Hey siblings! Now that I've seen the movie and can actually function somewhat normally again. I'm going to try to post my thoughts and may come back after tomorrow when I've seen it again.
I'm going to warn you now...there are a
lot of adjectives in my review. I can't help it though. I'm still a little distracted remembering.
Let me say first that I
LOVED this movie! Part 1 and 2, I'm going to have to somehow figure out how to splice them together and watch it without the pesky credits and titles interruptions in the middle. These two movies were so much more of what should have been through the whole saga. All the characters seemed to be more comfortable in their roles. The action was great! In the books, this part is actually boring though it's more intense and crucial that there isn't any action.
Now, on to the show:
Edward was protective, fierce, beautiful and romantic. (A bath?! Would I like a bath?!? with you?!? uhmm...
), wait...what? Where was I? Oh right in the bath with Edward...
...October...
...November...
...December...
...and now I'm fully water logged but it was well worth it.
One of his best scenes was holding Renesmee and talking to the other vampires when they come back from Charlie's and when he's watching Jacob tell Bella. Smiling and laughing and just being carefree even with the weight of all this bearing down on him. I also liked the way he was on the hunt and with Jacob's imprinting thing. His fighting finally came into play and he was wonderful! He was excellent in training Bella to use her shield.
(I had more typed but didn't save and it was eaten. I'll add more later if/when I remember what I wrote)
EDIT: Edward thanking Carlisle for this life - I felt my heart give a little squeeze. For some reason in the trailers I thought he was saying that to Bella...this was better and brought it home.
Bella was no longer being mean to Edward which is the biggest improvement in my book and was a more active participant in...life in general. I didn't think they showed her being very clumsy in NM and EC. That was one of the things I loved about the change in the books. She went from being a clumsy, ordinary girl to this beautiful graceful woman. Also throughout the whole saga, I missed her protests about her being the only one aging and being swoony. The blood thing has never bothered me but for Bella it's what made her so much more girly. She fainted at the slightest amount of blood, she got dizzy and fainted after Edward's running. She was afraid of
everything. It made the transformation that much more drastic. She went from being this awkward, clumsy, ordinary girl to a beautiful, graceful woman, completely at ease with herself and seems to be actively participating in her own life.
I was a little shocked when everyone left the room when Charlie showed up. No way Jasper would have let that happen. Alice is the only one who isn't worried about Bella. Plus Bella is
not a good liar. Edward has had more practice and is smoother so I really wish they had left to her to explain to Charlie about knowing the "public" story.
Yes, the adaptation was a little rushed. I wanted to see more but they didn't leave it out altogether so I guess it's better than nothing. The arm wrestling scene was great but I missed her holding Renesmee and letting her squeeze the rock. I loved how controlled she seemed to be when she's starting to catch on to Jacob about Renesmee and that whole scene was exactly right.
I think I was picturing Bella's shield as being more like the bubble around Hogwarts in Harry Potter. Especially when Jane and Alec were attacking her. Bella sees all of her family sort of like lights in the fog when she's protecting them. I
Jacob was adorable when Bella's figuring it out. No, I'm not switching teams, but Taylor's so comfortable in this role now he's become Jacob for me. His line for Dracula 1 & 2 was a little forced but then again, he's trying to take a step backward from the insult he just threw at Bella, Renesmee, and the whole family. He's still coming to terms with his natural hatred of vampires.
Jacob and Bella were always so comfortable with each other, as though they'd known each other all their lives. So after the transformation, the first time their alone together, he's imprinted on her daughter and it
is awkward.
Here's what I haven't been able to reconcile: In BD, Jacob and Leah hunt and eat as wolves, hunting and killing animals just the same way the Cullens do to survive. He's oblivious to the double standard that presents. It almost makes me think that his hatred of the Cullens specifically is due to his jealously over Bella instead of his instinct.
I absolutely fell in love with the scene of Jacob phasing in front of Charlie.
Charlie was great overall! He always steals every scene he's in. I'm a little closer to Billy's age than to Taylor or Rob's so I've had this thing for him since I first saw him on Gilmore Girls. I was a little disappointed by his reaction and that Bella was the one to tell Charlie the "need to know" reasoning. Charlie wanting to know the details is out of character for him. He did a wonderful job with the reaction to Jacob phasing and even managed to look a little green around the edges when he sees him again. I liked that he even noticed some details about Carlisle when he goes over to see Bella but doesn't comment. It's a lot to digest. Seeing him with Sue and having her so comfortable around the vampires was an added bonus. "Are you two trying to get rid of me?....Cause it's workin'!"
The new vampires- I thought there were more vampires. There were three Amazons but maybe they sort of tied her into Nahuel showing up. I sort of wanted to see more of the visions Renesmee puts into their minds but Kate and Tanya's reactions were dead on. The Romanians were very creepy but I think that was mostly their accents.
Renesmee - There were only a few times that the CGI was noticeable to me. This is because I was looking for it though. Once as a baby, and once in the car in Alaska when she blinks at Bella. I'll let ya'll know more after the husband sees it tomorrow since he's not read the books and doesn't know what to expect at all. She's going to be a great actress and very pretty!
Alice's vision - I'll have to say I was floored. I had a feeling that what was happening was a vision but I couldn't help the goosebumps when Aro held up Carlisle's head and everyone in the theater gasped or yelled NO! And that I almst threw up when they got Jasper. Or the tears pricking my eyes when my friend turns to me and says, "Oh no! That was Seth!"
I looked at it closer afterwards, Alice's is having a vision of Aro's future and Aro sees the whole battle. Though everything is supposed to disappear when the wolves are involved, I just took it that she's seeing what Aro would have witnessed.
I like to think Edward saw all of that as well. Alice taking out Jane was the best
.
I missed was Edward explaining why Nahuel was staring at Bella...but Alice's vision of an older Renesmee & Jacob greeting their teenage parents was very cool. And I figured by then they'd had enough trouble with the imprinting. They didn't want to then have everyone thinking of the big hybrid and the little girl together.
I also missed the sparkle...they could have put it in a little sparkle for the fans...
Marielle, I'm in complete agreement about the US being too sensitive. I was not bothered in the book or movie about the imprinting thing. I've explained before, but the first time I heard of imprinting was from reading about baby ducks. So I thought it was odd that Stephenie had an adult imprinting. I think the fanbase and everyone else would have had an easier time accepting it if they hadn't introduced it with Sam and Emily first. If they had introduced it with Claire and Quil first maybe the Jacob & Renesmee wouldn't have been so strange or creepy. There are always a few that disagree but still it would have presented it in a different light for those getting their first impression of the concept.
I know I'll have more after another viewing tomorrow so I'll be back then.