Twilight Movie!

Last night, I went to see the midnight showing of Twilight with 7 other friends. It was a lot of fun! We started off at the Cheesecake factory to get some food and dish on the books. There was another large table of women right next to us and one of them came over to talk to us because she could tell exactly where we were headed...upstairs to see Twilight just like they were (our mall has a third-floor movie theater!). I love the way being a Twilight fan knocks down barriers for people. If I encounter another Twilight fan they are always super nice and just as eager to talk to me as I am to chat with them.

So about the movie:
I loved it!

Things I liked (no spoilers):
Bella! Kristen Stewart nailed the role.
Emmett! Kellen Lutz was awesome as my big-burly-main-man. I can't wait for the sequels where his character gets more play.
I loved the way Charlie's character was interpreted. His scenes with Bella, and with Billy, were fun to watch.
I liked the scenes where Bella and Edward's relationship develops, however, there could have been a whole lot more of that!
I loved the setting! Having grown up on the Olympic Peninsula myself, it was fun to see the small high school, constant cloudiness, and thick green vegetation. Very reminiscent! Brad and I actually met at North Mason High School...similar to Forks High in many ways.
The baseball scene was very well done!
There were a lot of other elements/scenes I really enjoyed...but this list is getting long.

What I didn't like:
The one minor criticism I have is that everything happened so fast that it felt a little rushed. Granted, it was a 2 hour film already and they had to figure out how to fit all of the main points of a 500-page book in there. For me, the difference between the book and the movie is similar to comparing the 5-hour BBC version of Pride And Prejudice to the new Hollywood shorter version. There really is no comparison, the 5-hour version is the best. However, because I love the characters so much, I enjoy their portrayal through most well attempted depictions.
Lastly, I wish Rob Pattinson would have smiled a bit more throughout. After reading Midnight Sun I understand his darker take on Edward...but lets face it, his smile is swoon-worthy!

So there you have it! My opinion of the flick. I will definitely see it again.
I am very interested to see how people respond who have not read the book. I thought there was plenty of action and witty banter to captivate any audience, however, I am self-admittedly very biased.

Here we are before the big show!

Your comments are welcome. I will not be offended in the least if you didn't like the film. In fact, I should note that at least half the girls I went with walked away disappointed not liking the movie at all.

P.S. The soundtrack rocks. I can't stop listening!