5.3 | / 10 |
Users | 3.9 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
After Bella Swan is sent to live with her father, she falls for the intriguing Edward Cullen, who she discovers is a vampire.
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth ReaserFantasy | 100% |
Romance | 63% |
Teen | 53% |
Supernatural | 32% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
What if I'm not the hero. What if I'm the bad guy?
Author Stephenie Meyer's Twilight is a phenomenon. It's big. Really big.
Harry
Potter big? Maybe not quite, but it's huge. Never heard of it? Ask a high school girl.
Chances
are she's been lugging around a well-worn copy of the book for months, perhaps even toting one
or two or three of its sequels along for the ride. "Edward" has replaced the name of that
oh-so-handsome boy sitting across the cafeteria when it comes time to gossip about the latest
relationships; "Bella" is the kind of girl that would make for such a great friend; and "Vampire"
now means more than a black-and-white Bela Lugosi gazing into living rooms around the world.
It's a hit, all right, and when a mega-property finds itself the object of affection of the teenage girl
community, a movie can't be far behind. Indeed, Twilight is now a major motion
picture, and a surprisingly good one at that. It's far better than one might expect, given not the
popularity of
the books but instead the demographics of its target audience. It's more mature, sincere, and
intense than other material aimed at that same
audience. Twilight leads one to care for its characters, ponder what's truly in their best
interest, and fall for the intrigue of its story. It's a love story, and something of a traditional one
at that, built around the familiar refrain of loving that which cannot be loved. It offers little new
in
either its romance or its take on Vampire lore, but the story nevertheless manages to mesmerize
at best and hold one's attention at worst, and may even arouse one's interest just enough to get
hooked on
the series.
9th grade geography loves 'Twilight!'
Twilight debuts on Blu-ray with a high quality 1080p transfer framed in its theatrical 2.35:1 aspect ratio. This is a transfer that gives some of the very best Blu-ray discs a run for their money. Colors are natural and not overblown; the image tends to look a bit dreary throughout thanks to the overcast conditions of Forks, Washington, not to mention an inherently bleak appearance with something of a steely, bluish tint. There is plenty of detail to be found in most every scene, no matter how dull the image may naturally be. Whether seeing the stitches on Bella's jacket, the finer details of the school's gymnasium, minute textures on some faces, or the objects scattered about a table during a gun cleaning session, the image never fails to showcase the finer qualities of the objects in-frame. On the other hand, both Bella's and the vampire's faces look incredibly pale and lifeless, but again, this is a case where ghastly flesh tones represent an accurate reproduction of the intended look. There is hardly a rosy cheek to be seen in the film, nor an overly bright color. About the closest thing to "bright" may be Bella's old copper-colored Chevy pick-up truck and some green foliage. Black levels are consistently deep and natural. Film grain is present over the entirety of the picture, though never so heavily as to become a distraction. It does lend to the film a nice-looking theatrical quality. There are no discernible blemishes to be seen over the print. Twilight, despite its bleak look, appears as intended and is of reference-grade quality on Blu-ray.
Twilight features a robust DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track makes consistently excellent use of the entire soundstage, featuring loud yet precise sound effects and music that spreads out all around the listening area. Surround speakers often come into play in support of the music and effects, generally supporting the action up-front but sometimes offering discrete sounds. These include several instances of fine atmospherics, such as a rainstorm as heard in chapter two, or a seaside scene in chapter five that does nice to engulf the listener in the scene, creating a good atmosphere where seagulls and rushing water come through with nice clarity. Bass is quite powerful during the film's baseball sequence and climactic confrontation. Dialogue is strong, clear, and crisply delivered. Twilight makes for an above-average listen, and the lossless soundtrack supports the top-notch visuals and themes of the film very well.
Twilight offers viewers the opportunity to learn more about the film via the inclusion of several bonus features. First up is a feature-length commentary track with Director Catherine Hardwicke and Actors Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. Unfortunately, the track offers no real flow, with just tidbits of random information scattered here and there. It's an odd mixture of worthwhile information and generally uninteresting anecdotes from the set. The Adventure Begins: The Journey From Page to Screen is a Blu-ray profile 1.1 picture-in-picture feature that is also available separately from the film in full-screen 1080p video with a combined runtime of 54:29. The piece begins with Author Stephenie Meyer discussing the origins of the story and a look at the lengthy process of converting the printed word to the big screen. The piece examines the casting and the previsualization computer work, discusses the world of the Cullen family, looks at the creation of the baseball sequence, and more. This is a generally engaging piece that is far more informative and user-friendly than the commentary track. The Comic-Con Phenomenon (480p, 7:58) takes viewers into the wild world of Twilight fandom. Also included are three music videos -- "Supermassive Black Hole" by Muse (1080i, 4:58), "Decode" by Paramore (1080i, 5:09), and "Leave Out All the Rest" by Linkin Park (1080i, 3:35). Five extended scenes (1080p, 9:36) and five deleted scenes (1080p, 5:54) are next. Concluding the special features is BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) functionality and five pieces of the "theatrical campaign" -- Sneak Peek as Seen on 'Penelope' DVD (1080p, 3:22), Comic-Con New York Sneak Peek (1080p, 4:22), two teaser trailers (1080p, 0:58 & 1:15) and the film's theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:23).
Twilight is a far better movie than many may have expected. Despite its construction around the basics of romance and vampire lore, not to mention its strict adherence to a basic three-act story, it feels incredibly fresh and remains engaging from beginning to end. The film develops its characters very well, aided by a pair of above-average performances from Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. Twilight also features steady direction, fascinating visuals, and a consistently fine score. It's no surprise that the film's built-in audience devoured it in droves, but Twilight is worth sinking the teeth into for those unfamiliar with the books, too. Twilight is a surprisingly effective and gripping film that offers up just the right doses of suspense, action, horror, drama, and, of course, romance, the end result a film that far surpasses expectations and might just mean the addition of four new books to the library. Summit Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Twilight is exceptional. The disc boasts high quality video and audio presentations in addition to a nice selection of bonus features. Fans and newcomers alike should have no reservations about making a date with Twilight on Blu-ray. Recommended.
2-Disc Deluxe Edition
2008
Ultimate Collector's Set
2008
The Twilight Saga
2008
2008
2008
Extended Edition
2008
2008
2009
Special Edition
2010
Special Edition - Theatrical Version
2011
2012
Alternate Cut
2011
2013
2009-2017
2011
2011
Charlie St Cloud
2010
2013
La Belle et la Bête
2014
Combo Pack
2012
2014
2014
2013-2014
2010
1988
2013
2018