Spoilers and Early Reactions

[thebookworm]

Just been to see it, and overall I think they did a good job. I remember when I was reading it, I was thinking; how the hell are they going to translate this onto screen! Don't get me wrong I loved the book, I love full on fantasy, but I was seriously worried about how it would translate on screen.

Bits I love,love, loved:

Kiss at the wedding, I thought it was pretty epic! The speeches, funny! The bit in the ocean when they first arrive on Isle Esme, very romantic and sexy at the same time. The distractions on the island, very cute! The fact they didn't drag out the morning after they first have sex. Edward annoyed me in the book at this point, so for selfish reasons, I am glad it was down played a bit. The bit where Bella is trying to seduce Edward in the underwear, so cute! Not to mention the fact that Rob looked pretty damn fine in those scenes. The scene where Edward hears Renesme, I loved how Bella and Edward were with each other,in particular, as Jacob walked back up the stairs. The birth, I thought it was very well done, Bella looked exactly as I imagined she would whilst I was reading the book. Very graphic, but it needed to be, the book certainly was! The way Edward was when he was trying to save Bella, lets face it, I know how the story ends, but I was still very much on the edge of my seat thinking come on Bella you can do this!!!!!!!lol Very tear jerking! The imprinting was handled very carefully I thought. Taylor did a pretty good job with this.The scene after the credits, sets it up nicely for the next film.

Things I hated:

The bit where Jacob splits from the pack. Extremely disappointed with this bit!! I cringed a little, well a lot actually. I think they should have done this in human form, o.k its not like that in the book, but other deviations were made, so why not this. The fact that Edward's request to Jake was down played. They added scenes in the movie for some action, which I do think were needed, but they could have added some high intensity by showing this scene a little more complete and true to the book.

Things that disappointed me:

I think they could have made more effort in the way Bella looked for her wedding, the book described her as heart breakingly beautiful, she kind of looked the same as she always does to me, just in a beautiful dress. I really loved the scene when Bella and Jacob are dancing at the wedding (would have been in my love, love, loved bits), except I think more intensity and action could have been added when he lost his cool. The sex scene where he breaks the headboard! I know they had to stay in certificate guidelines, but it left me a little deflated!

The rest of it I thought was well done, considering the content of the book, I think Bill Condon translated it well. As a big fan of the book, I am pretty happy with how it came out.

[Tornado]

Okay, I'm posting this while it's still fresh in my mind, and before I've read anything anyone else has said. As it is now in general release, is it okay not to use the invisible thing? I find it annoying.

I have just seen Breaking Dawn Part One.

Things I didn't like (let's get the negative stuff out of the way first!):

I didn't like the dream Bella has before her wedding. I understand why they didn't use the immortal children, or a child reference at this stage, and I liked the inclusion of the Volturi, but I thought it would have been better if Bella had been the one with blood on her mouth, and had clearly been the one to do the killing, as it would have been a sign of Edward's fear for her vampire life leaking through to her. She's never scared of Edward that way, so I think it was a mistake to present that angle.

I didn't get jealous Bella.

I didn't like the wolf pack internal dialogue. Although it worked better than I thought it would, and the echo quality gave it a certain vibe, it also made it difficult to make out the dialogue. I am glad that they didn't do it any more than they did.

Edward didn't throw Jacob. I'm assuming that this scene must have hit the cutting room floor, unless it was right at the end of the credits (I didn't stay to the end, although I did stay for the Volturi scene). Damn. I really wanted that to be in there.

I wasn't entirely happy with the fight at the end. I was happy that they put up more of a fight than they seemed to in the "hurt my family" clip, but I felt that, when Jake came running in to tell them he'd imprinted, that it was a mistake to let Edward explain things. It should have been Jake explaining, either as a human or a wolf. I felt the scene lacked impact with Edward just muttering it as an aside to the others.

What I liked:

The wedding was beautiful. Loved the dress. Loved the look she gave Edward, and the look he gave her, when she reached the bottom of the aisle. Loved the speeches, loved the emotion.

Then there was the honeymoon.
It wasn't as explicit as I had been led to believe, and I was fine with that - I thought it came across in a very loving, romantic way. I was glad that Bella was bruised, and I loved the wrecked bed. I also absolutely ADORED them jumping off the waterfall together! I thought that was such fun, and to see them do that was so special.

Then there was the pregnancy.
I thought this was done well. Certainly, in the scene when Edward gets angry with Bella I don't think he would have left her there like that, but I like the fact that he expressed how he felt, and later, of course, apologised for it. His behaviour to Bella at all other times was loving and concerned, and we didn't get Edward standing there like a weakling while she and Jake cuddled on the couch, which was what I was afraid of. I thought the balance was good.

The birth scene.
I thought it worked well, and Rob was heartbreakingly brilliant in his attempts to bring her back to life. I think Taylor did really well too, and although I don't know how much of dead Bella was CGI, if it was just Kristen's acting, then she did brilliantly. Death is a hard thing to act, and she looked convincingly dead. Brilliant, brilliant scene.

And I loved the eyes at the end! Perfect!

[missp]

Here are my premier night reactions:

LOVED! LOVED! LOVED!
The lead-up to the wedding was just wonderful! I loved Charlie and Renee! Watching the Cullens decorate and Bella practice in her heels was fun! I was so glad they kept the scene with Edward coming into Bella's room the night before the wedding AND the bachelor party with Emmett and Jasper! The brother dynamic was perfect here.

The wedding itself was absolutely gorgeous! I am predicting an influx of Twilight/BD weddings this year! The kiss was just beautiful! I loved that they tied it back to the kiss at the prom! The speeches... all but Jessica's (she got on my nerves in this movie) were hilarious. I love how they set Emmett up for the arm-wrestling scene to come in part 2. Jacob's visit with Bella was done perfectly. This was one of the many moments I teared up! I was watching for Jasper and Alice's dance and loved it! The goodbyes between Bella and her mom and dad were so great! The wedding will probably end up being one of my most favorite sequences in the movie!

The honeymoon - Holy breaking headboards! - the bruises - the tempting of Edward and his resistance - the cleaning crew... it was done very well! I loved the cliff dive with Bella riding Edward's back. Cool nod to the other dive in New Moon! All happiness prevails and I loved seeing Edward so carefree. Then... preggos and it all changes!

The remainder of the movie is just so delicious! I was so amazed with how well they followed the book. MR has done a little bit of redeeming herself this go around. I was so concerned about the imprinting scene, but they did it just right. Adding the wolf discussion on the beach was a good idea. Then, when Jacob imprints on Renesmee... I was in AWE! I absolutely loved the way they showed the stages of Renesmee's growth and what Jacob would be for her in each stage.Taylor - and Kristen, Rob, and the rest of the cast for that matter - knocked this one out of the park!

I actually liked the way they portrayed the wolf telepathy issue and Jacob's breaking from Sam's pack. Jacob's and Seth's pain in being forced to follow Sam's orders was truly obvious even using the CGI wolves. The voice overs were exactly right here. Seth is just the CUTEST!!

The birth scene... OMGosh!! They really earned the horror rating here! The point when Bella's spine breaks and her body contorts... SHEESH! We actually heard that some people in other theaters passed out during this scene. Then... the venom starts to spread, and I loved the transformation process. I was totally freaked out by "dead" Bella and found it hard to watch. She looked so totally dead, and even though I knew what was actually going to happen, I was almost hyperventilating!
I totally pegged the last scene! I knew it's be Bella's red eyes! She looked AMAZING as a vamp!!

Do we REALLY have to wait a year to see the rest???? *Stomps feet and pouts!*

Sort-of Annoying (at this point)... Edward's yelling at Bella and walking out on her after the rib breaking and Carlisle telling her she just can't survive the birth. I do realize that Edward was dealing with lots of "human" emotions he was not prepared for... so, this scene may grow on me with each additional viewing.

REALLY annoying... the HUMANS! Mainly JESSICA. She just really made me cringe. Most of the time the humor in this movie was very well balanced with the angst and drama. NOT with Jessica. She was just over the top for me.

Well, that's it for now. I'm going for the second viewing this afternoon. I will probably add a few things tonight.

[IsabellaAnastasia]

They really did stick pretty close to the book and I too noticed just how many lines they did in fact use from the book.

The bad Edward was weird and should have been put in another movie or something. The other bad side of Edward was the scene when he had a hissy fit and stormed out on Bella I didn't care for that at all! He didn't even leave her side in the book so that didn't sit well with me.

The wedding was done well but when the dream sequence came up I was waiting to see the little boy!

The speeches at the wedding were great! Especially Charlie's speech!

The honeymoon was good but I was waiting for the feathers line and I noticed they went out of order...it should have been feathers, fight, bed breaking and then the other room but I guess they were pressed for time.

I was really disappointed they didn't take time to give Jacob his moment when Edward heard the baby it changed the moment a bit for me personally. I was also missing the jokes with blondie!

The werewolf inner monologue was kinda weird, I appreciated the fact that they did it but I think the way it was conveyed left a little something to be desired IMO but I at least know what they were going for.

The imprinting scene really couldn't have done any better they nailed that!

I had thought at first that Bella's agony wasn't portrayed enough during her transformation but on further review I think it was in fact done pretty well.

Also something else I didn't love is it felt like they kinda played down Jacob's authority or birth right with being Alpha. Yeah they had him stand up to Sam but remember in the book Edward coming to Jacob to ask him to release them from treaty as far as Bella is concerned. I thought that should have been in the movie, that was important IMO.

That end fight scene between the wolf pack and the Cullens just seemed unnecessary to me and maybe if it wasn't right before the movie ended it wouldn't have left we with such a lasting impression. I was just so impressed that they were really in-line with the book and then to have it deviate so much right at the end just really threw me for a loop. I was upset by that whole fight scene because it served no purpose to me personally.
But really looking forward to part 2.

[openfire]

Ok, a lot of this is prolly gonna be pretty similar to what's been posted! But I still really want to get it written down to organise my thoughts!

Stuff I really really liked:

The beginning - as much as I kind of wished they had went to tell Charlie about the wedding, I still liked how it was done. I loved seeing Bella try to practice walking in her shoes (LOL!) and the Cullens setting up the garden for the ceremony. Alice was very funny!
I am glad the kept the scene in where Edward goes to his stag party - again, very funny!

The wedding - oh my, where to begin!! Bella getting ready was so sweet! Charlie & Renee giving Bella her clasp - aww! I am soooo happy the kept in the "don't let me fall Dad" "never" line. Makes me tear up! Bella looked beautiful! I really liked the dress; the back was stunning, and her veil was gorgeous. I think she looked the perfect balance of nervous & happy, espeically when she saw Edward at the alter. The vows were beautiful. And the kiss!! That defo was epic! I loved how it related back to the kiss at the prom. Squeal!!
The speeches were hysterical! Especially Emmett's & Charlies. Hahahaha!!
I thought the scene with Jake was done very well. Jake didn't even annoy me here (where as he kind of does in the book).
Bella's goodbye to her parents was very touching. Aww!

Charlie - he just owns every scene he is in!! I loved when he was looking at the graduation caps ("or weird" LOL!!). The wedding speech was possible the funniest thing ever!! I also felt his pain at wanting Bella back home when she was sick.. Billy Burke is just awesome. No other way to describe him really!!

The honeymoon - One word: wow. Seriously! So much better than I could have imagined!! I just loved how happy they were!! When in the boat, and Edward tells Bella that they were "just passing through" Rio, the smirk on his face just makes me melt! I loved that he carried her over the threshold, Bella having her "human minutes" (the music fit this scene perfectly I thought! Very well played by Kristen!), and then the sex scene...wow! It was just the right amount of everything, and I absolutely adored that they played Turning Page in this scene! The morning after was played very well - from the destruction of the room (major laughs here!), to Bella trying to convince Edward that she truly is fine, to him trying to distract her.
The chess was very funny! I loved the extra parts of the honeymoon we got to see...just makes me swoon really...
Bella trying to seduce Edward - and the look on his face! Hahahaha!! Excellent!!

The pregnancy - this was played so very well! The make up (or was it CGI?) on Kristen to make her look ill was fantastic! She truly did look terrible, but it was very believable! Kristen played this so well I think - totally believes that she really will be ok. Rob also played Edward very well! I guess we didn't get as much of the "burning man" that we were hoping for, but you could still see his desperation for Bella's survival. I didn't mind the "you've given me no choice" scene. It fit well.
When Edward apologised to Bella, and when he first hears Renesmee - aww!!! Such a lovely scene!!

Jacob - He was actually ok! I really enjoyed book 2 of BD, and I think Taylor played his character really good. I liked initailly how the wolves spoke to one another - when Jake was running to them, seeing Bella's pregnant belly in his head etc - but when they were standing with the actual voice overs, it was a little cheesy. I didn't know how else they would have done this though...

Imprinting - Very well done! I liked the additional scene on the beach, helped explain it to people how hadn't read the book. When Jake first looks at Renesmee, and there is flashforwards to what he will be for her with the voiceover from Eclipse - loved it!! Very very good!

The birth - Again, wow! When Bella's spine broke, you could hear the whole cinema gasp. I thought it was good how it was through Bella's eyes you could see things. The close ups were good. Kristen screaming in pain - shivers down my spine!!
I almost wished they had explained that Edward would have to use his teeth to get the baby out - not sure if this was clear if you hadn't read the book.
At first viewing, I didn't know if the birth was chaotic or not, but now I've seen it a couple times more, I really like it. Jake's attempt at CPR, Edward injecting his venom, and then the desparation in his voice ("you're not dead", "c'mon!") broke me... She defo looked dead. Just...mindblowing really...

The transformation - I liked how they done the graphics of this, very cool! I initially wanted it to be more clear that she was burning with the fire, but again on another viewing, I guess the small part of Bella screaming conveys this. That small part is still very effective!! Wow.

The end - Loved it!! I loved that they kept it Edward's worrying that it hadn't worked, and then when her heart stopped & they all turned to look at her. I mean, I knew they were gonna cut it at this point, but I was still holding my breath as the camera panned down on Bella's face... the whole cinema was silent!
And then the eyes opened. WOW!!!
She is going to look awesome as a vampire!!


Stuff I didn't like as much:

Edward's flashback - I thought this was sort of weird actually. It's not that I didn't like it (I guess it was kinda cool to see him with red eyes!) but I just thought it was strangely placed.

The wolves voiceover - Kinda mentioned this above. It was just a bit too cartoony. That's a shame as well, cos it was always going to be a difficult scene to bring to film!

Wolves vs Cullens - I hate that they actually fought & that the Cullens were losing! I know they needed to have some action as it's a film etc, but I still don't like it much. I think this is the main part I didn't like as much; the other changes/additional scenes, especially when relating to the wolves, were actually very good!

Edward leaving Bella's side - Again, I know he had to, to go and fight. But still! It would never happen LOL.


Extra things that really have to be mentioned:

The general acting - I really think the cast, espeicially the main three, have truly upped their game with this film. Really very good!! They are the characters!!

Kristen as Bella - This girl is such a great actress! I don't understand when people say she isn't or can't act...
Special credit has to be given to her for the birth scene - absolutely awesome! The screaming made my toes curl, her blank facial expressions when she was "dead" make me shiver... BD part 2 is going to be insane! Vampire Bella... I just cannot wait!!

Rob as Edward - Wow. Just as I pictured! HappyEdward during the wedding & honeymoon; DevestatedEdward during the pregnancy; and BrokenEdward during the birth & transformation. Just, wow!


So there are my thoughts (for now). I'm sure I have missed some stuff... guess I will see when I go to see the movie again!

But yes, I very much enjoyed this film!!!

[dazzel21]

I was supposed to post my thoughts after I've seen the movie during our premier night 2 days ago but I ended up staring at my laptop screen and can't form a coherent thought on what to write. Don't get me wrong I love the movie, absolutely love it, its just that my brain has been so overloaded with all the BD1 goodness. So after 3 viewings I finally collected my thoughts and here it goes...

The first thing I noticed throughout the film is how the actors and actresses has matured with their roles. The acting was hands down right on with their characters. From the moment the Summit Logo appear on the screen the anticipation and excitement on the crowd was so heightened. The opening was ok, what with everyone receiving their wedding invitations. Edward's past, was a great addition. Although I'm a bit confused with its relevance. I would much rather see the same one in the book. The wedding was beautiful. There was a collective murmur of "ohs" and " ahs" when Bella and her dress was finally revealed. And I swear there are a few whistles and catcalls from the guys who were in attendance. The look on Edward's face and his smile while he was watching Bella come to him was one of the scenes that will be forever stuck in my head. It was utter pure bliss and so beautiful. Their first kiss as husband and wife earned an applause from the theater goers, its like were in the actual wedding itself. The first dance, made me feel nostalgic specially when Iron and Wine's Flightless Bird was played. It's like from their first dance to their prom to their first dance as a married couple. The wedding speeches , were hilarious. I love Emmett!!! And I'm glad that his playfulness has come out in this movie. Charlie, honestly every time he delivers his line he owns that moment. I'm officially down for Team Charlie. Jacob and Bella's dance was how I imagine it would be. Their reactions when Jacob finds out about the honeymoon. The Denali Sisters, they're slightly creepy. The make up was too much that they look a bit scary.

Rio de Janeiro. I love that they included the street party. It might be short but still its priceless. Isle Esme, was beautiful, the house, the beach. It's perfect. The Honeymoon and Bella's flashback, Bill Condon did not disappoint. They showed just the right amount of skin. The bed breaking was a bit funny. But overall it captured Bella and Edward's first night together perfectly. The Bella seduction scenes and Edward's reaction was really funny. Again the males in the crowd showing how they appreciate the movie in their own manly way, whistling and cat calling but in a funny way. I love the chess games as a way of distraction for Bella. They look so relaxed and its just a fun part to watched.

Pregnancy. From this point on, I know its not going to be pretty from what I read in the book. They did a very good job of Bella. She looks scary specially when she was sitting in the bed. She looks like a walking (er well a sitting) skeleton. There was no life in her face except for the determination on her eyes. When she drink the blood from the sippy cup, everybody was screaming at the theater. The Birth Scene was difficult to watch. I don't even know how to describe it but it was so right and it fits perfectly. It was heart breaking when Edward was trying to revive her he keeps on saying "its suppose to work" (or something along those lines). I thought the baby CGI was cute, or is it just me. I love babies so no matter how they look I just find them cute. Jacob's reaction, I have never been a fan of Jacob (and honestly never will be) but the whole time I was watching the movie I was having a hard time resenting him. Taylor did such a great job portraying Jacobs emotion. When he went out of the house after he thought Bella was dead and just sat there and cried, it was really sad. The imprinting is one of the best scenes throughout the movie. Vampire vs Warewolf Fight is a nice addition. Emmett got to kick some warewolves butt.

The Transformation. I like that they showed a graphic of whats happening inside Bella's body. The venom spreading in her system and how her body was transforming was amazing to watch. And when she opened those creepy red eyes and the end credits role there was a deafening standing ovation...

The Volturi Scene was funny. So funny and a very nice ice breaker...

I know there are some minor scenes that I don't like but strange I couldn't recall them now. Over all I really like the movie and so far I find it the best out of the 4 that's been shown. One things for sure the last one next year is going to be epic and I can't wait for it...

[thebookworm]

So, the first post I wrote was just after seeing the movie and it was very early in the morning! I have been to see it another two times since and every time I love it more. I seemed to miss so many of the little details the first time, I think it was because I was so excited and the fact that there was so much to take in! The second time I saw it, the bits I love, love, loved; I was in awe of, the bits I just liked; I fell in love with and the bits I did not care for; I actually liked.The one exception being the wolf voice over, however it didn't feel quite as wrong the second time.

The bits that I didn't really appreciate the first time, was the fact that some of the music from the other films was used, especially loved the occasions Bella's lullaby was played. Plus, the flashbacks at the end, I noticed so many more scenes the second time round!

Like others have said, Kristen, Rob and Taylor really stepped it up in this movie. I have always thought Rob is an incredibly gifted actor, he plays Edward so well through the entire saga, (I think he was pretty special in Remember me and Water for Elephants too), the entire film he was great, but the birth scene he absolutely nailed!!!!! Heartbreaking! Taylor and Kristen I was also convinced of the whole way through this film, thought they both did an incredible job.

`However, now I am in a mood cause I have to wait 12 months for part two!!!! Who is up for a petition for earlier release?!?!?!?! lol

So far, my favorite movie.

[Austwilight]

I've just seen it for the 2nd time and this time around I really appreciate the little things more, more things in the background I missed the first time.
Such as when Jacob comes out after the birth and is on the ground crying, I noticed that you can see Edward still working on Bella in the background. I also missed the first time all the cgi of Bella's transformation, when I noticed it this time I really, really liked it.
I also appreciated the look between Jacob and Leah when he agrees to have her in her pack, I saw it the first time, but this time around I really appreciated it more.
I still didn't like the voice overs of the wolves, but I was able tolerate Jacob's more, but Sam's was still cheesy and too cartoonish.
can someone please help me out. I was trying to hear out for One Thousand Years but I couldn't find it in the movie, can someone please tell where it is in the movie.
I still loved it!!!!

[Tornado]

A Thousand Years isn't on until the credits.

[Jacobs-girl]

I saw BD yesterday and so I haven't really organized my thoughts about it yet...I think I'd need to see it again to write a proper review but here is what comes to mind:

First of all, I loved the first 45 - 60 minutes of the movie...Bella's wedding dress is gorgeous. Not completely what I was expecting but definitely very beautiful. Kristen looks stunning in this scene and I love the simplicity of her hair and makeup, which perfectly co-ordinates with the lovely simplicity of the dress. I would have liked more of the actual wedding ceremony as I felt that it was done very quickly and I don't think the line "as long as we both shall live" (which was in the book and, as we know, has special significance for Bella and Edward!) was included in the marriage ceremony, but I wanted it to be.

Loved the wedding speeches and I giggled at Charlie's speech and Edward's expression when he said it: "because I am a cop...and I know things...like how to hunt someone to the ends of the earth" (LOL!) And Jessica...honestly, why was she making a speech? She really isn't a close friend of Bella's and she was so obviously spitefully jealous at the wedding.

Oh Jacob, how my heart bleeds for him. Sorry, I can't help it. I have a soft spot for him and the scene with him and Bella at the wedding is so poignant and sad. Very well-acted by Taylor and Kristen.

The farewells when Bella says goodbye to her mom and dad are really poignant too. My eyes started becoming a little damp at that point! But then Edward whisked her off in that (gorgeous!) car and I got all caught up in the excitement of the honeymoon. The brief whirlwind trip through Rio was fun to watch.

Isle Esme: I enjoyed the Isle Esme scenes a lot. Probably my favorite parts of the movie. The acting was great, especially during the scene when they first arrive at Isle Esme. The hesitancy and nervous anticipation of what is to come is really sweet and endearing. The way the scene is portrayed and acted perfectly encapsulates the tone of the book: "I started to feel a little dizzy [...] I was afraid to walk out of this room and face the unknown" (BD, ch. 5, p. 76).

The bedroom scenes are good - they convey the romantic mood of the book and the morning after scene is also well done. They showed the bruises but the scene wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I was kind of dreading that scene because I went to see the movie with someone who hasn't read the book and I admit that I found the whole 'bruised Bella' thing a bit disturbing when I first read BD. But I think that it is handled well by the movie makers and Edward's worry about what he had done is well acted by Robert.

So, "you're not going to touch me again, are you?" says Bella. And then the scenes with Edward trying to distract Bella started....I found these really amusing and funny, especially Bella wearing the black lacy slip and trying to seduce Edward: that is so unlike Bella that it was just comical to watch! The whole honeymoon part is fantastic....it did not disappoint my expectations.

Then, the discovery of Bella's pregnancy. Oh and while I'm thinking of it, how come Bella/Kristen was eating meat in the scene before she throws up? I thought Kristen was a vegetarian. Anyway, getting back on track, the pregnancy scene was pretty much how I expected it. And it was okay.

Back to Jacob and the wolf pack: hmm, I didn't like the voice-overs of the wolf pack's thoughts. It seemed far too much like a kids' cartoon and I squirmed during that scene because it seemed out of place in the movie.

I'm going to take a break from writing this because I've got some other things to do right now but I'll finish off my review later. I haven't really read any of the reviews on here yet so I look forward to discussing BD with you all. I hope my thoughts in this post aren't too jumbled....it is very much a 'first impressions of BD' post.