Twilight (2008)

YAY! I’ve seen Twilight. I’ll leave my review comments under a cut so I don’t spoil anything for anyone, but my sister and I got to the theater at 11:15, and by that time the whole back section of the theater was full. We had to sit near the front, and there were just so many people there. It was crazy. Then girls started screaming and clapping when the movie started. Lame much? My sister told me she hated me for subjecting her to such things.

As for the movie itself, I really, really enjoyed it. I’d seen a lot of clips online already, but I really didn’t know what to expect seeing them all placed together, but I really think it worked out great. Kristen Stewart, in my opinion, did a terrific job as Bella. There were voice overs at the beginning and end and a few places in between, and when I’d read in other places about them I thought that those could be really cheesy, but they weren’t at all. Some of the lines were actually straight from the book, which I thought was awesome, and Kristen delivered them with such true conviction that she definitely won me over for her portrayal of Bella.

I also thought Rob Pattinson was great. In a lot of interviews he said he wanted to play Edward slightly darker than he was in the books, and I can kind of see what he was talking about, and I liked what he was going for. While there were definitely moments of him smiling and appearing to be happy, you could also sort of feel that unease and restraint that he had to put into himself to keep from harming Bella. I thought that was really because I thought they might have a hard time translating that from book to screen.

I don’t think there was anyone in the cast who felt didn’t belong. All of the Cullens, even though they didn’t have very many lines, did a great job. Most of their parts consisted of looking around or being watched, but where you needed to see some sort of reaction in them, like when Bella is almost squished by the van, they were just perfect, and instead of just melting into the background, it always felt like they had some sort of presence in the film. Bella’s first meeting with them was really funny too. Even though the situation was significantly different from the norm, it still had all of the feeling of that awkward first meeting with your boyfriend’s family. And I absolutely loved the baseball scene. It was just really cool and looked like so much fun.

All of Bella’s human friends seemed to fit their roles pretty well too. I felt like Anna Kendrick was perfect as Jessica. She appeared friendly on the surface, but you could definitely sense the malice that Edward spoke of in Midnight Sun.

I also really loved Taylor Lautner as Jacob. He didn’t have a significant amount of screen time, but I think he did a great job with what he did have. I also have to say that I really loved the scene where he’s giving Bella his truck, and she hits him with the door when she’s opening it, and I just thought that was a great little thing to throw in there since Bella’s supposed to be so clumsy, but I don’t feel like they overdid it any way. I thought Billy and Charlie were great too. The way they interacted together was so funny, and Billy was just a crack up with all of his little quips about “keepin’ it real” and being “down with the kids.” Hearing Charlie say “yeah, you’re the bomb” was just great too.

I have no problem admitting that when I heard that they cast Billy Burke as Charlie I was kind of baffled because he looked nothing like I imagined in any way, but he definitely nailed down the whole Charlie vibe. I really think some of my favorite moments where interactions between Bella and Charlie. They just felt so consistent with the book even though they changed up the setting some.

I think the one thing I was most interested in was how they were going to make Edward sparkle. I had this intense fear that it was going to be something totally ridiculous and cheesy, but I think it turned out really well. It was a lot more understated and wasn’t at all over the top. Instead of having his sparking in the sun throughout the whole “meadow” scene, I think having him show her, then walk away and then having the sun come back out again worked really well.

I also really loved how they set the movie up for the sequels in more ways than just throwing Victoria in at the end. I felt they did a great job of staying true to the books while also making this movie something of it’s own as well. I just really loved the last scene at the prom of them dancing. Kristen did an awesome job of picking out the Iron & Wine song. It just fit into the movie so well, as did all of the other musical selections.

I think the only real problem I had with the movie was the pacing at the beginning. Bella’s voice overs and conversation definitely helped show the amount of time that had elapse between Edward and Bella’s first meeting and when he returns, but in other plays it felt like it was really hard to distinguish how much time was supposed to have passed. I felt like once they hit their stride, though, and things got going it really even out and turned out really well. I wasn’t thrilled with some of the other special effects - such as the running, but then again I wasn’t expecting them to me amazing considering their budget.

Overall, though, I left the theater feeling quite satisfied. I didn’t feel like their was anything left out of the movie that absolutely should have been there. I felt like it stayed very true to the books, and while the movie could have been a complete disaster, it came off really well. I can’t wait to see New Moon and Eclipse.

Veronica Mars [Season 1] (2004)

The first season of Veronica Mars can’t be described as anything other than pure gold. My friend Mel bought me the first season of the show as a gift. She was a fan and had been telling me I needed to watch it. Apparently, she decided to give me a shove in the right direction, and I couldn’t be more grateful to her for that because I had no idea what I was missing.

At the core of the show, despite each episode being about 17-year-old junion Veronica and her former sheriff father turned private detective solving cases, the real mystery that needs to be solved is who killed Veronica’s best friend, Lilly Kane. In spite of trying to make her way through the trials of high school where she is ostrosized by her former friends and classmates, each episode reveals a new clue about what really happened to Lilly.

With so many players and so much backstory, it could have been easy to be overloaded or become confused, but each kernel of information was revealed in a clever way, from flashbacks of events to simple, yet clever dialogue. I found myself on the edge of my seat, waiting for the moment when Veronica and her dad would finally solve the mystery.

When that moment came, I couldn’t have been more satisfied. Even with a conclusion I wasn’t at all expecting, every piece of information I’d learned from previous episodes made complete sense and fit perfectly. The first season of Veronica Mars is without a doubt one of the greatest television shows I’ve watched. It had me enthralled from start to finish and left me wanting more.

I Am Legend (2007)

I wouldn’t call myself an overly emotional person, so after watching I Am Legend, I feel I have no choice but to call it brilliant. Will Smith gave an excellent performance in this futuristic film where he is the last man on earth, searching for the cure to the virus that has all but killed the rest of humanity and left monsters of the night in it’s wake.

Most movies rely on the interactions between characters while this movie relied mostly on the shoulders of Will Smith’s character Doctor Robert Neville. The human interactions is limited through flashbacks and his friendship with his dog, Sam. This movie had me bawling before it was all over. The desperation I felt for this man, left alone in the world, was heartbreaking.

The movie was also very visually appealing. Seeing New York left in the wake of this man created virus, looking like a ghost town was haunting while the monsters themselves were frightening and looked every bit unhuman they were meant to be.

Unlike most movies where the characters are being hunted down by something undead, this movie had a sense of realism that was utterly frightening. To think that such a thing could occur by our own hands, and watching this man try to reverse this horrible events was truly compelling.

I finished this movie, feeling both saddened yet hopeful. It was definitely a brilliant film, and only helped cement my love for Will Smith’s amazing acting abilities.

Mini’s First Time (2006)

Since I’d already seen Nikki Reed play the role of the bad girl once before in Thirteen, her role in Mini’s First Time didn’t surprise me that much. She carry that bad girl role really well. In fact, the first time I got to see her play the nice girl was when she guest starred on The O.C., and that was a weird experience for me.

Mini’s First Time also stars Alec Baldwin and Carrie-Anne Moss, who both played roles I hadn’t expected. Carrie -Anne Moss played Mini’s non-caring, cheating, lush mother, who is pushed to the brink by her husband and daughter, after Mini seduces her stepfather, begins a relationship and convinces him to help her drive her mother insane.

I’ll be the first to admit that this movie was far from brilliant. It was somewhat predictable, yet an entertaining ride, nonetheless. In a movie full of so many faulty characters it was hard to know who to relate with. Even now, having finished the movie, I’m left wondering what to think and how I should feel about what I’ve just seen.

Even though the movie wasn’t the best I’ve seen, it still leaves me wondering, which has to count for something. All I really know is that I wouldn’t want to cross paths with Mini and get in her way any time soon.