Product Description

Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) doesn’t expect much when she moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, until she meets the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson)—a boy who’s hiding a dark secret: he’s a vampire. As their worlds and hearts collide, Edward must battle the bloodlust raging inside him as well as a coterie of undead that would make Bella their prey. Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling sensation by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight adds a dangerous twist to the classic story of star-crossed lovers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #185 in DVD
• Brand: Universal
• Released on: 2009-03-21
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Dubbed in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 122 minutes

Amazon.com
The big-screen adaptation of Twilight, Stephenie Meyer's bestselling vampire romance, is aimed squarely at its key demographic: teen girls whose idea of Prince Charming is a brooding, pale, undead teen who could kill you instantly at any moment. Such a prince is more fascinating than frightening to new girl Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), who moves to the rainy-gray town of Forks, Wash., to live with her dad (Billy Burke), the local sheriff who's puzzled by a series of "animal attacks." On her first day at school, Bella appears to (visibly) nauseate her lab partner, Edward (Robert Pattinson). Turns out the scent of her blood is this vampire's "brand of heroin," and his struggle not to kill her causes an irresistible pull toward her. Whether he's attracted for the normal reasons or because she smells especially sweet to him is vague in the book and even less clear on-screen; nonetheless, Bella falls hopelessly in love with Edward, which sets her on a dangerous path when a few nomad vampires show up in town, one particularly keen on tracking the human. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen), Twilight is full of funny moments--not all of which are intentional--and the casting, from Stewart to Bella's self-absorbed friend Jessica (Anna Kendrick) is spot-on. The weakest link, unfortunately, is Pattinson. While he certainly looks the part, his Edward could have used an extra injection of testosterone (Pattinson, who is British, used James Dean as a model for his American accent). In scenes where he growls about the temptation to kill those who would harm Bella, or flitting around a forest warning her how dangerous he is, he comes off more like a whimpering puppy than a debonair monster. The good news is, his chemistry with Stewart (particularly in their big kissing scene) is palpable, which, let's face it, is really what matters to Twilight fans most. --Ellen A. Kim

On the DVD
The special features for Twilight kick off with an audio commentary with director Catherine Hardwicke and stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. There's some mumbling and groaning from Stewart (one gets the impression that Stewart is quite similar to her reserved character in the film), some standard behind-the-scenes observations from Hardwicke, and a lot of awkward self-deprecating remarks from Pattinson (of their big kiss, he opines: "This is quite difficult 'cause I have a really flat head, and so it's quite difficult to get a correct angle."). What's funny is Pattinson stumping Hardwicke with some basic plot questions, like "Why doesn't James just kill [Bella when she's packing at her house]?" While Hardwicke and Stewart attempt to answer, Pattinson doesn't appear satisfied. The deleted and extended scenes include an additional dream-sequence kiss (rightly cut because it took away from the buildup to their first kiss) and more footage of Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre). The seven-part documentary is a pretty thorough look at the development of the film, including stunts, special effects, and the involvement of author Stephenie Meyer. Another featurette looks at the Comic-Con frenzy; however, it spends no time on how the actors were cast, which would have been fun for fans who did all their own mental casting while reading the books. Also included: three music videos and trailers. --Ellen A. Kim

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Customer Reviews

Is this what love is supposed to be?
This is one of the most frightening displays of romance I've ever seen in my life. This is NOT a love story. Edward (male protagonist)is obsessive to the point of restraining order. He watches her sleep, follows her everywhere and is only interested because this is the one persons mind he cannot read. Bella (female protagonist) is about intriguing as a candy bar wrapper (an empty one at that).

Since I've read the books (occupational hazards of a librarian) I know this only gets worse. In a world of quality young adult literature where relationships are often shown as fleeting and impermanent, this story should not have been published let alone made into a movie.

After reading/viewing anything I have to ask: what's the point? In this instance I cannot come up with anything. What is this book/movie trying to say about relationships? Because this is scary, obsessed love, not fulfilling, lasting love.

P.S. Why do recent authors think they have personal license to change vampire lore?

Oh so terrible, but amazingly addicting. Love it, but wonder why.
If I were rating this movie solely on quality of the film, it would get one star. if i were rating it solely on how much i love to watch it even though it's awful, it would get 5 stars. SO I averaged it and got 3.

The dialogue is horrendous, the effects cheesy, the music (not the soundtrack which is great, but the score) indescribably awful. It looks like a made for TV movie.

However- I can't stop watching it. i saw it 3 times in the theater and pre-ordered my own copy. It entertains me. Plus, Edward is nice to look at... oh, James too. LOVE James.To me this movie is absolutely hysterical- where it doesn't intend to be. The scene where Edward first sees Bella in class and he looks as if he may throw up on her??? Great! The look that Billy Black and Edward exchange as they pass each other in their cars? Priceless. I love the baseball scene! But the crouch down and prepare to fight stance they take at the end... Can anybody say Power Rangers? But just mentioning all this makes me want to watch it again. I know it makes no sense. It just has that power.

I should be embarrassed to like this, but I'm not. I will watch it over and over again proudly. I will recommend it to anyone I can. Watch it and love it. But know that it's terrible and know that it can't compare to the book and that all of it's charm is due to it's cheesiness.

Became a fan after the movie...
I had heard about the fantasy books by a friend when they first came out but didn't have the time to look into them. By the time the movie came out, I'd nearly forgotten about the book referral, but asked my hubby to take me as it looked like a good vampire romance flick. The scenery of the Pacific Northwest forests, rivers, and coastline was breathtaking and as a native to this area, it was like going out into my own backyard which made the film that more appealing. I was so captivated by the actors portrayal of the characters (the facial expressions and emotions brought out of the characters by Rob, Kristen, Peter, Nikki, and the rest were mesmerizing) and the depth of the back-story left me desiring more! The very next day after viewing the movie in the theater - I raced to the bookstore to grab the first book. I was hooked, read through all four books (plus went to the authors website to read the extra materials she had posted there) in a week. Then, still not satisfied, went back and saw the movie several more times - IN THE THEATER, something I've never felt compelled to do before - because I was so drawn to the characters and the story. This may have been written for the young adult audience but I'm 32 and a parent of four children, and still found the story to be well worth my time.

If you haven't read the stories, I encourage you to do so. Regardless, this film will be a treasured part of your movie collection and one you'll be sure to watch several times before you'll feel satisfied.