How Robert Pattinson’s Edward Cullen Changed In Each Twilight Movie

Robert Pattinson was given a hard time when the Twilight movies were released, but a rewatch proves The Batman star showed promise as Edward Cullen.

Although The Batman’s Robert Pattinson was once given a hard time by critics for his role in the Twilight franchise, the actor’s portrayal of Edward Cullen across the series proves that he had potential as a leading man. The Twilight movies made a killing at the box office, but the supernatural fantasy romance saga was not a hit with critics. Some reviewers were particularly kind to the later sequels in the series, but by and large, Twilight was written off by critics as a franchise suitable only for its target demographic of teens and tweens.

The Twilight Saga’s sparkly “vegetarian” vampires and infamous Team Edward/Team Jacob fandom split meant that even horror fans had a hard time taking bloodsuckers seriously for a while after its success. However, while Twilight killed vampire movies temporarily, the scathing write-ups of the series didn’t deter its stars from becoming major names in Hollywood. Kristen Stewart has since become an Oscar nominee while her Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson has earned widely acclaim for his return to franchise roles with his portrayal of the titular antihero in The Batman.

Near the beginning of his screen career, Pattinson was mocked by critics for his early role as Edward Cullen. The actor spent the better part of a decade rehabilitating his image with quirky, self-consciously offbeat projects from acclaimed directors like David Cronenberg and the Safdie Brothers to ensure that critics knew he could really act. However, while many of Pattinson’s movies have allowed him to flex his conservable scenery-chewing muscles, the Twilight series is not a complete write-off when it comes to the thespian’s output. Looking back, Pattinson’s potential can be seen in the Twilight movies, specifically in how his approach to playing Edward Cullen changed from installment to installment.

Twilight
Although Twilight was a huge success upon its release in 2008, the original movie in the series features the silliest incarnation of Robert Pattinson’s ageless antihero, the 117-year-old teenager Edward Cullen. This is the version of Edward who was turned into a joke by endless parodies, and Pattinson’s performance is certainly over-the-top. However, it’s also full of fun decisions that keep the potential drab movie lively, complementing Stewart’s sleepy take on Bella Swan. Twilight cut some major character deaths that were in the original script to ensure the story stayed accurate to the book, but the result is a movie that is molasses-slow at times and lacking in narrative drive. However, this problem is effectively ameliorated by Pattinson’s goofy, otherworldly turn as the tortured Edward, a performance that is admirably unafraid of looking laughable, bringing to mind a young Nicolas Cage in some of its more shamelessly campy, cartoonishly earnest moments.

New Moon
The first Twilight sequel, 2009’s New Moon, is an altogether wider, more predictable movie than the original, and while deeply flawed, it is largely salvaged by Robert Pattinson’s Edward Cullen. Here he gives an even more over-the-top take on the tortured character as he starts to showcase some of the operatic flourishes he’s now famous for (as Robert Pattinson’s outrageous history of screen accents proves). However, this level of theatricality is only appropriate to the material since New Moon is based on Shakespeare, and Pattinson’s attempts to do justice to the vampire saga’s version of Romeo and Juliet sees the actor give his all as a disconsolate Edward who can’t bear to be with his beloved but also can’t survive the tragedy of their separation. Pattinson’s bluster pairs perfectly with Stewart’s suitably dispassionate Bella, and the duo solidifies the chemistry that carries the Twilight series here despite the surrounding movie’s bland, boring story.

Eclipse
Although director David Slade improved the third Twilight movie, Eclipse, by making its story more violent, there was only so much that he could do to deliver a satisfying standalone story. Robert Pattinson doesn’t have a lot to do in this second sequel, as Edward and Bella’s is relatively sound. Despite the intensity of Team Edward/Team Jacob’s animosity among the fans, the teenage werewolf is never truly a threat to the couple’s stability. As such, there’s a sense of tiredness to this Edward, resign to his love triangle with Jacob and Bella but not particularly pushed about ending the non-fight. When Twilight’s vampires were parodied for being moody, shiftless emo stereotypes, this was the sequel viewers were picturing.