Let's face it: "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1" would be a blockbuster if the film were about Edward and Bella watching an apple rot.
Fortunately for the Twi-hards, Dawn instead plucks the apple, beginning a two-part eviction from heaven. It is in many respects the best installment of the franchise as its stars go from sullen kids to sullen young adults, where their expressions look more natural.
The movie also is in its most capable hands with director Bill Condon ("Gods and Monsters"). And while no one is going to confuse Dawn with Nosferatu, the series is finding momentum as it nears its finale ("Part 2" hits theaters Nov. 16, 2012).
"Dawn" picks up where "Eclipse" left off, with our heroes Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart) set to wed. The wedding is as storybook as the heroes' romance, which explains why there are so many "Twilight" moms: Bella is perceptive and patient, saving sex for marriage. Edward is loyal and has been waiting a century to lose his virginity. See a zombie be that patient.
But when the newlyweds become expectant parents of a half-vampire, trouble brews in the werewolf world. Here is where Dawn finds itself maturing. Bella and Edward have actual discussions about sex, parenthood and abortion. The lessons aren't insightful but still are high ground for the franchise. Stewart's transformation to the living dead is strong. Pattinson remains a doe-eyed matinee idol, though spurned werewolf lover Jacob (Taylor Lautner) gets to act a little. Still, his shirt is off five seconds after the opening credits.
Of course, it wouldn't be "Twilight" without a few conventions: Parents don't understand and aren't to be told much. There isn't a bad-looking monster in the bunch. And at nearly two hours, the film is too long.
But none of this will be unwelcome news to fans, who waited in tents for tickets this week to see the forbidden fruit taken. And the final scene of the movie, simply a shot of Bella's eyes, makes a convincing harbinger that hell is on its way.
