The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

The critic calls it the best Twilight film so far, praising its languorous, romantic mood and increasingly disturbing turn toward horror. Bill Condon’s grave direction is singled out for making the supernatural drama more effective.

Willmore calls the film an engaging, wildly over-the-top spectacle, especially for existing fans. She praises its warm human moments but criticizes the pregnancy storyline as grotesque and unconvincing.

The page identifies this as a review, but its verdict is hidden behind a paywall. The accessible text does not reveal what the critic singled out for praise or complaint.

The URL identifies this as a New York Times review of the 2011 film. The page content was inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be determined.

The review gives the film a three-out-of-five rating. The available page text does not reveal what the critic praises or criticizes.

The critic finds the film grim, incoherent and joyless, and says it leaves a bad taste as a love story. She praises the wedding festivities as surprisingly good fun but singles out the dull werewolf scenes as the film’s worst.

The critic calls it the weakest entry in the franchise and says it barely works as a standalone movie. He particularly faults the wooden performances and the poor-looking wolf effects.

Chang finds the film disappointing overall, faulting its lack of darkness and dramatic tension despite its promising premise. He praises the wedding and honeymoon romance, especially the emotional payoff of Bella and Edward’s relationship.

O'Hara finds the film starts strongly but becomes overwrought and often ludicrous. She singles out the pregnancy storyline and weak effects as major problems, while noting the acting is better than before.

Bradshaw finds the film’s romantic melodrama tiresome and the franchise seemingly endless. He singles out the repetitive wolves-versus-vampires conflict and Jacob’s loyalty dilemma as especially wearisome.

Sharkey finds the film lifeless and disappointing, calling it broken compared with the earlier entries. She praises the wedding sequence as elegant and superbly executed, but faults the script for failing to explore the story’s dramatic potential.

Osenlund condemns the film as a joyless, inept installment that fails to make its supposedly momentous events compelling. He especially criticizes Kristen Stewart’s performance, saying her limited mannerisms undermine Bella’s character.

McCarthy judges the film a bloated, slow, and disappointing first half of the finale. He particularly criticizes the honeymoon scenes for withholding the emotional payoff the series had been building toward.

The critic dismisses the film as a mortifying bore and a poor continuation of the series. They particularly fault its funereal pacing and the leads’ unconvincing performances.

Hills finds the film a satisfying, more mature installment that should please Twilight fans despite some cringe-worthy moments and questionable CGI. She particularly praises Kristen Stewart’s performance during Bella’s pregnancy.

Howard finds the film a monotonous slog, with only occasional enjoyable moments for casual viewers. She singles out the uncanny-looking CGI wolves as a major distraction.

Hickman calls the film bad and boring, with little lasting impression for viewers outside the franchise’s devoted fanbase. He singles out Kristen Stewart’s portrayal of Bella’s physical and emotional deterioration as the strongest performance, though the surrounding melodrama fails to convince.

The critic finds the film’s material ludicrous and its performances blank, though Condon makes it stylish and creepy. The wedding sequence and Navarro’s lush cinematography stand out as effective craft.

The critic finds the film mostly dull, though its bizarre climax makes for an unexpectedly entertaining experience. They single out the drawn-out wedding buildup as deathly boring before the shocking childbirth sequence.

Reynolds finds the film sluggish and unsatisfying, with its dramatic build-ups repeatedly falling flat. He criticizes the awkward shifts between romance and body horror, which prevent the story from becoming a coherent whole.

The headline indicates a strongly negative verdict. It singles out the film as feeling barely like a complete movie.