Film Review: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1. Rated M (supernatural themes and medical procedures). 117 minutes. Directed by Bill Condon. Screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg. Based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer.

There’s no denying it. The intrigue of the Twilight Saga movie franchise has given rise to a veritable slam-dunk of opinion, debate, reverence and ridicule since they arrived on the big screen in the form of Twilight (2008). Fans (commonly referred to as Twihards) – of which there are many – have steadfastly refused to tolerate anything even remotely critical of their beloved Bella, Edward and Jacob. For everyone else, it would seem that nothing spikes the hate-o-metre faster than a Twilight Saga movie viewing.

In case you’ve just returned from five years residing on a distant planet, the final novel in the series – Breaking Dawn – has been divided into two movies, with Part 2 due for release this time next year. In Part 1, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart, pictured) finally weds her vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), and werewolf Jacob (Taylor Lautner) honourably turns up to give his somewhat reluctant approval. A honeymoon on a remote island off the coast of Brazil ensues, and before you can say “O-negative”, Bella is pregnant with what appears to be the spawn of Satan. Protected by the Cullens from the marauding werewolf pack who want to destroy the unborn undead, Bella (to Ms Stewart’s unending credit) spends much of the movie looking absolutely shocking while awaiting the birth of her ‘child’. The big question is who will die defending the life of Edward and Bella’s unborn child?

Mr Condon (Gods and Monsters, Dreamgirls) stamps an undeniable authority all over the proceedings, while Ms Rosenberg’s (who has penned the scripts for each of the movies) screenplay suffers, mostly, from having to say in 117 minutes what might have been said in 17. Guillermo Navarro’s (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth, I Am Number Four) cinematography is entirely serviceable – with the interiors of the Cullen mansion, in particular, striking in their cold, clinical indifference. Virginia Katz’s (Dreamgirls, Burlesque) editing manages to inject some much needed pace into the first two-thirds of the film, while cutting loose in spectacular fashion in the race home.

Originally classified MA15+ in Australia (the gruelling birth sequence was the likely culprit), the revised M rating more than adequately covers much of the film’s tone. And while Mr Lautner fans should not be late under any circumstances, fans of the franchise more generally should remain in their seats for a sneaky mid-credits preview of Part 2.

This review was commissioned by the Geraldton Newspaper Group.

Film Review: The Twilight Saga – Eclipse

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. 124 minutes. Rated M. Directed by David Slade. Screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg. Based on the novels by Stephenie Meyer.

Having sold over 100 million copies worldwide, there can be no denying the immense popularity of Stephenie Meyer’s award-winning, vampire-based fantasy romance novels that began in 2008 with Twilight. Written specifically for young adults, the stories focussed on life, love, fantasy and – most pertinently – romance. And just like with James Cameron’s Titanic, romance-starved young audiences the world over were captivated.

Traditional (the cynics might prefer ‘old-fashioned’) values of love, faith, honour and respect were interwoven into a supernatural tale about young Isabella "Bella" Swan (Kristen Stewart), a 104-year-old vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).

This latest instalment begins with Bella and Edward negotiating the conditions of their relationship. Meanwhile, in Seattle, Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard) begins to assemble her army of ‘newborns’ (humans recently turned into vampires) to do battle with the Cullen clan in revenge for the death of her mate James (who was killed in Twilight). The life they seek, in return, is Bella’s.

Where HBO’s True Blood plays hardball with the vampire/shape-shifter genre, Twilight plays softball, with the ever-popular team of impossibly beautiful people back for more teenage angst, thwarted passion, shape-shifting – all held together by some fantastically sharp editing from Art Jones (Hard Candy) and Nancy Richardson (Twilight). And while the audience registered their considerable approval when Mr Lautner finally removed his shirt, Ms Rosenberg's script (with the exception of one hilarious scene between Bella and her father Charlie, played by Billy Burke) eventually somersaults into self-reverential parody and, ultimately, unrelenting tedium.

Slade (Hard Candy), who famously Twitter-slammed the first movie, manages to make his mark with a sensational, rain-soaked opening sequence (starring Australian actor Xavier Samuel – pictured – who acts everyone else off the screen in his big Hollywood debut), before being numbed into submission with more of the franchise’s signature flowing ‘flowering meadow’ scenes, tree-hopping vampire sequences, and vampire vs vampire vs werewolf battles. There’s yet more shots of the cast standing around in the epic, beautiful locations pondering their future – which one gets the unfortunate feeling they don’t actually comprehend.

The fractured proceedings are all underpinned by Howard Shore’s (The Departed, The Aviator) particularly atmospheric score and Cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe’s (The Road, New Moon) beautiful photography.

There is much to respect about Ms Meyer’s commitment to the value of genuine and meaningful inter-personal relationships, but one cannot but help feeling as though there is just not enough to it all to warrant what will become five films (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 is scheduled for release next year with Part 2 due in 2012.)

So while it would seem that young, predominantly female, audiences simply cannot get enough of Twilight, let’s hope the filmmakers haven’t seriously under-estimated their young, demanding audiences’ patience. Or their intelligence.