Two nights ago I had a dream that winged creatures were attacking my school, which for some reason looked like a castle.  As my friends were devoured in front of my eyes by hungry jaws (RIP Cassidy), I could not cower in fear because I had a mission.  That’s right, thanks to weeks of seeing Breaking Dawn – Part 1 trailers on TV, my dreams were being infiltrated, this time with Kristen Stewart.  As I did everything in an attempt to save her, I ended up sacrificing myself.  Clearly I should have gotten her to promise that she would not waste her life, because after seeing Breaking Dawn Part 1 I am really afraid I dream died in vain.

With the 4^th book in the Twilight series coming to the big screen, or as I like to call it Breaking Dawn: Bella Contemplates Life in Mirrors, we find our vampire / human couple of Edward and Bella on the day before their wedding.  With only one day left to save Bella from a lifetime with a monster, Edward reveals a monstrous past he has kept for her, becoming forced moment #1 of the film.  I am no stranger to vampire brooding, and this is a nice idea in theory, but no matter how well the flashback worked on it’s own, it was far too forced in this moment.  Which begs one to wonder, why the heck are these two getting married?

Yes, they are in love, but this movie seemed to be bringing the relationship into question far more than necessary.  Starting with the wedding itself.  As Bella (Kristen Stewart) walks down the isle, she looks as if at any moment she is going to start sobbing and pulling away as her father drags her kicking and screaming by the wrist into a forced marriage.  As someone familiar with the Team Edward / Team Jacob divide, I understand the importance of the love triangle for this series, but once Bella has made the choice in marriage I think it is time to have this resolved more than it has been.  But instead of having the loving marriage starting off as such, it almost felt as if through it all she was more happy to see Jacob than her own husband, happily jumping into his arms as he arrives at the wedding (as opposed to the hardly visible smile when she sees Edward at the alter), or by later telling Jacob that with him there she is complete.  Come on Bella, stop being such a ho.

This sums up my biggest complaint as far as story content presentation goes, but the whole film felt like a lot of potential was just being ruined by poor choices.  Starting with the choice to break the film into two.  Because of this, this portion of the story feels rather stretched thin as the director reaches for anything that will help create something film length, throwing every movie making technique into the mix.  Here are a few of the biggest problem moments:

1. As I mentioned before, the Edward flashback seemed rather forced into the story instead of being given the time it was due (such as Jasper’s flashbacks in the previous film).
2. One more horrible choice prior to the wedding was shooting a dream sequence where Bella pictures the alter resting on a mound of bodies of her friends and family.
3. We finally get to hear the wolves talk to each other telepathically.  Unfortunately the voiceovers just seemed so ridiculous in this moment as the wolves angrily paced around each other that this high intensity conversation of conflict came off as laughable.
4. An imprinting sequence is shown through a series of images, such as a teen girl and rolling clouds.  I always wondered what this would be like, and I now know it is something similar to a perfume commercial parody.
5. The use of CGI in order to physically show a change to a character was completely unnecessary, and in all honestly removed all of the impact of the final shot before the screen goes black.

I never thought I would say this, but in addition to Billy Burke and Anna Kendrick as the highlights of the majority of the film, Taylor Lautner actually pulled through far more than I ever expected him to.  Let me just put it this way, as a character I have always found Jacob to be extremely annoying, but for the first time I actually enjoyed his time on the screen.  I’d like to believe that it was just because he is improving as an actor, but that does not help me forget just how mediocre the inclusion of some of the other characters were (who will now be considered the “sit quietly in the background characters.”  I’m looking at you, Cullens).

Other than the expected great soundtrack to these films, Breaking Dawn – Part 1 brought the series back down a notch, or seven.  The series has always fluctuated in the level of satisfaction with the films, but following Eclipse I really thought they were heading for improvement.  But no, with a mass of misused opportunities, I can do nothing but wait for Part 2 to fix the mistakes of this film.

Final Grade: D+

(If this was Jacob she would be looking at him far more longingly)

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The Twilight Saga is coming to an end with Breaking Dawn: Part 1 and while some are counting away the days till it is out of their lives it should be remembered as a series that missed opportunities to actually be interesting.

The film is an extended look at the first few weeks of Bella and Edward’s marriage and it stresses under the attempt to split the single book into two films.  Easily broken into three parts, the film encompasses the wedding, the honeymoon and the speedy pregnancy, giving us no real plot until it barely scrapes one together in the third act.  There was clearly no real reason to split this into two and the film’s quality is certainly sacrificed because of it.  The film is supposed to be the culmination of these two’s long delayed sexual desires and the results just fall flat.

From what I have heard about the books this chapter of the saga was supposed to be rather R-rated and the film is certainly PG-13.  The film practically glosses over the first time between the two and doesn’t get very sexy on top of that.  The film could be steamy without being graphic, but Bill Condon chooses to just let us see the aftermath of this supposedly epic sex romp.  Also being short changed due to the rating is the alleged graphicness and craziness of the birthing scene.  Through the hazy gaze of Bella’s POV they imply some nasty work by Edward, but had it been more graphic it could have made the moment far more interesting.

The film’s structure is also quite odd in that it races through plot and lingers on scenes of nothing.  The honeymoon sequence is a bloated mess, the wedding (while mostly quite good) runs a tad long, we see Bella looking miserable forever, and then when they reintroduce plot to the proceedings they rush through every element.  The plot didn’t have to be great; I just want to think about something once in awhile.

The movie also, again, has questionable CGI which is completely uncalled for in a billion dollar franchise.  Summit, why are you cutting corners anywhere with these films?  Sure some of the effects look good, but don’t short change a money shot (the baby’s face during the imprint) if you want us to have any sort of a reaction. No excuse.

The film also glosses over just about every interesting bit the story throws out there and I really miss getting to know the supporting characters’ pasts; like in Eclipse.  They tease us with one such flashback here, Edward’s human hunting days, and it is by far the most interesting thing introduce; too bad we only get a whole minute in this scene.

What did work for me?  The fight at the end was pretty good.  The music and score are great.  Condon and his cinematographer make sure this is the best looking film in the series and take full advantage of the Cullen home’s awesome architecture.  There is also a scene that would have been awesome, had the atrocious wolf pack voiceovers not made it almost terrible.

Acting wise everyone is consistent with the other films so I am not going to bother getting into it.  A house keeper on their honeymoon is a forced and horrible bit of acting though and none of the newcomers get time to do anything.  The wolf pack is also over exposed, even though they are only in a third of the film, and the film is tone deaf as it tries to interject humor at the most inopportune moments throughout the runtime.

In the end, leaving the theater I didn’t hate the film, but I was disappointed at the many missed opportunities.  Overly long and aimless, the film shouldn’t have been split in two and writing it up only makes the film’s shortcomings shine brighter.  I bet after seeing Part 2 it will be clear there was a solid movie in Breaking Dawn as a whole, but as it stands Part 1 has a lot of problems standing in its way from being able to stand on its own.  Awesome credits though!

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 is a D+

P.S. Please more Michael Sheen in part 2

When I speak of my love of the vampire genre I always throw out references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Underworld, 30 Days of Night, True Blood…the list goes on and on.  However, unless directly asked I would never admit to having read all of the Twilight novels in a week or owning one of the two prior films.  Maybe it is the mushy soap opera nature, or maybe it is how much the fanatical Twihards creep me out; but no matter the case, I was embarrassed to admit that I find some level of enjoyment from these stories.  But after watching The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, I can now say with no shame that I am a fan of the Twilight series.

This entry into the series sees a lot of established storylines built into the previous films coming to a head as Bella moves closer to graduating high school.  As far as the love triangle is concerned, Bella has yet to answer Edward’s proposal of marriage and Jacob is still stubbornly persisting in his hopes of convincing her that he is the right supernatural being for her.  Also, Victoria has yet to give up her grudge over the Cullen family making a bonfire out of her life-after-death mate at the end of the first film, constantly trespassing into their territory. Though she is a common enemy for both the Cullens and werewolves, the proximity of the two groups is still causing some tension.  However, when a nearby spree of violence in Seattle starts to grow out of hand, the two groups are forced to form a truce to defend their home of Forks and the secrecy of their existence.

In the first Twilight film the love story between Bella and Edward was as awkward as it was cute, but when Edward left Bella in New Moon things spiraled out of control.  It was an emotional rollercoaster for Bella, and in all honesty the extent of the melodramatic nature of her breakdown was far too uncomfortable for me to enjoy playing witness to.  But now I am happy to say that third time is a charm, as Eclipse has been able to find a bearable representation of this heightened love story.  Don’t get me wrong, it is still as mushy as it ever was, but now instead of rolling my eyes at it I am back to giggling like the teenage girl these films usually cause me to revert back to.

Though this is a dangerous situation for the characters, it is not as dire and depressed as the previous film, with a lot of lighter moments that make it far easier to connect to the characters and enjoy the performances of the actors.  Not to bash on her previous performances in any way because I have never had a problem with Kristen Stewart’s acting, but she is best off with this change.  She seems to be fully comfortable in the role, mirroring Bella’s growth as a character as she gets more comfortable in her own skin.  And let’s face it, it’s far easier to connect to her character this time around because she is no longer an emotional wreck defined by the loss of her boyfriend.  Robert Pattinson gets the same boost to his character by being allowed to relax his face from an agonized brood with scenes between the two in which they are allowed to act like a happy couple. And to round out the love triangle, it is fun to watch both he and Taylor Lautner play off each other as they butt heads over their mutual love interest.

Something that I have always been happy about is the inclusion of the smaller characters in these films, and Eclipse is no exception.  Stewart gets to show even more depth in some heartfelt and fun scenes with Sarah Clarke and Billy Burke as her parents, with Burke continuing his part as one of my favorite characters of the films.  The high schooler friends are back briefly, and they take full advantage of having Anna Kendrick by giving Jessica a speech at their graduation.  As for the Cullen family, special mention must go out to Jackson Rathbone and Nikki Reed who both take advantage of their brief moment in the spotlight thanks to flashback sequences for their respective characters, and though Jasper’s seems much more relevant in the context and flow of the film, Reed provides my favorite comedic bit in Rosalie’s flashback.  My only complaint is that there is far too little Alice in the films, who is easily my favorite character of the books.  Here’s hoping Ashley Greene gets her moment as Rathbone and Reed did here.

The trailers definitely over-exaggerate the amount of action in Eclipse, but what little is included is quite amazing to watch.  In addition to this, the CGI werewolves look pretty good and as realistic as I expect from computer generated creatures.  Their addition into the culminating battle alongside the Cullens adds a great change of pace from usual fights scenes, as well as another level of viciousness.  The violence is more than I expected, with vampires’ bodies being audibly shattered as they are torn limb from limb, and it is quite the sight to see.

With the fan base and history that these films have already had, there is no doubt in my mind that Eclipse will do really well in theaters.  However, this entry into the series is stronger in every way that the previous films, making it far more deserving of the success.

Final Grade: B+

*Spoiler alert*

I’m personally a fan of the books, and I have high hopes for this film. This trailer however, is crappy just as I expected it to be. They decide to focus on the love triangle between Bella, Edward, and Jacob instead of anything else. There were no shots of Victoria’s new vampire mate, her vampire army, or the wolf pack. And did anyone notice the cast change for the role of Victoria? Despite her fake red hair, I thought Rachelle Lefevre was perfect for the role of Victoria. Now they’ve replaced her with someone I find far too ugly to be a vampire.

There can only be one reason why they focused on the love triangle in the trailer, more viewers. Personally, I think it’s a very stupid marketing strategy. People who are already Twilight fans will see this movie no matter what. They should spin Eclipse as an vampire action movie to broaden the audience spectrum. Anyone with any common sense should know Bella is going to end up with Edward. Twilight is a book series about vampires, NOT werewolves. I guess we’ll have to wait until June 30 to find out how good this movie turns out.

Even with director Catherine Hardwicke’s take on bringing the first book of this series to screen, Chris Weitz fails to do little more than use her vision as a guidebook on how to direct The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and therefore, recreates a lot of the problems that plagued the first film while simply trying to appease the salivating masses of obsessed fans.

If you have read the books of this series, then you know exactly what happens in this ridiculously faithful adaptation. For those of you who haven’t, New Moon begins with Bella’s 18^th birthday, which proves to be just as traumatic as she believed it would be.  While at a party the Cullen family chooses to throw her, Bella (Kristen Stewart) gets a paper cut of epic proportions, sending one vamp into a blood hungry state of mind. Brooding over the opinion that this is all his fault, Edward (Robert Pattinson) chooses to take his family and run away from Forks, promising to never interfere with Bella’s life again. Falling into a pit of lonely despair, Bella eventually resurfaces, only to attach herself to Jacob (Taylor Lautner), who just so happens to be a werewolf.

Following the lead of most of the characters in this film, or rather, the actors’ interpretations of their characters, this film tends to take itself way too seriously, making it hard to relate to the story and characters more often than not. Let’s start with the most obvious: Bella’s dependence on the males of this series is a little excessive, and I half expected her to end the film early by slitting her wrists. Instead, we just get to witness her complete dedication to teen angst and depression, complete with night after night of screaming into her pillow as she contorts her body in agony. And once she finally decides to return to the land of the living, she continues to mope as she competes with the others over who can be the most melodramatic and brood in the corner with the most intensity.

With that said, because the main characters seem to have little expected of them in their range of acting, this film easily goes to the supporting cast, who often only appear in a couple of scenes. First, there is Jessica (Anna Kendrick), who shines in her hilarious rant about the true meaning of a film Bella forces her to sit through, becoming a much needed burst of fresh air in this overly suffocating film. Harry Clearwater (Graham Greene) follows her lead with more comedic relief, along with Bella’s dad, Charlie (Billy Burke), who proves to be a saint for putting up with that child. And finally, the Volturi coven, the oldest clan of vampires, is fleshed out with a lot of great people, including apathetic Marcus (Christopher Heyerdahl), creepily enthusiastic Aro (Michael Sheen), and pain invoking Jane (Dakota Fanning). But lets face it, Dakota Fanning is Dakota Fanning, so no surprise there.

Continuing on this path, the supporting cast is not the sole item in the pro column fighting against the cons. For starters, though a lot of the music and camera work still proved to be over the top at times, there were a few moments when all the elements actually came together beautifully, such as when the wolf pack chases Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre) through the woods, showing that Weitz actually may have some talent after all. Speaking of the music, though the orchestral scores were a little much, the soundtrack to the film is full of many strong selections. And finally, though I complain a lot about how melodramatic the film is, this actually proved to be a great source of unintentional hilarity, and made the film more enjoyable than I am letting on.

Overall New Moon fails to expand on what was expected of it following the first film, proving to be a disappointment to me, but still enjoyable in how easily one can make fun of it. And let’s face it, my complaints will more likely than not go unnoticed by the screaming girls this movie is aimed at.

Final Grade: B-

PS – when you have incredibly ripped boys taking their shirts off left and right, at least try to pretend there is a reason for this happening.