore further her relationship with Jacob and how it involved, with Jake obviously falling more in love with her, and like the first film (with Bella and Edward being in love) it just got pushed a bit to suit the story and that is a real pity. The ending of it I dislike, because I haven’t read the book I can’t comment on how the film should have entered but ending with a proposal just didn’t feel right. After all its pretty obvious what her answer would be, even though in Eclipse they try to delay it as much as they could with Bella saying no every time Edward asked her at the start.
Eclipse is also a very good film and Jacob’s story or some of it actually appears and we see a lot more of him at his element, taking control and growing up gradually which will reach its high point in the final book/film. In some ways I guess it makes for the lack of Bell and Jacob’s story from the second film but again not enough!
*SPOILER ALERT*
Breaking Dawn part 1
Have seen the film tonight and overall it is a fantastic film I enjoyed it, like the previous three films it gets straight to the point and kept me interested. Definitely tells a great story, but I must say with all the talking point about the ‘big wedding’, that one really let down. It wasn’t that great (trailer made it look so wonderful), just wasn’t what I personally was expecting, after all shouldn’t you be happy at your own wedding? What’s up with the depressed state of mind she was in…and yes the other talking point was the ‘sex scene’ bit, and again all hype but no much to go on. I know with films there again is limit on what you can or can’t show..but please. Not exactly something to make a big deal about it. I’m sure adult films have much, much more than what this film showed, seriously. Pfft. Not exactly one I’d say was much to go on. The scenes that did impress me involved a lot of Jacob and the wolves. I like the way, when the wolves are all deciding what to do with their impending threat (of the baby) and Jacob is all like: screw Sam and whatever he thinks. He takes his own stance and becomes the head man and explodes and tells Sam where he belongs (as said in the voice over, about how he is the rightful pack leader…etc). Even when he’s telling Seth and Leah off and distracting the other wolf members when the vamps have to go and hunt and find food he’s now the man in charge and nobody messes with him.
To me, Jacob’s probably the most rounded out character, and he is who he is and hasn’t allowed the fact he is a wolf and a leader to change what he feels and thinks about any situation. You compare that to Edward who always seems to be moaning, and whinging about his past issues and how he can’t live with himself and doesn’t want to hurt anyone…ugh. I keep wanting to say he should just grow the hell up and get on with it!
So if, you like to watch the films and not read the books do so it definitely tells the story well and you have to make your own mind about it and not worry what anyone says.
My thought in general I’ve liked it and will, probably end up seeing Part 2 next year lol but for now I’m partly satisfied. The only issue I have with Breaking Dawn (from what I have heard in the book version) is somehow just because Jacob ended up imprinting on the baby, suddenly like magic he forgets about being in love with Bella! Weird. Sure as we all fall in and out love and it can happen quickly or slowly; but come on when someone has been in love with a person for a long time you can’t tell me just because they’ve met someone new they immediately for get about it. Look maybe it does happen and I’m yet to see them all I know is when you’ve fallen hard for someone, you won’t forget them very easily. Sure your new person might take your mind off the former person you loved but it will not just fade away like that or like Meyer writes it.
For the record I dislike Meyer’s vampires. Too plain, too easy-going, too perfect and they had absolutely no mystery about them, nothing to suggest or keep me interested for very long. I also felt the vampires lots themselves somewhere between the first and fourth film (maybe they improve in film 5?) and just were’t appealing anymore.
As you can tell I definitely like the wolves more from this whole series and without a doubt my have character is of course Jacob. 🙂
