I have never read these books and am basing my opinion solely on the movies. Granted this was the best movie so far in the franchise, that's not saying a whole lot. The dialogue in these movies is so awkward and forced, I can't take it seriously. I also don't find any of the characters particularly likable. They all irk me in some way. I really feel that the only believable characters are Charlie and Carlisle and maybe Alice. They are the only ones with a warmth about them, whether vampire or not. And I really didn't understand the Volturi's role or purpose in this movie, though that was probably just a bad book to screen translation. Overall it was mildly entertaining, but left me unsatisfied.