By: Sam D.
2 out of 5 stars
The fourth installment of the Twilight Saga is Breaking Dawn Part 1. This film was directed by Bill Condon, who also directed the previous installments, and was produced by Summit Entertainment. The final book adaptation is being split into two parts similar to the marketing strategy of the Harry Potter series. Breaking Dawn was released in winter 2011 and stars the well-known actors Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner.
The film begins with the much-anticipated marriage between Bella (Stewart) and her vampire lover, Edward (Pattinson). Afterwards, to the dismay of Bella's best friend, Jacob, (Lautner), they embark on the honeymoon of ages on a private island. Unfortunately for the happy couple, things prove to be too good to be true as Bella soon finds out that she is pregnant with Edward's child. What ensues is a muddle of melodramatic events that require a bit too much suspension of disbelief, ending in a gory improvised Caesarean section and a hodgepodge of movie clichés.
With every new movie contributing to the series, the Twilight actors become less and less convincing in their supernatural roles. It’s hard to blame them, as the poor writing really gives them little to work with. The bleak expressions and unsalvageable dialogue (the most memorable line being the dramatically-delivered single word, “possibly”) quickly sends the film spiraling down the hole of fandom that it has dug for itself. On the other hand, the parental figures in the film prove to be as believable as they could be in such a role, namely the two fathers of the married couple played by Billy Burke and Peter Facinelli. Unfortunately, this small triumph in writing takes no attention away from the disappointing portrayal of Bella as played by Kristen Stewart. Even in the most emotional and physically demanding of scenes (such as the childbirth part) Stewart comes across as sheltered and indifferent.
All in all, the only people who will enjoy this film are the Twi-hards that spawned its creation. Although many flocked to the theatres to see the film on the big screen, it is no less dissatisfying on a laptop with a bowl of microwave popcorn to distract you from this B movie quality film.
