[Levin]

Haven't read the books, but I liked the movie, and I think I can at least provide a defense of the project.

It's an interesting take on the Adam and Eve story. Eve tempted Adam with sex with the consequence being mortality for them both. Adam gave in. Bella tempted Edward with sex with the consequence being immortality for just Bella. Edward resisted -- b/c Bella's immortality would be in torment as a vampire; mortality was a form of torment for Adam and Eve, and is for us all. But in the end it's worth it. (I predict that in the later books Bella and Edward get married, and then they shag like there's no tomorrow, but not until then; pretty overt moralizing by Stephenie Meyer). But I credit Meyer for providing an interesting take on the Adam and Eve story, even though her original project, it seems, was to tout the virtues (and the capability -- if a vampire can do it, so can you!) of saving the forbidden fruit for marriage.

Plus, it's a nice flipping of the stereotypical situation. The girl wants the sex, but the boy says no. It's this that draws in the teenage girls I'd think. They love to play vicariously the part of the erotic hunter; and they love even more that a boy would say no -- a perfect, glistening, attentive boy.