Twihards Rejoice! Legions of fans queued up for sold out midnight showings across the US for the latest chapter of Stephenie Meyer’s wildly successful Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn Part 1. Directed by Bill Condon (Kinsey, Chicago) & scripted by veteran series screenwriter/producer Melissa Rosenberg (Dexter, Birds of Prey), this installment of the billion dollar franchise has left many scratching their heads. Why two films? With a domestic opening weekend estimate of nearly 140 million dollars and worldwide estimate in excess of 283 million, the answer is simple, money

Clocking in at just under two hours, Breaking Dawn Part 1 is the shortest of the four films thus far. More of a bridge film between Eclipse and Breaking Dawn Part 2, the  movie is at times slow, melodramatic and somewhat thin. Summit Entertainment could easily have condensed a few scenes, eliminated others and completed the book in one film. But what fun would that be?

As a self admitted Twihard, I realize this is not Pulitzer Prize winning material or even Oscar worthy film making. But, what these movies lack in substance, they more than make up for with hope and promise. And not the “I hope they promise to stop making these crappy movies” my husband was so fond of saying. Reaching a broad, mostly female audience, the theme of a deep forever lasting first love resonates with young people who hope they’ll one day be lucky enough to find it and a mature audience who remember the care free days of their first love.

Set designers and location managers out did themselves bringing the book to life. The long awaited wedding was sublime. Lush and verdant, it was as if the forest came alive with benches that looked like artfully carved felled trees, a petal covered moss forest floor and floral draped branches. It was a magical fairy tale reminiscent of Snow White’s wedding. The only thing missing were the woodland creatures but, as my friend pointed out, the Cullens may have eaten them for appetizers. With guests wearing muted tones of plums, wines and blues, the color palate was truly rich and beautiful as was the understated elegance of Bella’s (Kristen Stewart) dress. With Iron & Wine’s Flightless Bird, American Mouth playing in the background, the guests disappeared as Bella and Edward (Robert Pattinson) said their I do’s, showcasing the fact that, at that moment, they were the love and sole focus of the other.

Although the wedding came off without a hitch, some of the performances did not. Maggie Grace’s portrayal of the Denali coven “cousin” Irina felt stiff and forced. The contacts didn’t help. Instead of the desired otherworldly appearance, the Denali sisters looked less ultimate beauty and more plastic adult film star. The majority of the wedding toasts were campy, unnecessary and painful to watch. Humor for the sake of humor was not well received with many in the theatre groaning instead of giggling. But, there were some notable standouts as well. As Charlie Swan, Billy Burke was exceptional and Julia Jones nailed playing the bitter and somewhat broken Leah Clearwater. Taylor Lautner was convincing as love struck teen Jacob Black and it was refreshing to watch how his character has grown from goofy adolescent to rightful pack alpha. Stewart and Pattinson also showed, to a greater degree than past Twilight films, a widened range of emotions. A far cry from Stewart’s smirk, bite lip, smirk, writhe in pain or Pattinson’s sullen Cullen persona of New Moon and Eclipse.

The book’s long anticipated honeymoon scene, called by many fans “the fade to black’, was less racier than expected based on Pattinson’s Jimmy Kimmel remarks but satisfying just the same. Considering the PG 13 rating, the film gave fans a whisper of what they wanted without being overly explicit.

With the focus of the film on Bella, Edward, and to a lesser extent Jacob, there was little screen time for the rest of the Cullens and Quileutes. The face off over Bella was a welcome respite from the monotony of Bella’s pregnancy which gave new meaning to the tagline of Forever Is Only The Beginning. However, recognition must be given to the special effects wizards who did an incredible job making Stewart appear both gaunt and skeletal as Bella wasted away under the strain of the vampire/human pregnancy. The Quileutes, in wolf form, also seemed to move in a more predatory manner and the cgi interaction with real characters had more fluidity than past films.

While some would have preferred a densely packed longer movie instead of the cash cow milking Summit Entertainment is displaying by splitting Breaking Dawn into two films, fans of the series are already clamoring for more. Despite what critics are saying, if you are a fan of Twilight, you will enjoy this movie. I did, and am anxiously awaiting the release of Breaking Dawn part 2 in November 2012.