The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 **
As predicted, the next film in The Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn Part 1, breaks box office records for the ‘biggest non-3D’ opening Friday film of all time. Perhaps if it had been 3D, it could have topped even that feat – who knows? One thing is for certain, the love triangle that is Bella Swan, Edward Cullen and Jacob Black continues to fascinate audiences, or maybe it’s the curiosity of how the Twilight movie-making machine – that includes author Stephenie Meyer producing – will reproduce the turbulent love affair? Our guess is it’s actually the birth scene that’s the real moneymaking clincher here.
In the forth film, Bella (Kristen Stewart) finally becomes Mrs Cullen and marries her vampire Prince Charming, Edward (Robert Pattinson), in a fairy-tale wedding. But against the wishes of most of the werewolf population, including the pining Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), Bella’s planning on honeymooning still as a human, which if the newlyweds consummate their marriage, will put her life at risk. As the sexual tension that’s been building over the series grows, the couple unsurprisingly can’t keep their hands off each other, which results in one small mistake that drains the life out of the new bride, and reignites the tensions in the wolf-vampire coven.
The ‘Bell-ward’ passion is as brooding and apprehensive but awkward to watch as ever, with lingering, hungry glares from porcelain-faced Rpatz and prickly, “I’ve-just-swallowed-something-horrid” facial gurns from Stewart. However, the acting still feels as leaden and tedious as the other films – except the first under the talented direction of Catherine Hardwicke when it was all new and exciting to us.
The Cullens’ much-anticipated union in matrimony in the book is like watching the real-life on-off lovers in an intimate off-camera clinch, and apart from some rippling Rpatz back muscles in action to gain a few fan-girl sighs is a disappointing and relatively unsexy replica. Admittedly, the series tries to keep the sex side to a minimum, which is tough when you are dealing with vampires and the obvious sexual connotations that include penetration in a 12A film.
Thankfully, though, there are some lighter moments to be had: the newlyweds ‘rearrange’ their paradise boudoir after a night of passion, with Bella looking mighty smug, plus the new bride rifles through her packed undies to try to find some choice garments to tempt her vamp into giving her a love bite worth showing off to friends. Indeed, what the film does in the first half hour is fulfil every young girl’s dream, with a wedding design and glamorous guest list to die for – not to mention the much anticipated ‘first-look’ at Bella’s dress. It’s what every Twerd has been waiting for. The film oozes style for the fashionista or luxury goods fanatic, if nothing else. Oh, and wait for the titles to roll for the biggest giggle to be had.
As a film, the only character who seems to be ‘doing anything’ exciting and single-handedly – until the final vampire-wolf standoff – is poor Jacob who ‘comes of age/pack’ in this and is the only voice of reason among the vacuous, trance-like stares, even out-smarting the normally immaculately posed Dr. Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinelli). Lautner has the best moments in this, and also removes his shirt within minutes of first appearing on screen.
What is shocking is watching an already delicate-looking Stewart waste away before your very eyes – and who said pregnancy made you glow? Not even a blood shake can get some colour back into her cheeks. This finally makes you feel a strange empathy for her, after years of nauseating emo angst. The birth in the ‘Grand Designs’ Cullen abode matches anything off ER for impact, which is just as well as precious little else occurs in this film, apart from the usual CGed-to-death fight scenes and vampires whizzing around the forest undergrowth. Another shocker for those not familiar with the book is Bella’s newborn triggering Jacob’s ‘imprint’ – basically a young man’s love at first sight for a child that’s borderline creepy, not to mention screams paedophilia.
Breaking Dawn Part 1 feels like yet another rather odd and protracted stepping stone to the ultimate finale, involving the Quileute and the Volturi and the Cullens – with an attractive Cullen daughter in the mix for the next adventure. Fans will flock see it – as box office figures show; non-fans will have to be dragged kicking and screaming. But with millions of avid Twi-hard readers, it’s a done deal for Meyer and co who are laughing all the way to the bank, regardless of how good a film adaptation it is.
2/5 stars
By @FilmGazer
by lgileskeddie
