So what have we learned?

[Russell]

Twilight, a movie where you can watch people suck.
New Moon, a movie where you can watch people suck... ass!
(Yes, I know that's totally juvenile, but hey, that's the intended audience).

[Kenotic]

I learned:

- When Alice gave her "What the hell is wrong with you" speech, she should have been directly facing the camera.
- My previous belief "Graham Greene can redeem almost any film" might need some adjusting. Not even North made me do this.
- You don't need to explain why you see Edward's ghost when dangerous things happen. It just shows up and dully emotes as you do death-defying things like Motorcycling.
- Incidentally, It's endearing to have your boyfriend nag you like you're a 5-year-old trying to lick a light socket.
- Your human, happy, kind of dorky (but in all honesty, par for the course) friends are of no help during your breakup.
- The kind, cute, available boy who bends over backwards for you isn't good enough. The mopey idiot whose family just tried to kill you is your true love.
- Alice's premonitions are almost as useful as The Amazing Carnac's.
- Vampires are loaded, and apparently can catch a flight to Italy with no one wondering how they got there, or why on earth the girl in the aisle seat is glittering.
- Rosalie is the only sane person in this movie.

[LucasM]

I've learned that Kristen Stewart can blink and stammer and pause her way through two entire movies, and no one will be concerned enough to have her tested for a neurological disorder.

I think Kristen Stewart can act. It's just the amateurish material of these movies that's caused her to forget basic human brain activities. From what I've seen of the Runaways movie she nails Joan Jett.

Well, in contrast, check out 'Zathura: A Space Adventure' (2005).  In that, her acting was so bad it would've gotten her kicked off a high school production.  Absolutely horrendous.

Honestly, for what she is supposed to be in these films, I think she pulls it off.  It's just that she's basically 'not supposed to be much'.  As someone else said either in this thread or another (but reframed in psychological terms), the idea is to make her and Edward 'projective tests', so that the teens in the audience can put themselves into an 'intense love' situation (or the distorted idea of same that this presents: honestly, stalking and verbal/emotional abuse are not love).

Unfortunately I feel a bit sad.  If this is what so many women think is 'true love', then their home lives and childhoods were seriously unhealthy, both in how they saw their parents treat each-other, and in how they were treated.  I can't imagine anyone from a truly loving and caring family feeling that what this series shows is 'true love' instead of seeing it as the pathology it actually is.

[Rattrap007]

Never EVER have a teenage daughter.. I will never get any sleep. She will meet a boy, get dumped, then sit around for months on end screaming in emotional pain for months on end.

[ShadowDog]

- You don't need to explain why you see Edward's ghost when dangerous things happen.

I know, right?  I'm not sure I want to know the book answer to this but I'll ask anyway, what in the HELL was that about?!?

[Darth Geek]

Middle aged bikers who lurk in side streets and proposition jailbait are kind people who will obey whatever orders you bark at them, and wil not try to molest young attractive stupid chicks who get on their bikes for a ride.

[Tyrant]

I learned that some "Sagas" have absolutely no saga in them whatsoever.

[Lovye]

- You don't need to explain why you see Edward's ghost when dangerous things happen.

I know, right?  I'm not sure I want to know the book answer to this but I'll ask anyway, what in the HELL was that about?!?

I don't think it was ever explained, really.  I think it was just she did something dangerous and reckless and she would see Edward.  She wanted to see Edward so she kept doing more and more.  I was thinking at first it was something Edward was aware of as well (like he shared a connection with her and could psycically sense when she was doing stupid things....though we are constantly reminded she is the ONE person he can't read), but, the book never says that and Edward does not seem to be aware of what Bella was doing, so, in short, there was no background/explination as to why in the book.  It never says why Edward is her Jiminy Cricket.  I think he may have been more solid in the book, too.

[Trekker4747]

I learned that vampires are the most boring creatures on the planet, that teeange girls don't know what werewolves are, that prancing around with nothing but shorts and shoes on in the pacific Northwest in December is oddly comfortableand that teenage girls are stupid.

[Plastic Self-Cleaning Duck]

I learned that in human form, Sam and friends - and one would assume Jacob - have no trouble diving off the cliffs into the water.  But diving off as wolves to continue to chase a vampire...that they can't do.

- You don't need to explain why you see Edward's ghost when dangerous things happen.

I know, right?  I'm not sure I want to know the book answer to this but I'll ask anyway, what in the HELL was that about?!?

I don't think it was ever explained, really.  I think it was just she did something dangerous and reckless and she would see Edward.  She wanted to see Edward so she kept doing more and more.  I was thinking at first it was something Edward was aware of as well (like he shared a connection with her and could psycically sense when she was doing stupid things....though we are constantly reminded she is the ONE person he can't read), but, the book never says that and Edward does not seem to be aware of what Bella was doing, so, in short, there was no background/explination as to why in the book.  It never says why Edward is her Jiminy Cricket.  I think he may have been more solid in the book, too.

Bella's delusional.  Might be a "psychic connection" if it was just Edward she sees....but the product placement too?  (I mean the Volvo)

[zenmichael]

I learned that in human form, Sam and friends - and one would assume Jacob - have no trouble diving off the cliffs into the water.  But diving off as wolves to continue to chase a vampire...that they can't do.

- You don't need to explain why you see Edward's ghost when dangerous things happen.

I know, right?  I'm not sure I want to know the book answer to this but I'll ask anyway, what in the HELL was that about?!?

1. Watching them dog paddle after her would've been awesome
2. I think the Volvo flashback is there to show the WHY she sees Edward: every time she's gotten in real trouble before, Edward showed up to be her white knight, so that's how she sees him in her mind. So the way to get him to show up is to enter a dangerous situation, LIKE the taunting boys or needing-vampire-poison-sucked-out-of-you.
I don't think it was ever explained, really.  I think it was just she did something dangerous and reckless and she would see Edward.  She wanted to see Edward so she kept doing more and more.  I was thinking at first it was something Edward was aware of as well (like he shared a connection with her and could psycically sense when she was doing stupid things....though we are constantly reminded she is the ONE person he can't read), but, the book never says that and Edward does not seem to be aware of what Bella was doing, so, in short, there was no background/explination as to why in the book.  It never says why Edward is her Jiminy Cricket.  I think he may have been more solid in the book, too.

Bella's delusional.  Might be a "psychic connection" if it was just Edward she sees....but the product placement too?  (I mean the Volvo)

[zenmichael]

Unfortunately I feel a bit sad.  If this is what so many women think is 'true love', then their home lives and childhoods were seriously unhealthy, both in how they saw their parents treat each-other, and in how they were treated.  I can't imagine anyone from a truly loving and caring family feeling that what this series shows is 'true love' instead of seeing it as the pathology it actually is.

It's completely and totally a Mormon thing. I've lived in Provo, UT, for seven years now and basically this is just a big psychological splash on-screen of everything that drives me crazy about every female friend I have around here and what they were taught. Men are blameless, women are dirty, and they cause the beast to rear up. Someone who's been taught this their whole life and basically expects to be a trophy wife AT BEST can't really understand that men and women can relate on like a normal level. I was actually kind of shocked at the scene with them talking during "Romeo & Juliet" in class. It's the closest we ever really see to them relating to each other on anyting but a shitty archetypal level.

[Plastic Self-Cleaning Duck]

It's completely and totally a Mormon thing......Men are blameless, women are dirty, and they cause the beast to rear up.

Isn't this EVERY organized religion?   Starting with Medusa being cursed for being raped in mythology, through mensuration huts and up and through to the Southern Baptist Conferences?

[Piobman]

I've learned that even in supremely crappy movies Dakota Fanning shines like a burning diamond. That girl is going places.

That's weird, I only remember her pretending trying to kill somebody with her mind by staring intently. She is about as memorable as the rest of the movie to me.

She's a very talented actress; I have no doubt about that. Seeing her being dedicated enough to the role to not sleepwalk through it shows, to me, a level of maturity and professional behavior that makes me respect her all the more.

Basically, actually caring about not sucking in Twilight just makes me say "Brava, Dakota, Brava."

But that's just one fangirlish opinion. 

I will admit it was nice seeing her act more mature as opposed to every other character either being Emo or overacting to the point of cartoony. I think I was just in so much pain at that point, I lost all feeling with regards to what had been happening at that point int he movie.

[Kenotic]

It's completely and totally a Mormon thing......Men are blameless, women are dirty, and they cause the beast to rear up.

Isn't this EVERY organized religion?   Starting with Medusa being cursed for being raped in mythology, through mensuration huts and up and through to the Southern Baptist Conferences?

No, not even close. I've Been in Christian families, had women bosses, and have had plenty of Christian female friends who are nothing like the women in this movie and I have been taught nothing like this. Heck, even the Promise Keepers stuff of the 90s (which had its issues) was largely about men treating women right. No trophy wives here.

It's one of the reasons Twilight bugs me so -- Bella's a dishrag, and except for the fact that she's cute I can't imagine any guy taking that much of an interest in her.