As a fan of the book series, I was eager to see if the movie could live up to the hype that the books have created. For starters, don't think the movie is going to be exactly like the book. The book is more serious than the movie. The movie has comical parts, mostly contributed by Edward. There are a decent amount of changes to the scenery and timing as well. In order for film makers to get the whole book into a 2 hr movie, be prepared for the movie to flow rather quickly. There aren't any "dead" parts to this one. And it definitely leaves the assumption that there WILL be others to follow. (New Moon, Eclipse...)
Even if you aren't a die hard fan of the series, you'll be able to follow the movie. The first 5 minutes are spent re-capping the series and characters. I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more. I feel the movie did do justice for the series and will be purchasing it when it comes out on DVD.