Twilight

*** Stars

Another franchise is upon us.

And it's not like we didn't see it coming. The four-book series by Stephanie Meyer is the biggest craze since Harry Potter, and its film future will take-off as Harry fades out. Does Twilight outshine its source material? No, it doesn't. But it is worthy of its fame.

So are the stars. Kristen Stewart and Scott Pattinson carry the torch of young love in this romantic-thriller about a teenager who falls for a vampire. Bella (Stewart) is returning to her old town of Forks, Washington from Phoenix, Arizona to see her Dad. Her first days as a new high school student in her old town consist of nostalgic reminiscing with people she knew from childhood. As she sits at lunch with a few friends, she looks over and stares at a young man. His name is Edward Cullen.

In the book, the first act consists of Edward and Bella learning about each other. I found this to be the most interesting part. Sadly, the film rushes through it to get to, I guessed you can call it, the part with, "more bite". For those who don't know what the plot is really about, I suggest you pick up the book. For you men out there, swallow your pride and read it. I'll give you two reasons why you should: 1.) It's actually a really good read and 2.) If you ever go on a date, you'll have something to talk about, because every girl in the world has read the damn thing.

As for the movie? Well, it grossed $67 million on its opening weekend and has the potential to cross the $200 million mark over its theatrical run. Sequels are certainly a guarantee. The movie works. Director Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown) can't raise the material to brilliance, but she stays faithful enough to the book to satisfy fans. After all, that's the first priority when adapting such popular material. Right? The movie does have a tendency to leave out small yet significant personality traits to the characters. Especially Bella. In the book, she cooks. A lot. And it's important to have that in the character because it shows her as a woman of freedom of independence. In the movie, they go out to a diner and eat burgers.

When the sequels start to dish out, I am excited to see what kind of direction the franchise will take. Will Hardwicke be replaced? Will Stewart and Pattinson keep the same caliber in their performances? Will non-fans of the series care to keep up? For now, the fans of Twilight can breathe a sigh of relief. You won't be unconditionally and irrevocably in love with the movie version, but it will keep you thirsty enough for more blood.