I really liked how they portrayed the awkwardness and intensity at the beginning before Bella knows that Edward is a vampire. Edward's "sparkle" was a little disappointing though. He just looked a little shimmery and I was expecting something more dramatic. I also thought that Bella and Edward's romantic relationship didn't develop enough. They seemed to go from "I could eat you" to "I love you!" very quickly. My advice is to read just the first book before you watch the movie. If you don't read any of the books, I would think that it would be confusing in some parts. Then again, if you've read all 4 books (like me), you might be frustrated in the way that some of the characters are portrayed, like Alice.