The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1

PITCH

WORTH

$$$

VIEW

" Meet you at the Alter."

          I believe an explanation is needed before I give you my review and I don't really know why I feel so compelled to give one but here it is:

     I like vampire movies.  Much have been made about which type of vampire movie is better:  The 'monster' vampire movies of late [like in Blade 2 or Priest] or the more charismatic vampire [like the original Dracula or Let Me In].  I like both especially especially when used right per conflict.

 

       I'm also okay with generational adaptions and modifications of the legend. From Vampires and Werewolves having a beef to vampires having more abilities as more stories are told... We even had some vampires able to go outside in the sunshine recently.  I'm okay with all that... One thing I just can't abide, one thing that I can't get past is all the sparkling going on in this particular story..

      I'm not a fan of the series.  I saw the first one purely off curiosity.  Being ignorant of the trilogy I thought that was it... it wasn't.  The second promised to be one of action and it was. So now we come to the finale in which they broke up into two separate flicks.  I want to rant about how this is such a dangerous trend in Hollywood to extract more money out of us but more on that in another post. I feel like I need to know how this thing ends.  I've already invested time in the first two and I like to give stories the benefit of the doubt since the books did so well. Especially since those whom have read the books approve so emphatically of the last installment it would do my prowess as a film reviewer a disservice to not see it through.

    Having said all of that, I liked it.  I think it accomplished what it set out to do and that is to form a description of the 'end'.

     Right off the top, this one felt more like a real movie and not so much a teenie bop soap dish.  The trailer accurately described the subject matter.  The movie complimented that pitch with some great answers.

     Bella, to me, was more tolerable. Her decision making has always pissed me off.  I was able to subdue that loathing because the rest of the story around her became interesting.

   The scenery, landscapes and even the music seemed to be an upgrade from the last two installments.

   The whole sparkling thing is laughable but even the most noticeable mistake/omission [vampires apparently don't sparkle in sunlight this time around] went unnoticed because we, as an audience, were knee deep in the climate of suspension.  Waiting for a conflict resolution or just wondering what was next.

     This will be hard to grade because if you've already seen the the Twilight movies behind this one then you really would find this part interesting at the least.  However if this is your first, I would highly recommend that you stay away from it.

           My letter grade for this partial conclusion is a B-.

Shortly after the credits roll there is an additional scene. (There is no extra scene at the very end of the credits.)