Let me begin by saying that I had set fairly low expectations for this film because I wasn't sure what David Slade would do with it, considering that his last vampire film was 30 Days of Night which was truly frightening and dark. BUT, Slade far surpassed any expectations that I had--just an extremely well done film.
Things that I loved about it:
Jasper: I have to admit that I was a little bit worried about Jasper in the movie, especially given the wig that we saw in all of the promo pictures. Somehow though, maybe because Jackson Rathbone is just that good, he pulled the wig off and he did it with style! Acting wise, every scene that he was involved in was exceptional--training for the newborns, his back story, his relationship with Alice... He just did a wonderful job.
The Tent Scene: despite the fact that Jacob annoys me to no end, the tent scene was very well done and very accurate in regards to the book.
Riley: I was nervous that making him such a huge part of the film's storyline would detract from the book's storyline, but Xavier Samuel really did an amazing job. You could tell that he put his whole self into the role from start to finish--he's definitely an actor to watch out for, I think he's going to do great things in the future.
Alice: What can I say, I just adore Alice. Who doesn't? They did a really good job of focusing on her psychic abilities and demonstrating how vital her gift is to the Cullen's survival and well-being. Plus, she's got a kick-ass style sense.
Charlie: Billy Burke. Epic from start to finish. That's all I can say, he was just that good.
Flashbacks: both Jasper and Rosalie's flashbacks were beautifully done, though I would have liked to see more of Rose's wedding dress in the scene where she goes after Royce.
Edward: This was Pattinson's best performance yet in the series--he added a lot of depth to the character in this film showing a lot more emotion. The scene when he verbally fought with Victoria (before the physical fight) was a great demonstration of this--so, pay attention there when you see it!
Leg Hitch: Perfect. That's all that needs to be said.
The Edward/Bella Relationship: The relationship was a lot more....sexy this time around. Maybe sexy isn't the right word--but it's less "let me stare longingly into your eyes" and more "'scuse me while I suck your tonsils out in a completely tasteful manner."
Bella Punching Jacob: Loved it, her reaction when she did it, and Jacob explaining what happened to Charlie.
Howard Shore's Epic Music Transition: His transition from a piece of the score into Metric's "Eclipse (All Yours)" might be one of the most amazing musical transitions to ever be created. I would marry Howard Shore for his brilliance.
Charlie and Bella's "Sex Talk": Funniest scene in the movie. Hands down.
Fight Training Scene: Funny, entertaining, intriguing. Very well done.
The Official Proposal: Heartwarming. I teared up just a little bit.
Seth: Boo Boo Stewart is ADORABLE.
Things I didn't love so much:
Bella's Wig: Sometimes it was really believable, but other times it was just a total facepalm. You'd think with the $600,000,000+ gross they made on the last film, that they could put some of the money into buying a better wig for the star of the film.
Jacob: All in all, he annoyed me throughout the entire film. Not just because I'm not team Jacob, but because they made his character 113512315 times more annoying than necessary. He did have a few golden lines though.
Dakota Fanning's Eyebrows: They're called tweezers. Use them.
The transition from the tent scene to the next morning: I went blind. Seriously. You'll have to see the film to know what I'm talking about.
The Tribal Legends: This was my least favorite part in the novel, and probably my least favorite part in the film as well--though luckily it wasn't as drawn out in the film as it was on paper.
Lack of Florence: To the person who decided that Florence + the Machine's "Heavy in Your Arms" would best fit in the credits: I will end you.
Shirtless Jacob: While I do appreciate a good set of abs, there comes a point in time when the shirt should just go back on--although I guess wardrobe for Taylor was pretty easy?
Bryce Dallas Howard: While her acting was great, she was too "nice." Even when she was being feisty and fighting, she still reminded me of a doe-eyed deer. Rachelle was much more fierce. However, Bryce definitely demonstrated that she knows how to act, and do it well.
Carlisle's Accent: It was just weird in this film. I'd say it was a mix between British, Boston and some sort of Southern twang. Weird.
I've become too tired to form coherent thoughts for the most part right now, so I may update this post as I think of other things.
My recommendation: If you have the time, go see it. It's worth both the money and the time--a truly great film.
