The Twilight movies are definitely not my cup of tea but they definitely are popular fantasy movies which is why I felt obligated to write a review of these movies and give my opinion on them.
Story
Over the course of the Twilight Saga movies (Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse) the young girl Bella comes in contact with a group of vampires, the Cullen family. She fall in love with the handsome Edward Cullen. Edward loves her as well but does not want a relationship as he is afraight to hurt her. In the absence of Edward, Bella also develops some sort a a relationship with the werewolf Jacob Black. When evil vampires are hunting Bella in the movies, both Edward and his family as well as Jacob and his “werewolf family” protect her. In the end, Bella has to choose between Edward and Jacob.
Themes & Elements
The Twilight movies are focused on teenagers (mostly girls) and all their issues surrounding first romances and insecurities. The contemporary fantasy, in the form of vampires and werewolves, simply is the setting that sets the movies apart and makes them more fascinating.
When looking at the themes of the movies, two stand out. First, there is the romance between Bella and Eward and the choice she has to make between Edward and Jacob. The other is that, when Bella finds out Edwards is a vampire and therfore immortal, she also wants to become a vampire. The question of whether or not it is justified for Edward to turn Bella into a vampire is an interesting one (vampires have no soul) but when it is discussed a couple of times you kind of get the point.
Conclusion
The combination of uninteresting story lines, bad acting and the focus on teenage girls make the Twilight movies a mixture of pretty all that I do not want to see in movies. Two more movies in the series will be made (Breaking Dawn – Part 1 in 2011 and Breaking Dawn – Part 2 in 2012) but I am pretty sure I will skip them.
My advice to you: if you have limiting time available, skip The Twilight Saga and watch some of the many other great fantasy movies around.
Official website of The Twilight Saga.
Tags: Contemporary Fantasy, Fantasy Movies, The Twilight Saga
