Review of Breaking Dawn - Part 1
Action takes a breather with teen romance in full control of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1
Sloppy kisses, longing sighs and wide-eyed sex fill The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1, the fourth installment of the wildly popular film franchise based on Stephanie Meyer's vampire novels. Action understandably takes a break in the latest chapter involving teen Bella Swan (Stewart) and her two handsome boys, the vampire Edward Cullen (Pattinson) and muscular Jacob Black (Lautner), the son of the local Quileute tribal chief and a werewolf. After three films with Edward and Jacob fighting for Bella's love, Breaking Dawn Part 1 is when the sullen teenage girl finally chooses the sparkly-skinned vampire as her soul mate and prepares for an elaborate wedding in the Washington woods prepared by her future vampire family.
For the books' many diehard fans, Breaking Dawn Part 1 is easily the best adventure yet because it's the romance between Bella and her boy monsters that make their hearts beat fast. More casual Twilight moviegoers will likely squirm in reaction to the slow-gazing performances, lulling melodrama and silly dialogue. Director Bill Condon, best known for the musical Dreamgirls but whose best film is Gods and Monsters; brings some welcome humor to the wedding as well as the honeymoon jitters between an excitable Bella and a more cautious Edward.
Still, Condon faces a storytelling disadvantage with Breaking Dawn Part 1 because a teen wedding no matter how romantic lacks the emotional pop of the teenage angst, high school dramas and relationship entanglements of the previous Twilight movie Eclipse.
Following the formula of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Condon and Summit Entertainment split the final chapter in the Twilight franchise into two movies and Breaking Dawn Part 1 unfolds as an extended set up for the action between the Quileute werewolves and Volturi vampires to come in Part 2.
As Jacob, Lautner plays to the fan base and tears off his shirt in his first scene but he's quickly becoming a one-note pony. Lautner smolders with jealously and shoots emotional daggers at Edward but little else.
Luckily, Robert Pattinson continues to grow more comfortable as Edward, the new age vampire who glitters in moonlight while standing in the ocean surf outside the doorway of the island home he brings Bella for their honeymoon.
Pattinson mumbles less in Breaking Part Part 1 and plays an important role in the swirling political themes screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg carries over from Meyer's books.
Perhaps it's wrong to compare Breaking Dawn to an MTV reality show and simply call it the tale of a teen pregnancy. After all, Edward is an immortal vampire trapped in the body of a teenage boy. No matter what political side you choose, Breaking Dawn offers an interesting stance on teen abstinence from sex via a reluctant Edward. The story's politics grow stronger once Bella discovers she's pregnant and faces tough choices when the prospect of delivering her baby threatens her life.
Meyer's politics lean too much on the conservative side for my taste.
Still, I do admire a fantasy franchise that makes political statements instead of non-stop explosions and gunfire.
Breaking Dawn Part 1 is void of any new characters breathing extra excitement into the story but thankfully Kristen Stewart steps up and brings some welcome depth to Bella.
Stewart still plays Bella as a moody teenager but she flashes some welcome flirtations as a young bride and believable compassion as a mother-to-be.
Stewart also looks pretty in her wedding dress; a nice change of pace from the dull jeans and flannel shirts she sports in the previous three movies.
Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg remains loyal to Meyer's books and its loyal fans but Breaking Dawn Part 2 is the one film in the franchise desperate for clever alteration and a few more bursts of teen monster action.
Still, Rosenberg and Condon choose their cliffhanger with expert care as Breaking Dawn Part 1 builds towards a bloody baby delivery, a battle royal between vampires and the circling werewolves outside the Cullen's woodland house and Bella turning more and more ill until she becomes something of a sleeping Show White in desperate need of her fanged prince.
Then, in a snap, Condon unloads a scream inducing final image that perfectly sets up Breaking Dawn Part 2.
Thanks to a cliffhanger to end all movie cliffhangers, Condon earns our excitement for Breaking Dawn Part 2.
Thanks to his incredible cliffhanger, Condon earns some forgiveness for unloading the least successful of all the Twilight Saga movies so far.
Distributor: Summit Entertainment
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Nikki Reed, Anna Kendrick, Ashley Greene, Billy Burke, Jackson Rathbone
Director: Bill Condon
Producers: Temple Hill Entertainment
Screenwriter: Melissa Rosenberg, based on the novel by Stephanie Meyer Running Time: 117 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: November 19, 2011