The first time I saw it, I
wanted to love it, but was so conflicted about the stuff that was changed that I wasn't sure if I enjoyed it really.
I loved the comedy, and I loved a lot of the subtle nods to the audience (like the comment about the wolves descending at the prom -- made me giggle). What I
didn't like the first time was the pacing. It seemed so rushed and the romance seemed almost contrived (as in, one second he hates her, and the next second he's in love? At least in the book that was fleshed out quite a bit).
That said, seeing it the second time
really made me realize how much I really did enjoy it. The first time, I think I was concentrating so hard on seeing what was the same, and what was different, that I never gave myself a chance to really enjoy it for what it was -- a 2 hour film adaptation of a beautiful novel that I loved.
When I saw it the second time, I knew what to expect, so things that seemed ridiculous to me the first time (like Edward practically vomiting on the table when he first catches Bella's scent in Biology) didn't seem quite so over-the-top. It looked less like he was about to vomit and more like he was taken off-guard by her scent, which to me, really matched up nicely with the book. And of course, it was important that they illustrate that it was her
scent that was bothering him, for those three people in the country who haven't read the book
I was also able to appreciate the pacing a little better the second time. The first time I saw it, it felt so rushed to me only because of how much had been cut. The second time, however, I definitely appreciated the fact that movie could have really dragged in the beginning had they not hit the ground running like they did. And even the Reveal/Meadow Scene was good to me the second time. The first time, I thought it was so stupid that she'd just kind of wandered into the woods from the parking lot and he followed her, but the second viewing allowed me to better appreciate how Bella had been tormented all night about her suspicions, and how it had obviously been bothering her all day when she made up her mind to confront Edward about it and that it made more sense to confront him about it somewhere "safe" and out of sight.
I was also able to pay more attention to the fact there were several scenes where Edward and Bella were talking at length (without audible dialogue), which helped to illustrate that it
wasn't just a case of "I hate you, no wait I love you", but rather that they really
did have a chance to get to know each other.
And I really, really liked the kissing scene
Maybe a little too much haha I admit, it was a little....
more.... for lack of a better word, than I'd pictured in the book, but I appreciated that it illustrated the idea that Edward really
did have to struggle to maintain his control around her. Had he not pushed her down on the bed like he did before he abruptly pulled away, it could have seemed that he wasn't nearly as interested as he was, simply because most of the other kissing/self-restraint scenes were cut in the transition of book to screen.
So yeah, I liked it
I will definitely be going to see it again, and I will also be getting it on BluRay when it comes out (and am
eagerly awaiting the deleted scenes!)
I can't
wait to see New Moon
I hope the bigger budget will allow for a longer movie, and that they won't scrimp on the effects (especially of my beloved Wolfpack!)
Jessa