I was pleased to see that this director treated the story with more gravity... less filler, more depth and emotion. There were some changes to the story, but they worked well for the on-screen translation. The special effects, makeup and cinematography were all far superior to "Twilight" and the characters felt more real. Taylor Lautner looks to be a great contender in the acting world, very believable. (And ok, so he looked great when the shirt came off!)
All in all, loved it - well worth the 90 minute wait in the theater!