The Twilight Saga:
Breaking Dawn - Part 1

This is the Twilight movie where things start to get a little silly. I know. You are sitting there screaming at the computer, "THIS IS THE ONE WHERE THINGS GET SILLY?"

Forget about easing into the movie, or reminding you what came before, or building a plot. Director Bill Condon and writer Melissa Rosenberg (based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer) jump right into it as Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) plan their wedding (and get married right away).

Of course, this does not please werewolf boy Jacob (Taylor Lautner, who rips off his shirt 60 seconds into the movie, which makes The Amazing Shirtless Matthew McConaughey applaud the brash move, but also feel a touch of envy), so he runs away to nowhere in particular.

However, all sorts of conflict and controversy arise when Edward impregnates Bella on the honeymoon! Since this is an unholy union between a vampire and a human, no one is really sure what the baby will be like (part demon/part human? Will it look like Rob Schneider?), but they do quickly discover this baby will gestate in world record time, and seems to be killing Bella in the process!

Will Bella survive the birth?

Will the werewolves capture this demon seed, or can the vampires protect it?

Will Jacob seek revenge on Edward if Bella dies?

Will the theater explode in a sea of teenage hormones when Edward and Bella get it on?

You are either in or you are out when it comes to the Twilight movies, so don't think you can jump into this one without seeing the previous ones. Whereas there was an attempt in previous movies to convince guys they would be drawn in by action scenes or appeal to people who might be moved by the story of a forbidden romance or toss in some funny one-liners to entertain, none of that is here in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1.

Condon and Rosenberg don't care about developing characters or giving us complex levels of emotion and story. They are here to show moments fans want, which makes for a very flat, uninvolved movie if you are not among the initiated.

Condon and Rosenberg aren't adding any new flavors to The Twilight Saga. Edward is the same old Edward. Bella is the same old Bella. Jacob is the same old Jacob, and Lautner doesn't help matters with his one-dimensional, pouty portrayal of the werewolf boy.

Of all of the characters in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (and don't you dare fail to pronounce the entire title when referring to the movie), Jacob was the one who could have been dynamic, evolve into something different, and capture our attention with his growth. Yet, even though Jacob is experiencing all sorts of conflict, can't figure out what he should do in the situation, and makes some strides towards becoming a man and leader, Lautner proves, again, he spends all of his time developing his abs and not his acting chops.

Even the action scenes in this one are hard to watch due to bad lighting. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 is not going to lure in any new fans.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 is rated PG-13 for disturbing images, violence, sexuality/partial nudity and some thematic elements.