Twilight Breaking Dawn

Rating: 8/10 (27 November 2011)

Having never read any of the Twilight books and having only seen the last three films because I was encouraged to do so, I have to admit that this is one of the better films of the year.
Having seen the earlier Twilight films before this one I believe that Kristen Stewart for one, has come along greatly as an actress and was able to adapt very well to the character of Bella. She is able to demonstrate the upset, worry, emotional struggle and silent strength of the character very well, and I believed this made her a more believable character than ever before.
Furthermore, Taylor Launtner seems to have come on leaps and bounds (no pun intended) in terms of getting the aggressive and yet caring Jacob out, without becoming too much of an eye candy. Further to this, Robert Pattinson, who I felt was a little tame in Eclipse especially, seemed to really change and improve, much like Stewart, and prove that there is a greater interest for the cinematic audience within his character. He proved that Edward does not simply jump from tree to tree and shout at people, but that he has a deeper side to him built upon his emotions for Bella.
The story itself has greatly improved as well. Whilst the last films seemed to be all about who Bella should love and the ongoing frustration/emotional misunderstanding between Jacob and Edward, the latest instalment in the Twilight Saga has a far great plot within it, based upon the changes and fears of going from human to vampire, the unity of more than one 'unhuman' species and the difference that life brings as one grows greater with their knowledge.
If we look past the common accusation that this is just another teen flick, or one 'for the girls' then we see that this is a film that has a strong story line, far more grown up and developed characters, and a 'part one' that manages to leave us wanting to see part two immediately, as opposed to other fictional series (Harry Potter). Breaking Dawn Part 1 was a very enjoyable film for myself, and it does not bother me that I was one of the only men in the cinema watching it, because it holds a story that reflects issue of real life, intertwined with that of the fantasy realm, and because of this, and the character development, I am eagerly anticipating Part two in the cinema, and I have, since watching the film, read the majority of the last book.