Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 Review: Let’s Go Ahead and Call It a Win

I love being able to say I was right.

Would you like to know what I was right about this time? Then read on.

November 18 finally arrived, the day Twilight fans (and those who enjoy laughable, cheesy goodness at the theater) have been waiting on for about eighteen months – the release of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1. For my part, I’ve been cautiously optimistic since viewing the first extended trailers at Comic-Con last summer, curious to see whether the interesting choices made in those few glimpses would translate to the full length product. In addition, the theatrical trailer for this movie is top notch, and had me looking forward to my opening night screening as opposed to dreading it.

Here’s how it went down.

The opening thirty minutes of the film had me squirming. Bella (Kristen Stewart) looks, as usual, all kinds of uncomfortable in her own skin. The Cullens were even more awkward, even more terrible at acting, than I remembered from Eclipse. The wedding preparations, the silly bachelor party scene, and the first of too many unnecessary and cheesy flashbacks had me thinking I was in for a long 117 minutes.

The wedding arrived, and if I may take a girl moment here, Bella’s dress (the one they protected like it was the freaking crown jewels during filming) was hideous. HIDEOUS. Unflattering, strange, and like something a nun would wear to get married, not any 18-year-old girl I’ve ever known. Bella has a (completely unnecessary) nightmare the night before the wedding and the dress she wears in her dream is lovely. They should have gone with that.

But I digress.

The good news is, once we struggle through the wedding, reception (the Cullen’s extended family looked so freakish, I can’t even tell you), and Bella’s awkward goodbye with Jacob (Taylor Lautner), in which she tells him she plans to consummate her marriage to Edward (Robert Pattinson) while she’s still human (why would she do that?), the film begins to settle in and hit a comfortable pace.

The interactions with both her mother (Sarah Clarke) and father (Billy Burke) range from heartfelt to funny. One of the best, quiet scenes of the movie takes place with Bella alone in her room, the night before her wedding to Edward. Every adult woman in that theater (including me) identified with her in that moment – the final night under your parent’s roof, the moments before your life changes forever and you’re no longer a kid. It was poignant and real, and the kind of small glimpses of truth these film adaptations have been short on in the past.

So Edward and Bella head to their honeymoon on Isle Esme, to the headboard breaking, pillow ripping scenes those of us who read the novels have been waiting for over the past three or four years. Director Bill Condon and screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg make another great choice to begin what is otherwise an extremely predictable honeymoon when they allow Bella a few “human moments” to panic about her first night with her new husband. I appreciated these minutes of honesty that let Bella become relatable, even likable. In fact, Breaking Dawn has done the impossible, finally morphing the main character of this franchise into someone we can not only root for, but understand.

After the silliness of the days on Isle Esme, in which they destroy the bed, pillows, and room in general the first night, but spend the rest of the days playing chess, since Edward refuses to touch her again for fear of leaving more bruises, we get down to the meat and potatoes of this film – Bella’s unexpected and rather grotesque pregnancy. Edward drags her home to see Carlisle (Peter Facinelli). The family patriarch can’t see the baby with ultrasounds or run any tests at all because the amniotic sac is built for a super strong, half-vampire baby and not a regular human one. The entire family, aside from Rosalie (Nikki Reed), who always wanted children of her own, urges Bella to terminate the pregnancy. If she doesn’t, the baby will kill her before she can deliver. You can imagine Jake is pretty upset as well, because he’s still hanging around all annoying like even though the girl he loves is married and knocked up.

But talk about stakes, right? I mean, you might be reading or watching and thinking that’s so silly, but let me put it to you this way. There are plenty of couples who struggle with this same (okay, not exactly the same) situation in real life every day, where husbands and wives have to make the decision to terminate or continue a pregnancy when there is risk to the mother or the baby. I’m not saying a plot that revolves around half-vampire babies that may or may not be demonic isn’t silly, I’m just saying.

Bella, with Rosalie at her side, is determined to carry the baby as long as possible in order to give it its best chance at survival. She believes Carlisle or Edward will be able to turn her into a vampire at the last moment, but even when they advise her this might not be possible if her heart gives out first, she claims she’s willing to die to bring their baby into the world. From this decision we get a series of honest, emotional scenes between our newlyweds that range from anger, to betrayal, and finally to acceptance and support. Another fantastic moment, this time (gasp!) between Edward and Bella, comes when he realizes his desperation over losing her has left her to deal with their situation alone. It’s rather adorable.

Anyway. You can take it from here, whether you’ve read the books or seen the film. If you live under a rock, I can’t go any further without spoiling things.

So up until now, this review has been largely favorable, and you’re thinking I:

A)    Am blinded by my enjoyment of the novels

B)    Have some kind of twisted crush on Robert Pattinson and/or Edward

C)    Have no idea what I’m talking about

D)    Am a brainless pod person

I promise you it’s none of the above, although I freely admit to enjoying the novels.

There are issues with this film. Issues that have been taken with the previous three installments, and that have not been shored up in this second to last episode. The screenwriting is still largely cringe worthy, especially in the moments not bolstered by action or intense emotion. I giggled at the absurdity of certain lines, usually ones that were meant to be somber. There are at least four scenes that are worthless, cheesy, out of place, or add nothing to anything important. The worst of these is a scene with the werewolves, in which they have an argument/discussion that takes place while they’re in wolf form. I’m not sure who thought this was a good idea, or if Condon was tripping on acid that day, but the whole thing is like some tragic straight-to-video sequel to Balto. It not only completely pulled me out of the moment, but destroyed any intended tension. The scene where Jacob imprints on Renesmee manages to be both disturbing and laughable, which is a strange combination.

In addition, this could and should have been one final film. I could easily chop thirty minutes, then add forty-five, and Twilight could have been over, with a strong finish, in under two and a half hours. Releasing a second installment (in which absolutely nothing happens) is pure, undiluted greed.

But you know what? After the initial thirty to forty-five minutes of Breaking Dawn there were large chunks that made me forget I was watching a Twilight movie, even sucked me in to the point I couldn’t remember I was supposed to be making fun. I never once looked at my watch wondering how much longer I had to sit there. When I knew it must be nearing a conclusion, I wished it would keep going. The movie mirrors the experience of reading the novel in many ways, where I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what happened, but at the same time I wanted to slow down and make it last.

So what was I right about, you ask?

Since the beginning, I’ve defended the actors of this film franchise. I’ve never believed they are as bad at their craft as the writing makes them seem (with the exception of Ashley Greene, who though she looks exactly like Alice, has got to be one of the worst actresses I’ve ever seen). Eclipse started the ball rolling, but Breaking Dawn proves me right beyond the shadow of a doubt. Yes, there are still issues but on the whole, if you give this cast real action, emotion, and story to sink their teeth into, they’ll rise to the challenge.

Setting aside the initial thirty minutes, Breaking Dawn is the best made, best acted, and most enjoyable of the Twilight films thus far. If you liked the other movies (or just liked to make fun of them), you’ll love it. If you enjoyed the novels, it doesn’t stray from the source material at all. If your girlfriend makes you go, you won’t hate it.

As far as this franchise is concerned, we can call this one a win.

Photos Courtesy of IMDb and Summit Entertainment