So Twilight finally hit the UK cinemas and after reading so much about it, both the good and the bad, I finally got to make my own judgement. Like any film, especially one which has been adapted from a book, there were bits I loved and moments when I cringed. I was going to divide this review into what I liked and what I didn't but I thought I'd take what I hope will be a more positive approach of splitting it into; the cast, the script and the direction.
The Cast
Gotta start with the big two I suppose. Before I begin upsetting people I do truly believe they are both extremely talented actors, I don't know much of Kirsten's body of work but I am a huge fan of Robert's. In my opinion both were searching for a bit too much in their characters. Kirsten is clearly a woman who can't relate to the pathetic, clumsy, introverted Bella of the books and I can see that they trying to make allowances in the film for the fact that that's not Kirsten but the result is a sort of parody of a teenager who you really can't believe in. There is so little real about Bella in the film, I can't like her and I don't dislike her she's just blah! The only other character I can relate her to is Fanny Price in Mansfield Park, they just aren't what real people are like and as such it's hard to feel any sympathy or anything for them.
Robert as Edward Cullen is a little harder to call. On a purely superficial level what did they do with his hair, it appeared like they were trying to channel James Dean, I'm glad they got Edward out of beige though! There were glimpses of what I think Robert was trying to bring out of Edward, in the scene in the forest when he was talking about how he was designed to be a predator “like you could outrun me, like you could fight me off.” I loved that, it was powerful and it was painful and at the end when he's explaining why he doesn't want to turn her you get a real idea of how he sees himself. But a lot of the time I found Edward to be a bit comic really, neither frightening or attractive. Most especially when he drove Bella to school then walked across the parking lot with his arm around her while everyone looked on and when he growled at the men in Port Angeles it just didn't work for me. Hee hee on a sidenote did anyone else notice when Bella and Edward were lying in the meadow it looked like Edward was checking out Bella's boobs?
I was really impressed with the Bella's school friends, they were admittedly slightly stereotypical but they played it well especially Angela I loved her character and would like her to do better than Eric Yorke who ultimately has to come out as gay right? Jessica was also great, just the right level of bitchiness!
The Cullens; it's funny the ones I really loved in the book (Jasper and Alice) were utterly forgetable in the film, I hope they develop the characters a bit more in the later films, especially Jasper who needs to be given a bit more to do than just look pained. However, Rosalie who I thought was totally naff in the books was brilliant, I loved when she smashed the salad bowl and nearly went mental when Bella declared her out at baseball! Esme was good, Carlisle needs a bit more character development, we totally should have heard his story.

The Script
Let's start with the great scenes; baseball scene was epic, battle in the ballet studio just amazing, Edward meeting Charlie and Bella meeting the Cullens was pure comic genius and Edward playing the piano, well I could watch that all day.
I also liked that the nomads didn't just appear they moved in slowly they were always there as a background threat. The scene on the boat was exceptionally good “always the same questions...don't play with the food James”
I don't see the need to have Bella googling “Quileute legends” just have Jacob tell her, would have liked to see more of the flashback scenes too.
I don't like that Bella wandered off into the forest (!) with a guy who she's just surmised is a vampire without asking the most basic dietary questions first.
I thought Bella had far too easy a time of getting away from Alice and Jasper.
I thought the Biology field trip was utterly pointless and the actual biology lesson when Bella first sat next to Edward needed a lot more work.
The totally should have made more of the car crash scene and really just more of Tyler in general.
I liked that Victoria was at the prom, a good bit of foreshadowing I thought!
The were some truly horrendous lines like “You are a strong independent woman” and “I like watching you sleep, I find it fascinating” also I really could have done without the lion and lamb quote although I get that they didn't have much choice in that one. But the were also some great lines “Is she even Italian? Her name is Bella” “Can't you just be happy living a long life with me?” and the inspired “You brought a snack”

The Directing
Oh God my major peeve I'm not sure if this comes into directing but it's got to be the closest thing, the tinkling noise in the background when Edward sparkled did my head in, he's not a barbie doll!
The kissing scenes which should have been intense were quite funny I thought.
But on the positive side the struggle Edward felt to stop himself sucking Bella's blood after he had started was magnificent. I was very impressed with that it made me shiver.

On a sidenote I thought the soundtrack was awesome with exactly the right songs at exactly the right moments.

So overall I'd say that like the book this is good brain candy, but if you start to go too deep into it there are things that just niggle away at you and don't feel right. I'm not really part of the Twilight craze. I read the books because I heard my favourite actor had been cast as the lead. I hope that the script and direction of the next films allows him to give the character the depth he clearly wanted to. I felt this film felt like a constant struggle between what he wanted to portray and the vision of those in charge.