For This Series, It Was... Good.

Rating: 4/10 (30 June 2010)

In writing this review I'm going to disregard the painful ethical problems that come along with this series because in my opinion, they are plentiful. The Twilight Saga has come to be the home run at Yankee Stadium for tween girl entertainment, it's become iconic but not for any good reason, and it's become a joke and a disappointment to modern American cinema. However, it - unfortunately - has become somewhat of a guilty pleasure.
I'm going to start with the bad parts here. I sat there entranced by what I saw in front of me. No, it wasn't Taylor Lautner's abs or Robert Pattinson's jawline but I was trying to figure out where in the world Davide Slade or his DP went to film school. I wondered who taught him, who told him that it was okay to shoot an entire 2 hour movie in a close up. Forget about the fact that he made Taylor Lautner actually look unattractive with unflattering angles and the worst lighting configurations ever recorded on film, think about the action sequences when you could hardly tell what was happening. I guess I kind of get that maybe he was attempting to make it look like they were moving in super speed but it came off in a very different way. Flashing a bunch of quick images in front of my face that almost don't have a purpose isn't good technique... it makes the movie look like a music video. I prefer, when I'm watching a movie, to know where I am. I like to see backgrounds and sets and atmosphere. I don't, however, like to come extremely close to being able to count the nose hairs under Robert Pattinson's face.
The writing is just a tad off in this series. It's bumpy. Of course, a lot of book adaptations can feel that way especially when you have to fit in the content and make sure to schedule Taylor Lautner to take his shirt off at least 15 times. I hate the re-work with the Riley and Bree characters, it's 100% unnecessary. We have enough characters to focus on as it is especially as we learn the daunting pasts of two more of the Cullen clan, Jasper and Rosalie.
The acting has "improved." Rob, Taylor, and Kristen definitely aren't up for any Oscars but their probably shoe-ins for some more moon men. With that said, I was as impressed as you can be with the acting in this series. Rob didn't seem to resemble a rock anymore, he's moved on to something more like molasses. Taylor has kind of grown into himself and doesn't seem afraid anymore. And Kristen, she finally has gotten rid of the grunting she does. She suddenly doesn't stumble over every word anymore though there was an awful lot of mumbling. Nikki Reed, did a great job with her monologue I thought. That impressed me. Jackson Rathbone on the other hand, not so much. Jasper comes out of his shell a little bit in the story and apparently also adapts a southern accent that he didn't have before. Anna Kendrick was perfect as Jessica, the graduation speech was genuine and brilliantly delivered. But Billy Burke, oh, what a life saver he is. He is the white knight of this series but I'm not sure anyone else has noticed yet. Congrats, pops.
Overall, taking into account all of the things I love and hate about this series it was good. I enjoyed it. You have to look at it in a glass of half full kind of way. If this is the best we're gonna get then, okay, it's not so bad. Right? Those of us who aren't 12 and ask a little more from a film can tolerate it finally. Critics can rejoice? No, that's still a bit of a stretch but hey... all we can do now if hope for the best for the final two chapters and Bill Condon will hopefully try to save us all.