Sandy M’s review of Breaking Dawn, Part 1 directed by Bill Condon
Paranormal/Fantasy/Adventure Film released by Summit Entertainment 18 Nov 11
Since the first movie in this series, we’ve made it a girls night out – my sister and nieces enjoying sushi beforehand and then taking in a couple of hours of vampires and werewolves. In the beginning I tried to read the books before hitting the theater. I normally like a book better than the movie when I do that, but in this case, I have to say I like each movie more than the books. Visuals actually seem to work much better than my imagination this time around.
My sister is an Edward girl. I’m a Jacob girl. I prefer the dark, smoldering look and that young Taylor Lautner certainly embodies that in my eyes. I’m disappointed they got rid of his sexy long hair, but he did have to mature into the near alpha that’s alluded to in this movie. I have no idea what my sister sees in Robert Pattinson. That’s just me. And then there’s the shapeshifting, all seamlessly done on film, revealing beautifully wild wolves. It’s exactly how I imagine it when I’m reading about werewolves. There’s plenty of snarling and snapping and biting to take things to a more dangerous level here.
Bella and Edward finally marry – Bella getting what she wants and Edward giving in to what he knows may not be the best for either of them. It’s a beautiful wedding, her dress is gorgeous, her dad is still trying to be happy about it all, all of his family finally support him in unison. The honeymoon is romantic, love and moonlight and clear waters on a Latin American island. And that’s where the bliss comes to an end. Bella realizes she’s pregnant, and something is so terribly wrong.
This new being is growing at an accelerated rate, sucking Bella dry. I have to give props to Kristen Stewart on how she plays the new bride hungry for a husband who is afraid to touch her again for fear of hurting her to the wan, protective mother who will let no harm come to her child. But there are those who feel she’s carrying a demon and want it destroyed. The Cullenses rally around her, though, along with Jacob, all with varying feelings about the situation and to protect her at all costs.
The action, just as in the previous movies, is swift and exciting, exacting and lethal. And the end of this movie is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. Which is quite a long time, since I don’t see many movies anymore. But even though we know Bella will finally get her wish of becoming a vampire, we’re on tenterhooks through the delivery and subsequent rebirth. The way Jacob is released from his attraction, obsession, fixation, whatever it is to Bella is out of the blue and unexpected and I love it. Caught me completely off guard.
For me, this is the best movie of the bunch so far. Before it never bothered me to wait until the next came out. This time I can’t wait. It’s going to be a long year but well worth it to see ultimately how it all ends.
Grade: A
Summary:
The Quileute and the Volturi close in on expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses different threats to the wolf pack and vampire coven.
Watch the trailer.
Other books in this series:
November 16, 2012
