Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) steps in to direct the latest installment of The Twilight Saga, which I must say, was at first a disappointment as I felt David Slade did an excellent job with Eclipse. However, Condon proved to be suitable for the job as Breaking Dawn – Part 1 is clearly aTwilight film, in both style and substance. Whether or not that is a good thing depends on the audience.

The story begins with the wedding of Bella and Edward. Families and friends from both sides join in, which makes for a few laughs and appearances of some characters from previous films. The film quickly jumps to the honeymoon, where the long awaited PG-13 sex scene with a still-human Bella and her vamp takes place. I’ll have to again admire the message the Twilight stories sends, as I have in my Eclipse review, in regards to it’s depiction of abstinence until marriage. I’m not one for preachiness in films, so I can safely say they pull of this moral aspect with admirable quality.

The remainder of the film deals with Bella’s pregnancy and the toll it takes on her life. Back in Forks, the Cullens face new threats by the wolfpack when they hear of the pregnancy. There’s a lot of drama, a few chase scenes, but not much more. Every now and then Bella’s progressively grotesque appearance will get your attention, and a few sequences revolving around her might make you cringe, but there isn’t much more excitement. If you weren’t expecting that, you probably aren’t familiar with Twilight.

Not to restate the obvious, but there is clearly an audience for these films which can be simplified into those who love the books, and those who have no desire to read the books. Sure, there are a few in between that just love a good fairy-tale-esque fantasy romance with a few bits of action that haven’t read the books, or those book purists that despise any movie rendition, but lets talk about the big picture. Fans will likely find a lot to love with the movie because of their familiarity with its characters and events. Casual and hardcore film watchers alike who view the story with a foreign perception will find it hard to find any enjoyment with these movies.

I could probably consider myself to fall under the in-between group I mention above. I like a good romance, as I do a good fantasy, and I did enjoy some of this film. However, I felt it was too drawn out, more than likely in attempt to cash in by having the Part 2. At the end I had a feeling of “that’s it?” which isn’t the feeling one should have after a near two-hour movie. I won’t mention much about the cinematography, acting, or other attributes of the film, as you can look at any of my reviews for the previous films and they’ll all pretty much be consistent in those regards. I will just close by saying that if you like theTwilight films, you’ll enjoy this one but feel cheated out in having to wait forPart 2.

==Written by Nicolas ==

==From: Critic Nic (www.criticnic.com)==

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 delivers strongly for the rabid fan base who have catapulted the young adult novel series and subsequent movie adaptations to the worldwide phenomenon that it's become, but it alienates a broader audience with a lack of any real action. Similar to the tone of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, the first film of the two-part Twilight conclusion is heavy on romance, love, and turmoil but light on fight scenes and gruesome battles. The movie doesn't waste any time getting to the goods and opens with Bella and Edward's much-hyped wedding scene. It works--the vows are efficient and first-time franchise director Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) moves the party along quickly and amusingly with a well-edited toast scene and some surprisingly moving moments between Bella and her father, cast standout Billy Burke. The honeymoon plays as a slightly awkward soft-focus made-for-TV movie, with a lot of long moments spent staring in the mirror and some love scenes that feel at once overly intimate and completely passionless. It's a relief when Bella retches on a bite of chicken she's cooked herself and quickly concludes she's pregnant with a potentially demonic baby. From bliss to horror, the Cullens return to Forks, where Bella spends the second half of the movie wasting away and Edward and Jacob are aligned in their anger and frustration over her decision. Throw in some over-the-top scenes with Jacob and his pack--including a strange showdown where the wolves communicate in their canine form by having a passionate nonverbal fight in their minds (a plot point that works much better in print, it's portrayed in the film via aggressive voice-over)--and the film overshoots intensity and goes straight to silly. The birth scene is horrific, but not as gruesome as in the book, and by the end, Bella has of course survived, though is much altered. The final scene features a delightfully campy Michael Sheen as Volturi leader Aro and makes it clear that the action and fun in Breaking Dawn, Part 1 is ready to start. Fans will just have to wait until Part 2 to get it. --Kira Canny