BREAKING DAWN PART ONE REVIEW

Whether you love it or hate it, Twilight is here to stay...well at least for one more installment. The cinemas have been rammed with Twi-hards, many who are on their second or third viewing.

The continuing love triangle of the three main cast members Bella (Kristen Stewart), Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Jacob, (Taylor Lautner) opens with the long anticipated wedding. Besides much cooing and some gentle sobbing from the audience, this is a very understated wedding. So much so, that its 30 minute duration would have achieved the same effect in 10 minutes.

Then we are brought to the Honeymoon phase. Again there seemed to be a feeling of satisfaction from the audience, waiting with bated breath for the long awaited matrimonial consummation.  For me it was very one dimensional from a passion perspective, I know they have to keep it PG friendly but it is quite tame compared to some of the more gruesome scenes to come. Physically breaking headboards and feathers floating about give the illusion of passion but the sentiment is somewhat lost in the acting.

Following broken headboards, is the much talked about pregnancy, which touches clumsily on some pro-life and pro-choice topics, while the baby begins to literally crush Bella from the inside out. From a technical point of view, these scenes are impressive. Particularly the baby birth, which, if you’re a fan of blood and vampire venom, you’ll be right at home.  That said, it’s not for the faint hearted.

Maybe they spent much of the budget on the birth because Breaking Dawn does involve some Vampire versus cheaply rendered CGI Werewolf scenes which at best are poorly choreographed. More time seems to be spent talking about the impending battle than actually any battle scenes making the story line a bit clunky and disappointing. On a number of occasions you would expect things to pick up, but invariably it ends up in, one of its many dead ends, before back tracking and trundling off on another tangent.

 

  From the performance point of view, Kristen Stewart brings everything to the role that we would already expect from Bella Swan. Basically, the same as she has been on the other movies. Admittedly, Pattinson does not have to do a great deal to achieve the smoldering intensity. The only main character which could be seen to have matured in anyway is Taylor Lautner. And yes, he does take his shirt off, in the first few minutes.The rest of the cast have seemingly less involvement than in the previous films which is kind of disappointing as Anna Kendrick (Scott Pilgrim Vs the World) seems a promising up and coming starlet.

Overall, if you are a fan, Breaking Dawn Part 1 is something you will not miss, judging by the glee and chatter from the audience as they left the theatre. If you are not a fan, this will do little to nothing to spike your interest in the brand. And incidentally, for the fans at least, be sure to stick around as there is a little treat during the credits!