The best in the series, this is a darker, more complex and mature film BUT not for everyone and undoubtedly flawed

Rating: 6/10 (3 July 2010)

Twilight,Twilight,Twilight.. who would have guessed this story of vampires, werwolf's and teen love would become such a phenomenon. My theatre was packed with giggling girls sighing and gasping every time Jacob appeared topless, clapping at every kiss, every brooding glance between Edward and Bella. I for one am not one of the those girls, i don't buy into this whole twilight mania....i watch this series simply out of curiosity, I'm yet to be gripped, I'm yet to "understand" or really "get it" but Twilight does have a certain charm and this latest entry is closest I've gotten to "getting it". I was entertained, I was moved (in certain scenes) and i was thrilled.....certain times i was also bored, let down and cringing. It's a mixed bag with this one but overall i left impressed: it seems everyone stepped up their game.
Im gonna start with The Actors simply because this is main aspect that for me was weak/sub-par in the first 2: The good news? Everyone has improved The bad news?: It's still often not enough
Main Leads: Kristen Stewart: I've never had any major issues with Stewarts performance it's more her character that annoys me. Here Stewart does a passable job, it's nothing we have not seen before from her and at times i felt she could have pushed herself further or even shown a bit more emotion...much like Pattison her performance is saved by actual, deep chemistry with her "true-love" Edward...at least it looks like she wants him.
Robert Pattinson: For ONCE he was tolerable. He was less wooden and stiff, there were a few moments where Pattinson showed at least some emotion and believability. However his performance is still dull,wooden and devoid of any real intensity...A tolerable, so-so performance helped by strong chemistry with Stewart.
Taylor Lautner: Of the three leads only Lautner has any kind of charm, he is the only one to seem natural and show any kind of emotional conflict. Saying that it's still not a "good" performance....Lautner hits the emotions well enough: desire,regret,anger,desperation but he never really goes for it, he never pushes himself to a level where i can say "ok this kid is a good actor". The best performance of the leads Lautner has acting potential for sure but at the moment its obvious his chest is taking centre stage.
The best acting/performance: Hands down goes to Jackson Rathbone as "Jasper", he steals every scene he appears in, bringing an intensity which most of the other actors lack...for me he is one of those "i cant look away" actors..he dominates the screen. Xavier Samuel also deserves a mention as Riley....even though he is only a minor (yet vital) player i put him in the same bracket as Rathbone, there is something going on there that makes you want to keep watching.
The positives: This film is darker, the tone is more menacing and the romance works better because of that. Because the film chooses to play down the romance somewhat and up the action and violence it makes for a more balanced, mature movie. The love triangle is actually pretty entertaining and at times dramatic and even intense. The cheesy,mushy horrible lines/dialogue of the Book are still there but less so than the previous films which is a massive blessing in my mind (i can only take so much cheese). Scenes with Jacob and Bella prove to be the most interesting and natural. There were some funny scenes, ill admit i did laugh...i left impressed that a twilight film could actually be funny in a good way. Some of the romance scenes really worked (Bella and Jacobs scene on the cliff top for example, moments during the "proposal" with Edward/Bella) Background on the rest of the Cullen family was maybe the highlight for me, very interesting
The negatives: The score was a big let down, usually the only really impressive thing about twilight is it's choice of music but here it just felt lazy. The usual CRINGE moments, Bella and Edward have some very cringe-Worthy romantic exchanges....i blame the book for this, the film cant help being faithful and it literally lifts these lines from the book's pages. During the "action chase" moments the director went over-bored with the shaky cam making it very hard to follow what was happening. The final battle could have been more epic and Bella's final scene with Jacob should have lasted longer. At times it dragged on and ill be honest 2 hours seemed to drag on and on
This film and indeed this series is not the epic, deep romance it claims or trys so hard to be, this is no "titanic" or "gone with the wind".....here is a film of pure entertainment and it is enjoyable...the love triangle is fun to watch, the romance is at times touching, the action is at times very thrilling. This is not a great film or even that good of a movie But its a great way to waste away a dull evening or a rainy day. Aside from the frustrating fact its PAINFULLY obvious Bella should be with the only half decent character in the film: Jacob....
This is a flawed, forgettable yet enjoyable film...MUCH better than the previous two and a more improved film in nearly all aspects,
I would say give it a chance you may like it...just don't expect anything great.