The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, part 1 - 2011

Summit Entertainment, Sunswept Entertainment, TSBD Canada Productions

Directed by Bill Condon

Cast:

• Jacob Black – Taylor Lautner
• Isabella Swan – Kristen Stewart
• Edward Cullen – Robert Pattinson
• Dr. Carlisle Cullen – Peter Facinelli
• Esme Cullen – Elizabeth Reaser
• Sheriff Charlie Swan – Billy Burke
• Billy – Gil Birmingham
• Alice Cullen – Ashley Greene
• Renee – Sarah Clarke
• Jasper Hale – Jackson Rathbone
• Phil Dwyer – Ty Olsson

Story: Bella and Edward are about to be married. Jacob receives his invitation and is not pleased, reacting like any spurned lover who is able to run for miles after turning into a giant wolf. Alice, Edward's sister, is in her most favorite place, planning the wedding, making sure every detail is perfect. And on the day of the wedding, Jacob does return, to wish her luck on her final day as a human...only to discover she is going to wait until after the honeymoon to be changed. The honeymoon is not without incident, but they manage until, 14 days after the wedding, Bella discovers she is pregnant. Can she survive? Will the baby be a blessing or a curse? Can Jacob stop the tribe of werewolves from killing the child?

Review: Okay, I have to let you know I have a wife and three daughters, which is why I am even aware The Twilight Saga exists. To my chagrin, I have seen all the movies, and on a scale of one to ten, I give them a six at the most. These are not the vampires and werewolves we grew up with, but the Gothic romance style of the stories appears to be appealing to many people, or else why make the movies in the first place. The special effects are probably the most appealing aspect of the film. The transformation of the tribal members to wolves is interesting and very smooth. The scenery is beautiful, and the photography is exceptional. As to the acting, well, I doubt if anyone at the academy is looking to give any Oscars away, but the actors are sufficient in a melodramatic way. I personally thought I was watching a soap opera, and not feature length film. All that being said, I think, much like the Harry Potter series, the purpose of extending this final film in the series to two episodes is more financial than artistic, and the action suffers for it. Little more than a wedding, a honeymoon, a pregnancy, and … well, that would be telling. Rated PG-13, so the little ones will best be in bed, but the teenage girls will eat it up.