Movie Review: 'Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn Part 1' slow but exactly what the fans want

The latest take on the popular teen-aimed "Twilight" sci-fi-fantasy-horror film series is in town and it's playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex.

It's called 'Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn Part 1," and it brings back most of the cast of the earlier movies, although this is P-13 stuff with a lot of eroticism as well as all those fanged wolves. A teen film it is not, but you can bet a lot of teens are going to see it.

Heading the cast are Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan and Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, Bella's vampire lover and soon to be her husband. Also at the top of the credits is Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black, also a supernatural thing.

I'll have to offer a warning here: I saw none of the earlier films in the series so I may not have picked up on some of the backstory references or scenes. But I'll just have to muddle along, taking this film on its own without referring to the earlier ones.

Here Bella and Edward are getting married, despite the obvious problem of his vampire ways. Here's a sample of the dialog:
Edward Cullen: So that's what you dream about... becoming a monster?
Bella Swan: I dream about being with you forever.

Obviously Bella isn't bothered about living with a vampire.

So we go on to the wedding after Bella has a premonition of many guests dying at the ceremony. This is a long wedding and you get the idea that things are not going to hustle along as the wedding kiss takes a very long, long time.

As a matter of note, the movie does sort of stumble along as if nobody had dinner waiting back home. There's a lot of slow scenes in the couples luxury honeymoon resort where they do get down to movie sex --- that is, lots of gauze but nothing to scare off pre-teens (they'll get in to see this, you can be sure).

After two hot weeks Bella feels her tummy and decides she is pregnant. (This is movie time, remember.) She calls home and it is confirmed as well as by the local housekeeper who also feels the tummy and just knows.

This is where Black gets in a dither, fearing Cullen will make Bella also a vampire. There's much palaver about this and the wolves get involved again and there is a fight scene where three humans take on a pack and survive after Black tames things down.

Meanwhile, the fetus is unhappy and starts breaking Bella's bones in protest (tough kid) until Bella starts drinking human blood, which calms the unborn. Everybody takes turns patting Bella's swollen tummy until it's tire for the baby to be born. But it has to be a Cesarean delivery and Bella doesn't make it, despite Cullen's CPR efforts. She seems to die, but Cullen to the rescue bites her leg, making her a vampire. This is illustrated by interior body shots of the vampire venom coursing through her body. Bella lives and becomes part of the supernatural family. The film ends with Bella opening her eyes.

I may have skipped some details, but since most of the movie patrons have probably read the book the movie is based on, small loss I figure.
The direction by Bill Condon is unhurried at best and the acting … well, what can one say about a cast that has been through it all before? They serve who only get blood on their lips.

Lots of kissing, lots of meandering around, lots of tense moments with the wolves running wild, lots of side plots that are pretty much left dangling. Part 2 will be released next November; it's already in the can so don't worry about it not being released next year. Be happy with Part I if you can. Not a good movie, but with a film like this, what does it matter.

Cast, Part 1
Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan
Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen
Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black
Supporting cast:
• Nikki Reed as Rosalie Hale, a member of the Cullen family who helps Bella through her pregnancy
• Peter Facinelli as Carlisle Cullen, a compassionate doctor who acts as a father figure to the Cullen coven
• Elizabeth Reaser as Esme Cullen, the most loving member who acts as the mother of the Cullen family
• Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen, a member of the Cullen family who can see "subjective" visions of the future and who is close friends with Bella
• Kellan Lutz as Emmett Cullen, the strongest member of the Cullen family, and provides the comic relief
• Jackson Rathbone as Jasper Hale, a member of the Cullen coven can feel/control/manipulate emotions
• Julia Jones as Leah Clearwater, a member of Jacob's pack who is constantly bitter and pained
• Booboo Stewart as Seth Clearwater, a carefree member of Jacob's pack
• Billy Burke as Charlie Swan, Bella's father and Forks' Chief of Police
• Sarah Clarke as Renée Dwyer, Bella's mother who lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Phil
• MyAnna Buring as Tanya, the leader of the Denali coven[
• Maggie Grace as Irina, a member of the Denali coven whose lover (Laurent) was killed by the werewolves
• Casey LaBow as Kate, a member of the Denali coven who has the ability to run an electric current on her skin
• Michael Sheen as Aro, the leader of the Volturi[
• Jamie Campbell Bower as Caius, one of the three founders of the Volturi[
• Christopher Heyerdahl as Marcus, one of the three founders of the Volturi[
• Chaske Spencer as Sam Uley, the Alpha of the werewolves pack
• Christian Camargo as Eleazar, a member of the Denali coven
• Mia Maestro as Carmen, a member of the Denali coven

Directed by Bill Condon
Produced by Wyck Godfrey
Karen Rosenfelt
Stephenie Meyer
Screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg
Based on "Breaking Dawn" by
Stephenie Meyer
Music by Carter Burwell
Cinematography Guillermo Navarro
Editing by Virginia Katz
Running time
117 minutes, rated PG-13