With its core cast intact, the Twilight franchise enters the home straight and finally grows up...a little. As the saga's story breaks new territory with the wedding, the honeymoon and Bella's accelerated pregnancy, Bill Condon's direction is reliably assured (and even manages to get in a nice Bride of Frankenstein reference), but unfortunately the combination of a relentlessly soporific soundtrack and a heavy-handed script (which could use some serious editing) robs the film of much of its potential dramatic tension, leaving a lot of flat melodrama in its wake. Some of the humour works well - Jacob's reaction to Bella's female baby-name suggestion is priceless - but there are also many unintended laughs as well. Pattinson and Lautner remain adequate in their limited roles, but this time out Pattinson shows some genuine moments of tenderness in the relationship with Bella, and Lautner manages more than merely looking puzzled. The surprising revelation in Breaking Dawn Part 1 is Kristen Stewart, who - from the outset - gives a less restrained and more mature performance which makes Bella a much more engaging character than in the previous films. Nevertheless, the final showdown comes across well, and the infamous birth scene is handled effectively, but overall this installment is a step back from the action and darker tone which made Eclipse more enjoyable for non-fans. A thought to consider: as directors, would Bill Condon's style have been more suited to the original Twilight film, and Catherine Hardwicke to Breaking Dawn Part 1?
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