Well Miss Maria You have officially “stunned” me! LOL! I am surprised but I must say pleased that you did like it. You all know I didn’t. Mainly because over all I am not a fan of the book. It let me down on so many levels. I don’t know why but i thought meyer would be brave and go down the tragic love story road and no matter how much they wanted to be together they die together. And like Rob said I had no problem with Bella staying human. As for” wolfs” well ridiculous I”m sorry I laughed out loud. Robs performance as Edward brilliant as always. Enjoyed the flash backs like you Maria. Loved the dress and the actual ceremony. More chemistry between Bella and Edward. At least she didn’t look and act like she had been asked to kiss her brother like eclipse. As for the honeymoon well I knew that was going to be tame if that’s the right word. even Tyler and Allley’s love scene in R/M was better and that was PG 13. And water for elephants. It doesn’t wash with me Meyer saying she left it to the readers” imaginations”. And yes we all do imagine different things I know, but when you are writing a book I always thought it was your imagination and your characters so that’s the journey the readers go with you. But I did laugh at Bella inn all those skimpy nighties trying to get Edwards attention. Anyway my friend wants me to go with her again next week so i will brave it again, but I would have waited for the dvd and ff Eddie other wise. I really was underwhelmed by it.

Ok, not sure about being first but what the hell. I have not been silent in my lack of interest in this movie for anything other than Rob, to the point where one of my friends asked me how I was going to cope with the movie seeing it focussed more on Bella and Edward was a bit wimpy in the book (not sure about wimpy but anyway I digress). Well, I have to say I loved the movie and that is very much because of how they portrayed Edward. I was never going to not love Rob in this movie but they actually gave him a real character to portray in this one, as opposed to Eclipse (yeah still no bridge built there). The back story was brilliant and I like where they incorporated it.
I was not expecting a hot and heavy sex scene so I am happy with how they did it although I do agree the room the next morning was OTT LOL!
The fact that Carter Burwell was scoring this one was something I was always excited about. Nobody that came after him and Twilight managed create the same feeling so that was awesome.
The wedding dress, well after all the hype and the ugly that is the engagement ring I was not hopeful, but, I thought it was gorgeous. I also loved Charlie and Edwards speeches as well as the choreographed dance scene from the reception.
I think the wolves were exactly right this time and the time they were in the movie seemed right as well.
I just think that it all fell into place this time for the first time since Twilight. The soundtrack is growing on me and although I prefer the original version of Flightless Bird this one was used perfectly.
The Portuguese, just wow and i’ll leave it there for fear of getting myself into trouble LOL.
I love this Edward, he found the balls that got cut off in Eclipse (the movie) and it was brilliant!!!! I will be seeing this one on the big screen more than once and I cannot wait for the DVD.

Sorry for the length of the comment but once I started I couldn’t stop LOL !!

OMG, my whole comment just vanished

It’s in spam @Vicky am just about to approve it

Hahaha, maybe thats prophetic!!!! Thanks Maria, there was no way I was going to remember all of that.

@Vicky I too liked the dress. I did not like how excited she got over Jacob though – that was kind of ridiculous. I understand why critics are saying she seemed genuinely more pleased to see Jacob than Edward. It really jumped out of the screen to me.

@Cindy I thought there was more chemistry between Jacob and Bella to be honest – I don’t see the chemistry between Bella and Edward like there was in the first movie.

@Maria – Aliens have definitely taken over. …..

No, not really.

I agree with absolutely everything you said except BooBoos acting. I still think that high school stuff. I hated the book and past experience had me expecting nothing but embarrassment from this Breaking Dawn. But I was wrong. I really liked it too. Not loved. I loved Eddie but not the movie.
I really really loved Eddie in this one. Damn he looks so fine in those singlets.
Edward was amazing. This is the man we wanted in the book. Rob and Bill have worked wonders with the material which is freaky wired and I would have hated to see it without any forewarning.
Great, honest review and I have nothing else to add. You said it exactly as I felt it. I can’t wait for the DVD. There are some parts that I am dying to slow mo.

She did seem more excited to see Jacob, I agree, and re the chemistry, it was way, way better than Eclipse but, Twilight will always be streets ahead in that department.

I agree with pretty much everything you said here Maria. I also enjoyed the movie and will see it again tomorrow. I also have a lot of respect for Bill Condon for listening to Rob and including Edward’s rebellion years into the movie. It was a part of Edward’s character that absolutely needed to be told.
I agree about the trashed bedroom it was over the top and not at all how it was told in the book. To be honest the wedding night/honeymoon scene was much better than I expected after all that was said about it. You knew what was going on, but I wonder if they could have shown some more emotion with close ups of their faces? I mean this a very momentous moment for both of them and so many emotions could be conveyed just through their eyes. Then again it’s possible that it would have been unacceptable for PG-13.

I also loved angry Edward in this making his feelings clear to Bella about her decision to keep the baby. The moment where he realizes he can hear the baby’s thoughts was very moving and I think my eyes welled up a little…

I get the critics not understanding the wolves hearing each others thoughts because you need to have read the books to know that. So from that point of view yes the wolves come across as cartoony. I am not sure about the fight scene either…will wait until the second viewing to make up my mind.

The birth scene is traumatic enough and Condon definitely did a great job there. But I loved desperate Edward afterwards when he is trying to save Bella. That was one of Rob’s best moments and I know now what he meant in an interview that he enjoyed playing him like that because the character is always sure of himself and always in control. Well done there Rob!!!

LOL at the Ellen intrusion on that scene Maria! I was the same, i kept picturing her there…

Billy Burke was brilliant again as Charlie and yes the Denali coven looked too fake. I thought Kristen did a great job throughout and I don’t agree with some of the harsh reviews. I did not think she was wooden at all. And to my surprise Taylor was quite good as well. His acting was a lot better than in Abduction that’s for sure.

I can’t wait to see it again so I can absorb more.

Loved it, except for the wolf scene, I felt their voices were hard to understand. The scenes with Bella in the sexy night gowns was perfect, especially the scene where Edward smiles then falls into the doona (I keep having flashbacks of his smile). I went with my sister, who for many years has told me that she doesnt think much of Rob, and finally after this movie she admitted that she does think he is hot and more importantly a great actor, and Water for ELephants and Breaking Dawn made her see the light. Also she hasnt read any of the Twilight books and now has asked to borrow them. Finally :0)
And now I know she will be looking forward to Bel Ami just like the rest of us, cant wait!!!!

LOL @Carmel I may have been a tad sarcastic about Boo Boo *giggles*.

@Ephie yes the frantic Edward at the end. I tell you … Rob just keeps getting better and better … I cannot wait to see him in Bel Ami and Cosmopolis. He has blown me out of the water with this Edward who I think is edging out Twi Edward as my favourite. Seriously you all know me so I call it as I see it and I really sat there half way through thinking … c’mon give me something something that I can hate LOL. I guess we really have to thank Bill for allowing Rob to give us this Edward – the range of emotions … it’s the Edward we’ve always wanted. I too have to agree re Kristen and Taylor … much better this time around.

I also thought the ending was perfect and not a cheesy cliffhanger like we got in New Moon.

Oh wait – I might have been grossed out by the blood drinking hahahaha, but surprisingly not grossed out by the birth scene at all nor Edward walking around with all the blood on him.

Michelle has just finished seeing it and is on her way home. No doubt she will be giving us her opinion soon.

you Ladies have summed it all up… it’s exactly how I felt! After the New Moon/ Eclipse fiasco I wasn’t holding my breath… but I loved it!
yah! for Carter Burwell and the musical themes… this felt much more like Twilight!
and having just made a wedding gown for my last uni assignment I was really nervous especially after they stuffed up Bella’s ring… but I think they hit the nail Bella’s dress on the head! it was beautifully constructed and very elegant!

I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get a better example of a dancing Ed.. & unfortunately I did think that Edward seemed a bit expressionless at moments… but loving him as we do… and knowing what amazing facial expressions Rob is capable of… clearly it was the fault of the make up!

I am looking forward to seeing it again so I can take it all in a bit past the hype of the midnight viewing… I was with my daughter and her silly teenage friends.

ps… I’m so glad to read that others were feeling the same way I was… so happy to be a part of this Rob-dom(ain)… :O)

Ooh yay ive been waiting for a discussion post!

Firstly, did anyone notice how they seemed to speed through the core moments of the book, it just seemed a bit bam-bam-bam-bam to me. I glanced at my watch at one point in the cinema, and I remember thinking “holy jesus, were only 40 minutes in and already the wedding, 3(ish) sex scenes, shes pregnant and looking like death are done”
I understand the book is a monstrosity and overall im glad the crucial parts wern’t left out, but its just something I noticed.
I also found it very, very hard to watch it as Edward, especially during that scene where Bella dresses up in the lingerie, and the close-up of Edward laughing – I remember thinking “Hello Rob!” But Bill did say in the an interview he brings a lot of himself to the part in this one. Did anyone else notice the wonky feet when theyre getting ready to board the private jet?
The conversation between Jacob and Edward was a bit hit and miss for me, I remember the line in the book “This was the face of a man who was burning at the stake” I felt like there could have been more in-depth dialouge..Definately not the ‘rental movie’ lines but…yeah i dunno.
Also the baby hearing scene kinda threw me a bit too, I think that comes down to how I kept seeing Rob and not Edward.
The makeup on Kristen was fantastic, the scene where Rosalie is running the bath for her and Edward comes up behind almost had me in tears, its a silent scene too, but that silence spoke volumes.
The Angry Eddie i loved too..though the dialouge..’Choices’ seems to be the magic word.
Overall, Im really, really happy with it. Rob continues to be the star.

@ShazaM not just you – there seems to be a downturn in attendance at Twi movies … I guess we can blame Slade for that. Eclipse really was an abomination considering it was Edward’s book, in my opinion, and it was pretty much the Bella/Jacob/Riley show.

@Vicky still think the love scene with Emilie in Remember Me was way hotter … and their chemistry.

Um, hell yes Maria!!!!! Now that was hot!!

I just thought I’d log on quickly, but I couldn’t resist reading your posts and am desperate to comment in length, but now I have no time to comment because we’re just about to walk out the door to go to dinner. Anyway, overall, I LOVED IT! So glad to see such positive comments. I’ll be back tomorrow!

Thanks ladies…I’m getting hot just thinking about that now. Rob’s back and shoulders is BD though… mmmmmm

LOL yeah you better sit down for what I’m about to say too cause even I’m surprised with what I am feeling right now about the film. You’ve summed it up perfectly Maria & am nodding in agreement with you. I had really really low expectations for the film. purely going to see Rob – would enjoy & love his performance, that’s a given but I didn’t hold out much hope for the film itself. I think the book is insane, have only read it once because that’s all I could cope with & several times throughout reading stopped & thought, Meyer can’t be serious! Yeah you already know my opinion of the book I know. With the film, I was surprised, pleasantly surprised. Yeah there were some things that bugged me, for example, when Bella danced with Jacob & got all excited to see him. I mean you’ve just married Edward, why would you ever want to dance with another man, well boy. I agree with what you said in one of your interviews Rob, no way would you ever allow that & yeah Edward should have said to Bella, I’m going to go dance with that Denali vampire lol. Anyways, some things were cheesy & made me roll my eyes but overall I really enjoyed the film as a whole. So much Edward in this one *fist pump* – absolutely perfect. No ceiling staring this time lol – none at all.

Rob’s Edward was absolute PERFECTION. Oh I just adore him. His performance in this film is just beyond BRILLIANT. He has done so much with this character throughout the series, he just gets better & better each time. I cannot praise Rob enough – ever. BD book Edward is, as Maria said above, whipped. Not Rob’s Edward. He was gorgeous, smiley & giggly at the beginning then angry Edward came in – I too LOVED how he told Bella exactly what he thought – for once. The range of emotions he shows throughout the film – oh just perfect.

Other things I loved:

Edward’s backstory – loved loved loved it.

Groom Edward – absolutely beautiful. His speech & Charlie’s -yep the only worthwhile ones.

I also really liked Edward’s little exchange with Seth at the wedding. Only small but really cute. We never saw any of their friendship in Eclipse so was nice to see some in BD & another opportunity to see some smiley Rob.

Rob speaking Portuguese *_______________* Nuff said.

Rob on the honeymoon *____________________________* OMG Rob you had NO worries about being compared to Taylor. You were PERFECTION, but you ALWAYS are.

Smiley/giggly/playful Edward – had to mention that again. Seeing Rob smile is heaven, it was great to see him get an opportunity to be happy this time around.

LOL when I saw the sex scene I thought, huh is that it. Blink & you’ll miss it.

The fact that they cut out the part where Edward tells Jacob ‘he can have puppies with Bella’. When I read that in the book I was convinced Meyer was on drugs. GOOD choice leaving that out, imagine how that would have looked on screen *cringes at the thought*

Love the little flashbacks to Twilight too & when Edward is searching the internet for the demom babies. Very nice homage – loved it.

Loved the birth scene where Edward is trying to bring Bella back, he is so desperate, not giving up & trying everything he can to save her. Oh I just loved it. My heart just broke for him. Rob nails these types of scenes each & every time, well he nails all his scenes but you know what I mean. He never fails to blow me completely away. Also his scenes with the baby, when he first hears her thoughts & he realises the baby is not a threat – he can finally feel happiness & joy. Also when she was born – so so sweet.

The acting has improved with some of the other actors too I agree.

Loved the re-appearance of Carter Burwell’s music & the use of Flightless Bird – perfect. Transported me back to Twilight – my fave film of the saga.

Oh & I too was thinking of Rob’s press comments in various parts throughout the film too Maria haha.

Charlie was awesome, as always. The wigs, oh dear especially poor Peter Facinelli LOL

Wolves, loved that they were not a prominent feature in this film. They took a backseat – as they should.

OK I better stop otherwise it’ll be an essay. I’m sure I’ve forgotten some things but will add more when they come to me. One thing’s for sure I’ll definitely be going back again. BD Edward HAS to be appreciated more than once on the big screen. Good job with this material Bill Condon – good job. I love that you let Rob be the Edward he wanted to be. We all know Rob knows best. He delivered us the perfect Edward in BD – have I mentioned how much I adored him. As I said, I was pleasantly surprised with the film – not ashamed to admit it.

Agree with you all as well. I did not like the book at all, and was only going to the movie for a bit of Rob perving BUT, I LOVED IT!! I was really surprised and so happy with the way Bill Condon has interpreted the weirdness that Stephanie wrote. I was not looking forward to seeing the whipped Edward from the book, Rob has played him so much better this time, I saw lots of Rob up on screen (all those giggles and smiles! sigh…..).

Did think that Kristen was better this time too, less wooden I thought and even Taylor had improved for me. But the wolves, sorry girls I didn’t like the voice overs. I know they had to do it somehow and maybe it was just the cinema I was in but the voices seemed to come from behind us and very muffled??? Maybe I’ll go to a different cinema for the next viewing.

Loved the wedding (so beautiful!) and the dress was perfect. Yeah bit disappointed with the “sex scene” too but loved the rest of the honeymoon scenes mainly because Rob is just so gorgeous in them all! He needs to wear those shorts more often too (and the bare feet, and the arms, and the back……oh) anyway…back down to earth.

I actually would have liked to see a bit more of the pregnancy and how Edward dealt with it all but the birth scene was great, I did find that part quite emotional maybe because Edward was being really emotional at that time and I actually realised after I was sitting on the edge of my seat even though I knew what was going to happen! Just loved seeing Edward holding the baby (Rob looks good with a baby in arms!) and even thought the way Jacob reacted when he actually saw Renesmee and imprinted was really sweet (what a cutie pie that baby is!!).

Also loved the flashbacks to the other movies, great respect for Bill Condon for doing that. Really enhanced the movie for me.

Hmm think thats all! Just can’t wait to see it again and especially the DVD now!

I am grinning like an idiot right now!! I am THRILLED you enjoyed this Maria (& Michelle)!! I managed to see yesterday and WOW. Directors should take note – if you talk with your actors and collaborate….LOL Robward here is a thing of beauty in oh so many ways. Just awesome….I feel I can finally draw a line under the nightmare of Eclipse (my favorite book so you can imagine o.O). Rob is seriously wonderful in this and there’s some humour in this movie – which has been lacking in the last couple and annoying the crap out of me. I love Edward’s humour in the books. The honeymoon stuff is over too quickly but yum anyways!! I mean holy crap he’s so hot. There’s so much to process from the movie and I definitely need to see this again at least a few more times!! LOVED the nods to Twilight as you’ve mentioned and having Carter back for the soundtrack was perfect. Kristen did brilliantly – best performance IMO. That moment when Robward can hear the baby and he realises it’s not evil (or whatever) – the two of them in that moment. *le sigh* Rob at the end trying to revive her? Just heartbreaking. And OH the montage taking her back to the beginning – LOVED!! Robward’s back story was awesome. Loved it.

The wolfy stuff didn’t do much for me to be honest and they were in it a LOT less so it was full of win. LOL I have to say I enjoyed Seth and Leah with Jacob – such an improvement from previously.

Based on this I am so excited to see part 2 – happy Robward with his strong, new vampire wife at his side and child?????? My heart people….there’s only so much love I can give. LOL He is going to GLOW not sparkle

Hoping to see it again soon Oh and I know it’s not strong enough to convince the critics – I get tired of them all saying it’s for teenage girls though. >:/ On the evidence in the reviews so far it’s been good enough to revive a lot of us!!

No worries @Carolyn – Vertigo hasn’t seen it yet – won’t be going until tomorrow so I’ll leave this sticky posted for the weekend.

Agree @Jules I’m not dreading Pt 2 so much now. Rob really is the star vehicle of this franchise – I don’t care what anyone thinks. His performances have been solid throughout all 4 films, but his depiction of Edward in this one … it’s just brilliant and I really think the others have improved because they have had to lift their game to try and keep up with Rob’s talent. They’ve improved but they will never be in his league. Sorry but that’s just how I see it and we’ve seen today that I might be opinionated, but I’m pretty fair.

Same here re: part two. So excited to see part two of Rob’s BD Edward. I cannot say enough how BRILLIANT he was in BD pt one – completely blew me away once again.

Star vehicle is for sure Maria. He just blows everyone else out of the water. Always has & his performance in this one – he just took Edward to a whole new level. Fantastic – can never say that enough. Yep, no matter how much the others improve they will NEVER ever be anywhere near Rob’s league. Not possible – tis the truth. Oh how I cannot wait to see him as Georges & Eric – he is going to completely blow us away – he never stops!

OK I saw it yesterday amd have mixed feelings about it, some parts i loved and some parts where like …WTF??? Anyway, loved Rob he is always amazing ….shhhh dont tell anyone;)
i was Deffinitely excited to go see the movie, so the anticipation was there…i found myself smiling through a lot of scenes throughout the movie…the wolfes talking…well that didnt really sit well with me but hey.

Look…at the end of the day I still love the story, it it a airy taleof forbiden love, the ultimate love that any girl would wish for.

I am seeing the movie again tomorow, i think that will give me a bit more to think about, i just have the fact that part 2 is so far away…i still can not fattom why…if youre a twi fan or a Rob fan, you will see it regardless…maybe i am just impatient.
….and i fucking hate this iPad sometimes, it wont let me type what i want to type UGHHH

Loving this discussion post ~ my stupid computer just deleted my lengthy comment, so here I go again (short version!) I left the midnight viewing with very incoherent thoughts… and if I’m being honest, I think I was a little upset. Having to endure the emotional Bella and Jacob dance, then NOT seeing Edward and Bella have their wedding dance moment, made me a little wild (at 1am in the morning). Then having the Rio street scene cut to about 10 secs just didn’t seem right to me. So by the time Bella realised she was pregnant, I thought to myself “Poor Edward, he gets a whole 15 minutes of happiness” ….. that kinda pissed me off even more, for selfish reasons …..coz seeing Edward/Rob with a smile in his face just melts my heart, and from that point on I knew the smiles would be few and far in between ….

Fortunately, I went to my 2nd viewing of BD within 24 hours, following a few hours of sleep ~ and I really enjoyed it SO much more! I was able to enjoy each moment as it happened, rather than stewing, like I did the first time around. All the things I loved have been mentioned by everyone else, as have those that I didn’t like (wolves voices gets a big thumbs down for me; same with the cliff jumping!). But Rob was wonderful in every way ~ no surprise there. Thought Kristen was great, too. Love, love, loved Charlie ; thought they did a great job with the birthing scene and paying tribute to the original movie. Edward completely captivated me with his emotions , from start to finish…..

I have my next viewing scheduled for Monday night, so I’m hoping by the end of the week, I’ll be able to say I loved it … not quite there yet, though. But congratulations to Bill Condon, ‘coz I think he’s managed to get plenty of us excited for Part 2, which is great.

And Rob doing all this promo stuff has just blown my mind ~ can’t thank him enough for the last month, he really is so much more awesome and wonderful than he’ll ever realise. One-of-a-kind and I’ll always be grateful to Twilight for introducing me to such a beautiful soul.

dear i cant tell u what i think about this movie i love it this part of the sags my favorite like the first one every word u wrote in the right please Bill Condon is a fantastic director for that he have an Oscar Rob did a great job as a husband and a father made me think what he will be look like in real life .
im sad to say this the end of Edward but in the same time im happy for Rob for his future no one will say he is not good any more ,i cant wait for part 2 and for Georges & Eric this year is epic for him and i hop the new one is the same good luck dear

One more thing ….. I really wish Summit hadn’t released so much footage prior to the movie, especially of the honeymoon. I know I didn’t have to watch it, but I’m weak ….. And I think it would have been amazing to have been seeing it for the first time on the big screen. I ‘ll try to remember that while I wait for BD 2.

Maria!! Ladies!!!
so glad you enjoyed the movie, Maria and agreed with most of your comments.
i went to the midnight show and have been back at least once a day since…
most favourite parts involved Edward trying to resist Bella and the long shots of Bella pondering her life post-coital and her pregnancy…
***sigh***what am i saying?? i loved all the scenes with Rob and adored his multilingual facility…also the father-daughter scenes….
i cannot wait for the next one…why has it got to be a whole year???
got to go but so glad to be able to come here and post my utter delight with the movie!
see you all later in cyber space and enjoy your Breaking Dawn experiences!
<3

Honestly, before I had seen Eclipse (huge disappointment as we know) I was happy for the saga to end there because I thought Breaking Dawn the book was a joke. It was ridiculous and so out of realm of the other books, I didn’t even want it made. Well, thank goodness then that Bill Condon came along (with a lot of Rob’s influence I dare say) and made everything right. At the risk of repeating what everyone else has said, I loved the movie for what was actually left out of the book. Most notably that stupid conversation between E/J about Jacob getting Bella pregnant, Bella eating so many eggs on the honeymoon (call me crazy, but that annoyed me) and the term ‘little nudger.’ I swear if Bella had referred to the baby as that in the movie I think I would have thrown up in the cinema. The long drawn out banter between the wolves (although I was actually moved by the scene that was included) and the dissension between Rosalie and Jacob, were thankfully omitted.
Yes, yes, I loved the wedding, dress and all, especially when Flightless Bird, American Mouth started playing during the ceremony (I was expecting it to be their first dance song). I actually gasped and there might have been a few tears, just a few, well maybe more than a few!
Carter Burwell’s music is remarkable (it’s also been the ringtone on my phone for the past couple of years). I love that it was included again, because that’s what stirs up all the emotions for me about Twilight. I hear that music and I’m gone!
The homage to Twilight and Edward and Bella’s journey was absolutely my favourite part in the movie. Oh and also when Edward called Bella “baby.’ *sigh* It’s about time we got hear some affection expressed between these two, (even though she was dying at the time).
The speeches were funny, I liked them. But I’m sure I heard English Rob as opposed to American Edward when he did his speech. Wishful thinking perhaps!!
Rob (and Kristen and Taylor for that matter) was fantastic. You could definitely see Rob’s Edward come through and I loved it. The happiness was indeed blissful to witness. Again, it’s about time that we got to see this side of Edward!
The scene at the airport where Edward was paying off the pilot, or whatever he was doing, did things to me. I was proud of controlled, in command, authoritative, rich Edward.
Again, without repeating everything, I liked all the bits everyone else did and I’m glad that we have a general consensus That Breaking Dawn Part 1 was not a downer. Bill Condon has brought the Saga, dare I say, ‘back to life’. Looking forward to seeing it again during the week, and probably again after that!
If only Part 2 was released a little sooner, I’m sure we’d feel all the more satisfied.

Oh no, I think I just lost my comment. I’m hoping it went into spam!

Hahaha @Carolyn so funny that you and I both commented on the airport scene … there was just something so masculine about that … Edward taking control – I liked that.

Oh I know what scene I thought was weird – I really need to go see this again. The dream Bella had on the honeymoon with the chess playing and the blurring of the scene. Did I miss something? I recall in the book her dream was about a child … did I blink and miss that. That was weird for me – I didn’t get the point they were trying to get across. I may have also been slightly distracted because I’m pretty sure it was around this time I told the girls in front of me to “shut the hell up” ever so politely.

Where’s Martha by the way? Is she sleeping at the cinema.

Martha I so want to hear what you have to say.

@Sue that might be another reason why I was pleasantly surprised. I pretty much stopped watching them – we didn’t post a lot of the TV spots etc – I learnt my lesson from New Moon. The amount of trailers and scenes they released built up my expectations to something that sorely didn’t even come close. I really hated what they did with the Italian scenes. They could have done so so much more with that than they did. I mean I get the racing to the Clocktower in the yellow porsche but I would have rather seen a glimpse of that and more of Edward and Bella’s reunion when they finally have to wait it out at the Volturi.

It did @Carolyn – have approved it now.

Ok I have just returned from viewing#2, (totally see why these movies do so well, everyone seems to want to return to see it..anyway) Its amazing how much more you take in when your not in a room of squealing teenagers and counting the amount of hours your going to get to sleep before having to get up and go to work…

Ok..I love the wedding. Fightless Bird is played at a perfect time and I love the way the camera pans around. Going to go down in history as a classic film wedding I think.

The honeymoon follows the book pretty well I think..Robs features come out a bit more dont you think? Im sure he said he had a new makeup artist on this one..
The sex scenes…Robs voice from the Twilight and Eclipse commentary popped into my head in both viewings “Thats a bit saucy!” and “thats a bit raunchy for my tastes” but Im a prude aswell. Magic ‘Footporn’ in the one where Bella wakes up from her ‘nighmare’!!
I still see a lot of Rob in the dressing up scene..Its the giggly face I think.

Assertive Robward at the airport thingie! Me likey.

Again, Kristens makeup was fantastic.

Im glad they kept the blood cup in, though it grossed me out a bit..blood on teeth. *shudder* I think that was the point though.

The birth was everything wed be anticipating, though Eddies persistance was something to see..And I didnt notice the way he called Bella ‘baby’ until Carolyn pointed it out, but it is very sweet! I love they way Bill did the vemon in the veins thing, for people who havent read the book it would have tied up some confusion. Rob with Renesmee…DED. Flashbacks to those photos we got of Rob on the WFE set with the baby. Though like @Maria, I kept getting Rob’s press comments in my head, “Strawberry Jam and Cream Cheese” That was a real baby wasnt it? With CGI eyes. I liked how Mackenzie got a little place in it too..

@Maria, I must say that watching Twilight and New Moon on the big screen for the first time last Wednesday was awesome ~ I think I stopped breathing when Edward walked into the cafeteria ….. and having just visited Montepulciano in June, I got a little sentimental when it got to the Italian scenes in NM….. but I’ve learnt my lesson, I really am to old to sit in a theatre for 11 hours straight, without my brain turing to mush ……!

Edward walking into the cafeteria, never fails to take my breath away. I LOVED the flashback to that during BD Part One – was perfect.

So great you got to see it on the big screen Sue. Nothing like Rob on the big screen – nothing at all

Watching Edward thru the windows of the cafeteria before he even walks turns me to mush…..

First of all, Rob always shines when he’s on screen. I really liked the movie. After I first saw it I didn’t really have an opinion of it if that makes sense. Maybe it was shock lol. I guess because it has been a long time since I’ve read the book that I forgot just how bizarre the storyline was! After my 2nd I better prepared.
I loved how Condon included flashbacks of Edward when he first changed and especially of the previous films. It sort of ties all the films together and makes me all sentinmental and crap lol.
@Maria I agree with you about Carter Burwell. His music makes it a twilight movie. So glad they got him back. Bill Condon has done a fantastic job. The imprinting scene had the potential to be extremely cringeworthy but he made it work and I thought it was so sweet the way it came across the screen.
Ummm whoever plays Leah, should not. That’s all i’m saying about that lol.
I loved that Edward wasn’t a whipped hubby in this and Robs performance in the ‘surgery room’ was amazing. So many sweet moments. Can’t wait to see it again.
Can I just say Rob’s smile just lights up my face in this movie!

haha @Cindy ….you got me there! Very true ….!

@Sare I think there were so many more positives in this film than negatives and that’s what surprised me. I think the other two were trying to make it too arty … Slade definitely and it’s so not an arthouse film. Leave that to Cronenberg peoples – he is the master.

Oh I just got excited that this time next year we will be discussing the end of Eddie and the emergence of Eric *squeeeeee*

@Caro don’t know who plays the older Renesmee but all I kept thinking was … yep I can see a sequel coming that focuses on Jacob and Renesmee. I figure that’s how they will stretch out this franchise because the shapeshifters can age right …

My only concern about BD2 is the poor quality sub-cast that we will have to sit through – I mean seriously the Denali coven – that glimpse right there was just awkward. I am however looking forward to seeing the Volturi – Michael Sheen and Chris Heyerdahl … bring it on.

In many ways I agree with you all. I thought the acting was great….the story line is what has always irritated me. Actually, it’s the triangle that I loathe. I agree that at the point of marriage you would think that Bella has made her choice so Jacob shouldn’t be such a big deal. I suppose he had to be important in the sense that Bella’s character was always so guilty for hurting him and wanted him to be ok. I’m not trying to justify anything here because this has always driven me insane but it makes me feel better. Rob was brilliant considering how much he opposed the Jacob thing and I agree with him completely. The chemistry was great, it felt different to be because it was taken from a different angle. Edward didn’t want the baby because it would have killed Bella….that’s what made him a bit distant. These actors did a great job considering how insane this story really. I don’t think I could be tempted to read anything else by
sm.

I forgot to mention that I liked the movie overall. I will see it again but I will definately be looking forward to seeing Rob move forward. He’s got so much talent. I just love the guy.

FACT @Silvie. I truly believe that it was Rob that brought out the better performances of the other two this time around – not that I’m saying they were fantastic, but they were definitely better than the other 3 films.

Yes Maria, that’s better! Hahaha!

I love both Aro & Caius too, and had just mentioned they weren’t in the movie when the clip was shown!

About the dream – I don’t remember shaky pictures? I do remember in the book she has a dream about her being with Edward again and that’s why she wakes up crying, because her dream was not a reality. I think the dream about a son was afterwards?

I’ll just have to go again to check…

I went to a Gold Class session so managed to avoid the screaming teenagers. But had a couple of glasses of wine so my opinion of the movie may be slightly swayed by this.

I found the book completely ridiculous. Was Stephanie Meyer serious about this book or was she just taking the piss? I ploughed through it as quickly as I could and then headed to the library to borrow a Virginia Woolf book.

Needless to say my expectations of the movie were not very high. I was surprised that Bill Condon took it on. I am glad that he did because the movie could well have been as ridiculous as the book. In my opinion I think that Taylor and Kristen stepped up and they both did a fine job. Rob’s Edward goes without saying. I, like most of the lovely people on this site, followed the promotional tour. This meant that scenes like the sex scene had been discussed over and over so I was expecting more from this. Also so much talk about Rob’s body and you really don’t get to see all that much of it. I thought the imprinting scene was done beautifully and one of my favourites. I was looking forward to the back-story but it was so short.

Because this movie was all about Edward and Bella getting it on and finally having sex it lost the magic of unforbidden love, which Twilight of course doses so beautifully and I believe this is a big reason for its success. And this will always be my favourite of all the Twilight movies. Overall the movie was good but not great. Which is what I am getting is the general consensus. I will watch it again minus the wine, which may mean that I feel completely different about the movie after a 2nd viewing.

I agree looking forward to the Volturi in BD2 happy to see more of Dakota Fanning.

The dream about the son was the night before the wedding. And then she dreamed about the Volturi coming after her the night she wakes up and Edward has gone hunting – thats her reasoning for making fried chicken – its comfort food.

oops that should have read forbidden love.

Thanks everyone – I have not much recollection of the book because really reading it once was more than enough.

Oops I think I said Michael Sheen was Marcus – I meant Aro. Thanks again Steph. Obviously I’m so not a twihard LOL.

LOL Maria, me too – once was enough. I was confused with the dream too – honestly I don’t really remember them in the book either – well not clearly. We really do show that we’re not Twihards haha.

Yes Maria, I agree with you totally that Rob was responsible directly or indirectly for the other two lifting their game. Reflecting on what I’ve said I believe that Rob is directly responsible for the movie’s success. In all honestly, though I believe the others did a good job with what they had, if Rob hadn’t been Edward I don’t think anyone else could have pulled off the success they all enjoy. And full credit to Rob for having to make the impossible possible. Out of all the actors involved he had to deal with the most complex character, the most complex emotions and the most difficult situations. Rob delivered his role ruthelessly and I have no qualms saying that he was directly responsible its success.

HAHA @Steph yes I am going again too … to check of course

@Thanks Silvie because we have been saying that for years. In fact it’s the one thing the critics have also been saying even though they don’t like the movie. Rob truly saved this franchise. I don’t believe anyone else could have brought us a better Edward and although he wasn’t the star vehicle to begin with, he definitely is the star of these movies now. I think the franchise may have flopped if it wasn’t for Rob. Yes yes I know that will piss off some of the twifans when I say that, but you just have to look at the box office success outside of Twi and only Rob has truly had it to date – so what does that tell you.

Exactly!!!!!The franchise certainly struck GOLD when Rob came along even though they don’t want to admit it. I sometimes sense tall poppy syndrome.

*standing while doing the slow clap*

I was so sure I was going to be the only one left standing that hadn’t seen BD and was still convinced I wasn’t going to like it. I thought you guys (Maria, Michelle and Lisa) had lost your marbles coming back and saying it was good. I was like naaa, who are these people. So I’ve kept out of the discussion thread (will read comments later) to ensure I have/had no pre conceived ideas, as well as trying to leave behind my memory of how the book unfolded (that’s a tough one though) and whalla, I have to say that in seeing it today, I am dumfounded as to how much I actually enjoyed it. Don’t get me wrong, there were flaws, but I don’t want to focus on those at the moment because the good far out weighed the niggly bits. I even overlooked the bad hair and makeup because the feel was too busy grabbing my attention.

I believe there are two things that saved this movie. Rob’s portrayal of Edward (BANG ON BEST EDWARD) and Bill Condon’s ability to prove himself a masterful magician. He managed to get things across that could have been done very badly, but not in this installment of the saga. He took an inconsistent, bizarre and crappy piece of story telling and turned it into something watchable – dare I say enjoyable. It totally flowed and there wasn’t too much clutter – just enough of everyone else so I didn’t need to ceiling watch and an abundance of Edward (finally).
I must also commend the powers that be (probably Bill again – see how we are on a first name basis now) for sticking to their guns in going cloak and dagger. What do I mean? Ok I loved the fact that they were making out like they were giving everything away in the trailers and spoilers released (well that was my perception), when in actual fact they were keeping the surprises well guarded and as the movie unfolded, made for many a pleasant surprise. And here I’ve been whinging for the past months that they were showing us the best parts *yawn yawn*, when in fact they were distracting us while keeping the best stuff under wraps. So I take my bitching back about the teasers and how the rest of the movie was going to be like sticking needles in my eyes. Well played and yes, I stand corrected – your strategy worked.

I loved that they brought back some of the old feel, flash backs and especially thrilled to have Carter Burwell’s music take me back to my happy place.
OMG Edward’s back story (yes in both respects *giggles*), can I get a hallelujah or what! *puuuurrrrrrrr* and Amen.
And other life altering moments like Rob’s body (HELLO), he gave us the sundies, some gentle bed cracking, spectacular back shots, no need to get into details about how well that fitness regime worked out for you Rob [insert more purring] and then we get the smiles and laughter. Apart from all the deep stuff, how freaking awesome was Rob as Edward! My god, Rob interpreting all Edward’s thought processes and feelings and it was evident that Rob was actually into this one as opposed to Eclipse. I’m floored and am looking forward to watching this Eddie again … and again and again and again …

I am still processing so will leave this for now – am all over the place and can’t get things down fast enough so am looking forward to seeing what you all thought – whether you hated, loved or are 50/50 about it or what.

It was interesting seeing peoples reactions when we were leaving the cinema, mostly positive remarks and some people saying it was the best one so far. Like I said before, it wasn’t perfect but it certainly was full of the good stuff. I can’t remember why I was laughing a lot at the beginning, but I was laughing and somewhere along the way, my eyes may of become stingy, but where exactly, at what point? I can’t remember. I think it had either something to do with Charlie or when Bella was flashing back over her life or something. When I see it again this Thursday I’ll probably remember. lol

side note: I think I just whaffled on a whole lot about nothing.

I should have just said I enjoyed Bill’s interpretation and Rob’s awesome portrayal as Edward. hahaha

Very clever with the CGI stuff and the way we got the understanding of what was happening with the venom as opposed to getting a dialogue explaining what was going on. I better stop now because more whaffle is starting to seep through.

p.s. I can usually tell when a story is interpreted well on screen by taking someone along who hasn’t read the book. This time around there were only a few things I needed to explain and it was mostly evolving around the wolf stuff, so not really a big deal for me. The last two movies however, took me hours to get across.

p.s. I agree Maria – am hoping that Rob’s onscreen time in BD pt 2 isn’t diluted by all the visitors that come to Forks to play with the Volturi.

Love reading all your comments, am amazed the majority is quite positive. Thumbs up Bill.

and p.s. @Vicky, I don’t think we’ll ever build that bridge when it comes to Eclipse. Sad but true.

ok so when do we get the dvd?

YES, please do not let all those annoying extras take all of Rob’s screen time in part two *glares*

LOL Vertigo, *nods* re: DVD. Want it now!

After watching BD last night I’ve hardly slept a wink. My mind keeps looping through images of Rob’s backstory (sheer brilliance), the kiss to Flightless Bird (thank you Bill for saluting Catherine), the gorgeous way Rob brings himself to Edward in the ‘nightie’ teaser scene (oh god I died right there), the Edward and Bella tenderly caressing on the bed scene (Bella’s reflection over the previous night’s activities), Edwards’ linguistics, Edward’s control of the dire pregnancy situation, Edward’s anger that Bella didn’t include him on the life threatening situation he is faced with, Edward hearing the baby for the first time and their adorable moment on the couch, Edward’s desperation to save Bella. Oh god the birth!!
I saw this screening with two very close girlfriends we are all huge Rob fans (since the Cedric days). All three of us were holding our breath during the birth. We were all reduced to tears during the scene when Edward hears the baby. A beautiful tender moment between Bella and Edward’s – a throw back again to the tenderness that Catherine so richly conveyed in Twilight.
Rob was mesmerising in this portrayal of Edward. I can’t help but blow an air kiss to Bill Condon I could feel and see the results of their collaboration on Edward’s character development. We all thought the lead performances brought new depths of emotion to their characters. Kristen was superb she is one talented young woman. I felt Rob and Kristen’s on screen chemistry more than ever – perhaps ever so in that touching scene on the couch hearing baby for the first – I really can’t get past that.
Bill Condon really has presented an unforgettable cinematic experience from might I say difficult source material.
I’m just hoping Bill will allow us to savour the tender scenes ie between Edward, Bella and Reneesme as a new young family in BD II and not focus too much on the activities on the other clans. For me that’s the heart of the story is the formation of this love that then unifies outsiders together.
Oh god I simply can’t wait to see Rob’s portrayal of Georges in Bel Ami and likewise Eric, Cosmopolis.

Went to see it last night with my two sisters in Gold Class as well. It’s interesting because my older sister had read the whole series whilst my younger sister had only read halfway through NM. She hadn’t even bothered to watch Eclipse! I didn’t end uo having to explain anything to her though which was good.

Just agreeing with majority consensus here- Rob as Edward was brilliant. He looked amazing and the scene where he gets angry with Bella- phwoar. Just loved it.

I particularly enjoyed the flashback sequence and also the nightmare at the wedding sequence. Thought it was quite camp and I quite liked it. My older sister remarked that it reminded her of ‘Dexter’ and I agreed. I liked those quick jump cuts to possible scenarios- it brought something unique to the film.

OH! and that line about Edward not really being a virgin the night before the wedding took my surprise. Self-awareness of the series perhaps?

Sex scene- underwhelming but I’ll take what I can get at this point. I’m counting on Bel Ami and Cosmopolis to up the ante in this area. Think the problem was that every single interview had hyped it up too much and in the end I was left sitting there going ‘that’s it?’. Did anyone else notice Bella’s nipple flash as well? lmao
Overall, wedding and honeymoon were spot on.
My other favourite scene was when Edward hears Renesmee for the first time. I had a smile on my face that whole time. Gahhh…

Birth scene and Bella’s death were done pretty well but I didn’t cry at all (not that I expected myself to). I think it’s because I knew that there is a happy ending afterall.

So, overall, it’s a good film but not amazing. I gave it a 3/5.

Lol @Annie re the nipple – I can honestly say I could not take my eyes off of Rob’s back, biceps, pecs *giggles*

I knew the sex scene would be talked up – so yeah agree with you – in fact pretty much about everything

Not amazing but way better than what I was honestly expecting but more importantly bring on Georges and Eric

@Maria oh trust me I was trying to focus on Robert but ‘the flash’ took me by surprise. *shakes head*