Just so you know, spoilers galore in this review.
This isn't going to have a synopsis, and will assume prior knowledge, basically its a wee bit of a rant.
Ok yes so the film has been out rather a while now, and I am a supposed fan of the teen vamp franchise, but when I heard they were splitting the final book into two films it really made me resent going to the cinema twice to see something that could easily have gone into one movie.
When I say I'm a 'fan' let me clarify, I read the books like they were going to implode at any moment, certainly not because of the superior writing (which is in fact terrible) but because Bella's fascination with Edward is itself fascinating. The films have been a bit like the books, almost terrible but not bad enough to stop watching. There was something about the first one which was great, the intensity, the ethereal colour scheme, and yeah - two teenagers staring into each others eyes was all the film really did but still, you became engrossed.
New Moon and Eclipse were pretty decent adaptations too, it helped that the supporting cast was bulked out to include the marvellous Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon, Midnight in Paris) who is a charismatic actor, and obviously relishes the role of evil vampire lord.
And then we come to Breaking Dawn, the final part....if only. Now I understand why Harry Potter got two films, there was a lot going on in the entire series let alone the final book. I also understand why the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy will be split into two, because believe me that last book has about four films worth of content. I still, even after seeing part one, don't understand why Breaking Dawn, as fat a book as it was, needed to be two films.
Yes the adaptation is pretty good, but there was a fair amount added which was not in the original story, which made the film almost two hours long. Totally unnecessary.
Ok so enough about all that, it remains to be seen if the final film will qualify the split or if they have to bulk out that one too.
So for part one. The beginning was pretty great, and fairly accurate, though I don't remember Bella's dream about massacring her entire wedding. Charlie remains my favourite character and piece of casting, Billy Burke embodies the gruff father of the bride and he even made me tear up a little....yes I know I'm incredibly pathetic.
The vampire family are the same as usual. Ashley Greene's hair goes from bad to worse, Peter Facinelli appears to have put some weight on which I know I shouldn't criticise but, you know, he's playing a vampire who shouldn't ever physically change. I love Elizabeth Reaser who plays Edwards 'mother' Esme, she was brilliant in Grey's Anatomy playing a pyschologically disturbed young woman, but also provides a warmth to her characters, even as a vampire. I loved when Esme brought sandwiches to the wolves protecting her family.
Edward and Bella....well Robert Pattinson as I've said before isn't the greatest actor and Kristen Stewart....well so far this is the film that has most impressed me about her acting. She does dying while pregnant really well, not making the special effects guys do all the work, though they are deserving of a star all on their own.
As for the wolves, I have to say they made me giggle when speaking as wolves to each other, and Jacob finally removes himself from the group to become his own Alpha. Lets just say none of them should be going for voice acting jobs anytime soon. The wolves themselves seemed less real, I know they are mythical wolves but when grouped together against a real backdrop you become hyper aware of the special effects.
Another place where the special effects honestly failed so badly I felt sorry for the techs in charge was when Jacob sets eyes on newly born Renesmee, Bella and Edwards weird hybrid offspring. They obviously computer animated her face so they could make her eyes golden, but in the book her eyes were brown. So WHY the need to computer animate a baby's face when actually, just find a real kid with brown eyes? Mystifying.
The wedding and the honeymoon were done very well I thought. The sex scenes were fairly racy for a 12a but then ANY sex scene in a 12a is racy. I enjoyed the easy company Kristen and Robert keep together, it helps they are a couple in real life I think as neither are that good an actor.
I think the best thing about the film, and the series so far, was the pregancy and 'birth' that Bella had to suffer through. The emaciated look of Bella, the quite literally back breaking labour pains, and the final transformation were all exceptional, and made me want to hide behind a pillow. I especially enjoyed her being immobile but actually screaming her head off in pain, it was very clever.
So I think my final analysis is the same as with all previous Twilight movies: special effects pretty good, acting could have been better, story didn't need the extra elements, but overall not a bad film.
I still fail to understand the need for a two parter.
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