We're halfway there...

Rating: 3/10 (23 November 2011)

The Twilight movies are the opposing force to good movies, but with every new release, they've been getting better and better. This one is probably the best of the Saga, but does that make it a good movie?
The story is just as romanticized as the other movies, but what was a good change of pace was is that this one is dark. I know that the other movies had well shot, Gothic cinematography, but the silliness constantly got in the way of making them epic. This movie takes itself seriously. Much like the Planet of the Apes or The Exorcist movies, if you can buy the absurdity, they are good movies. This installment is grisly, bloody, and is the first of these movies that seems more like a fantasy as opposed to a romance.
The cast of this movie has improved, but none of them are good. Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson are still emotionless, boring characters who constantly have me wondering why they house the affecting of so many teenage girls. But, to Kristen Stewart's credit, this is the first movie where she actually seems to care. She's finally acting! She's finally showing real, authentic human emotion (how ironic, because, at the end of the movie, she becomes a vampire)! The rest of the cast is slow, empty, and boring. That's pretty bad when Kristen Stewart is the best thing about this movie.
The CGI is pure crap, simple as that. There is no thought or passion put into it. I guess the idea was that the filmmakers cared more about the story than the special effects in order to please it's intended audience of teenage girls. Here's a little hint for the filmmakers of these movies: you are a movie first, and a worldwide phenomenon second. Focus on making the film work before you take your fans advice into account.
One more thing before I give this movie a final verdict. A lot of people are saying that this movie has a pro-life theme and is in fact ENCOURAGING abortions. I've seen several reviewers saying stuff like, "How dare they influence the choices of teenagers like that!" or "Twilight isn't talented enough to make such a statement!" Here's the reality of the situation, internet trolls: IT'S FRIGGIN' TWILIGHT. They are dumb movies made for the sole purpose of pleasing their fan base. It isn't some elaborate scheme to recommend abortions. It is pure, stupid entertainment.
Final verdict: I'll admit that I have read the books and, even though they aren't masterpieces of literature, they kept my interest. If you're a Twi-Hard, you'll probably like this movie, though, as I said before, the ending is very gritty and could upset some viewers. If you hate the Twilight Saga, this brings nothing new to the table and you probably won't like it.