The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1
2011, Summit Entertainment, PG-13, $31; Blu-ray, $34

In the fourth film based on Stephenie Meyer’s romantic fantasy novels, newlyweds Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) consummate their marriage, and werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) is none to happy. Bella’s difficult pregnancy and even more traumatic delivery of daughter Renesmee has dramatic consequences for everyone. Breaking Dawn — Part 2 is due to hit theaters in November.

USA TODAY’s Scott Bowles says: * * * out of four. “It is in many respects the best installment of the franchise as its stars go from sullen kids to sullen young adults, where their expressions look more natural.”

On a commentary track included on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″ Blu-ray (Summit Entertainment, $34; also on DVD, $30; in stores Saturday), director Bill Condon addresses the disproportionate hatred the series seems to inspire in critics. “This series is about things women care about and has a woman at the center,” he says. “So there are people who just stay outside of it and mock it.”

And boy, do they mock it. A quick scan of reviews on rottentomatoes.com offers the following tidbits: “Director Bill Condon, prostituting himself, flirts with teen porn.” “A freak show of bodily trauma, with a great gooey gob of pedophilia slapped on the end.” “A freakish hybrid: Part medical horror, part cheesy Victoria’s Catalogue shoot.” “It’s like ‘Roadhouse’ for women.”

There is a supplicant tone coursing through a lot of these reviews – “Please don’t go see this movie!” – and there is bafflement and frustration, too, over what “Twilight” fans could possibly love about these films. Condon’s informative commentary provides some answers. He talks a lot, for example, about the great pressure he felt to get Bella and Edward’s wedding just right, so as to not disappoint readers of Stephenie Meyer’s novels. Helicopters buzzed the set during the filming of that scene, paparazzi hoping to snap a photo of Bella’s wedding dress, which had been kept under tight wraps. When Condon points out the specific shots that show off the gown in detail, they will seem like a revelation to many viewers, especially men: The first time I watched the movie, I had absolutely no idea I was supposed to be paying attention to that dress.

This is typical of the great divide between audiences and critics regarding “Twilight” movies. Even though “Breaking Dawn” earned the most scathing reviews of all the films in the franchise, it still grossed more than $700 million worldwide (“Twilight”-mania cuts across cultural and language barriers). Those numbers indicate there is obviously something at work in “Twilight” that goes far beyond Team Jacob and Team Edward mania. And a lot of men just don’t get it or are unwilling to put any effort into understanding it, opting instead to wonder how is it biologically possible for a vampire to impregnate a woman (news flash: vampires aren’t real!) or take more potshots at the hidden messages Meyer snuck into her books, subtexts that simply aren’t present in the movies.

Tellingly, some of “Breaking Dawn’s” strongest supporters – The New York Times’ Manohla Dargis, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Carrie Rickey, Movieline’s Stephanie Zacharek, The New York Daily News’ Elizabeth Weitzman – were women. I don’t mean to suggest that all female critics liked the movie (Dana Stevens’ excellent takedown of the film on Slate.com is a must-read). But the most eloquent defenses of “Breaking Dawn” were written by women, because the movie is an all-too-rare breed of international blockbuster: A big-budget extravaganza, replete with monsters and special effects (1,400 of them, according to Condon), told exclusively through a female gaze. Whatever you may think of the final product (I hated “New Moon” and “Eclipse”), these films deserve a more thoughtful reception than they are being given.

Condon’s commentary highlights aspects of “Breaking Dawn” you might not have noticed, such as the way he uses Carter Burwell’s score to emphasize the emotions of the characters instead of the action transpiring onscreen (the music during the bloody birth sequence is not the sort most movies would use during such a horrific moment). The director shares bits of meaningless but amusing trivia (Kristin Stewart could play dead without blinking her eyes or taking a breath for 90 seconds at a time), talks about how he sneaked certain things past the ratings board (I didn’t realize Bella’s back snaps in half as she’s going into labor until Condon pointed out the shot), explains why a scene that was highlighted in the trailers didn’t make the final cut and talks about the trims that were made to the sex scene in order to secure an R.

Those scenes are not included on the Blu-ray (although there is a feature-length documentary titled “Love, Death, Birth” about the making of the film, shot in HD, that will be catnip for fans). The deleted footage will no doubt make its way onto a longer “director’s cut” of “Breaking Dawn,” which Condon says will eventually be available. Just because the final chapter in the “Twilight” saga arrives in theaters this November doesn’t mean the series is going to vanish from popular culture.

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The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1

Recent high school graduate Bella Swan grows up a lot, becoming a bride, a potential mother and perhaps something stranger. Yet the “Twilight Saga” hasn’t matured along with its heroine. In the movie’s bland first half, Bella (Kristen Stewart) prepares for woodland nuptials with pasty vampire dreamboat Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). The couple’s long-delayed consummation, supposedly both scary and wonderful, was enough to render Bella pregnant. Edward worried that his lovemaking would be too much for a mere human, but his shattering force pales next to the fetus’s. Jacob Black’s (Taylor Lautner) werewolf clan fears Bella and Edward’s offspring and plans to terminate it. This is the series’ swoon-inducing premise: to be desired by the two hottest boys in town, who compete to be best at protecting you. There’ll be a lot more protecting in “Breaking Dawn — Part 2,” scheduled for November. (Available Saturday.) Contains disturbing images, violence, sexuality/partial nudity and some thematic elements. DVD extras: six-part making-of documentary, wedding video, “Jacob’s Destiny” featurette, commentary with director Bill Condon, two fast-forward features for scenes with Edward or Jacob.

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Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1:

Three stars out of five — Like all fine cheeses, The Twilight Saga ripens with age. Once bland and milky-white, the story of Bella Swan’s transformation from innocence to adulthood grows increasingly textured with each new outing. This latest effort is easily the strongest to date, as director Bill Condon finds a way to lighten the melodrama with a little self-winking humour, without eroding the romantic core of the whole franchise. This is the instalment every Twihard was waiting for, as it features the physical consummation of Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward’s (Robert Pattinson) love. This symbolic and physical deflowering of Bella is the central hook for this whole episode, and Condon has to take us into the breathless, heart-thumping world of a virgin facing the cliff of experience — and leaping into the abyss. With the help of Stewart’s strongest performance to date, Condon successfully conveys the depth of connection between the two lovers. We believe in their passion, and, once we’re on that page, we can swallow the rest of the plot without choking on the hokum. Special features include six-part behind-the-scenes documentary, Bella and Edward’s wedding video, Jacob’s Destiny, Edward Fast Forward, Jacob Fast Forward, audio commentary and more. (Released Feb. 11).

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While we have a lot of great writers on Collider, I’ve decided to locate a Twilight super fan to review our copy of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 on Blu-ray. I’m not looking for someone who thinks it’s the greatest movie ever made, and I’m not looking for someone who hates it either. I’m trying to find someone who loves the books and the films and can do an objective review while also writing about all the special features, commentaries, and the extra things on the Blu-ray. If you think you’ve got what it takes, hit the jump:

Here’s the deal. I’m not going to mail you our only review copy just because you tell me you’d be good for the job.

Instead, if you’d like to review it, please email me at thecollidermailbox@gmail.com with the headline TWILIGHT BREAKING DAWN SUPER FAN. I’d also like you to provide links to your writing online, or examples of your writing in the body of the email. And I don’t mean a few sentences. I’m looking for enough examples that prove you are the right person for the job. Keep in mind, I’ll probably get a number of people asking for this, so you’ve got to sell me on why you’re the right person.

Also, since the movie gets released soon on DVD/Blu-ray, I’d like whoever wants to do this to live in the USA so you can get the Blu-ray in time to review it before opening day.

Finally, if you’re reading this and think you know someone that would be perfect for the job, send them this article!

Send me your emails asap, because I’m going to pick someone on Monday the 6th!

Finally, if this all sounds familiar, it’s because I did the exact same thing for our Blu-ray review copy of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and it turned out great.

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Rating: 3.5 Stars (out of 4)
In Stores: Feb. 11

The fairy-tale wedding. The shocking pregnancy. The tortured love triangle. The first part of the Twilight finale — the darkest, most disturbing and best movie in the series so far — has it all. With the DVD, you can relive the moment Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) say “I do” and check out a six-part documentary on the making of the film — just in time for Valentine’s Day. — Dan Jewel

Robert Pattinson for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1

Update: The mention is at 3:01!

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