The decision to split “Breaking Dawn,” Stephenie Meyer’s last book in the “Twilight” series, into two parts has created a pair of films as different as Edward and Jacob.
The first half, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1” is packed with as many emotional and contemplative moments as the brooding vampire, while the second half will have the kind of action that makes a werewolf howl.
The division would have been OK if director Bill Condon hadn’t stretched scenes to the point of tedium and cranked up the volume of the soundtrack to annoying levels.
“Part 1” deals with the wedding of Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson), their energetic honeymoon and her immediate pregnancy. The wedding is beautifully staged, but it begins to lose its power because Condon extends the sequence with a series of wedding toasts that are too light and silly for such an emotional moment.
And the honeymoon sequence seems to run longer than a Kim Kardashian marriage. Who knew vampires liked to play chess so much on their honeymoons?
The film features such a large cast that only Taylor Lautner and Stewart get a lot of opportunities to show their acting skills. Lautner has certainly grown as an actor since the first movie, and he gets the most out of the big moments.
“Part 1” does give Stewart her first real opportunity to act. In the past films, she wasn’t pushed past being the passive, dour object of everyone’s affections. She gets to grow up here and play the nervousness of a teen on her wedding night and a caring, expectant mother.
The movie’s biggest problem is that it’s one long setup for “Part 2.” It’s like getting married and being told you have to wait a year for your wedding night.
