ENTERTAINMENT

It’s coming. After years of speculation, excitement, disagreement, and too many clichés, on November 18, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 1 will be released to the public. The first three films, based on the best-selling books by Author Stephenie Meyer, had a net gross of over $785 million, according to the Internet Movie Database. The budget for the last two movies was $263 million (imdb.com). Assumedly, with such impressive popularity, one would expect the movies, which leave fans full of anticipation, to have heart-throbbing love scenes, and skillfully constructed plots. As it turns out, the story is extremely predictable, the Hollywood-styled romantic dialogue is sappy, and the plot is, well, nonexistent.

For those who have been blessed with being oblivious to the Twilight phenomenon, The Twilight Saga consists of four books in a series about Bella Swan, a supposedly ordinary girl who moves to Forks, Washington. She winds up intrigued by Edward Cullen, who­ turns out to be a vampire. He falls for Bella and her “lady-like” qualities, (such as her ever-damsel-in-distress tendencies) despite the fact that he craves her blood. Throw in best friend Jacob Black, who turns out to be part of a werewolf clan, and out comes two half-human guys fighting over the “average” girl. Typical, huh?

Boring characters dominate the story, which turns many readers and movie viewers off. Edward, played by Robert Pattinson in the films, is whiter than flour, has glowing amber eyes, and sparkles in the sunlight. Bella, played by Kristen Stewart, is equally pale, klutzy, and does the typical “I don’t want you to care about me… except of course I do” flirtatious technique so many high school girls employ. After the two characters fall for each other, they pretty much go back and forth between trying to work things out and running away from each other for 600 pages.

According to Junior Emily Maschan, “The drama and conflict aren’t resolved until the fourth book, so basically the second and third ones are placeholders. The vampire idea gets old really quickly, and it’s inaccurate for a girl to go out of her way to create more drama in her life by trying to include yet another guy [Jacob]. In reality, most people try to make their lives less dramatic because relationship drama creates stress.” The entire series is just a tangled cliché­ – and a bad one, at that.

With all of this petty content, the saga promotes a completely unrealistic ideal for young girls. According to Missouri State Student Jamie McGee, “Young women are led astray as they attempt to find their ‘Edward’ in the world of stuck-up, self-absorbed teenage boys whose brains are not yet fully developed” (missouristate.edu).

Throughout the series, Edward is kind, chivalrous, and dedicated to Bella. He’s also been around, living as a vampire, for close to 100 years. Not only does this make the concept of him dating a 17-year-old seem slightly creepy, but he has reached a maturity that no teenage girl is going to find in a boy suitable for her age. What’s more, the happy couple marries right after Bella turns 18. According to a review of Breaking Dawn by the Washington Post, “It’s difficult to imagine teenage girls identifying with 18-year-old Bella’s marriage to Edward shortly after her high school graduation.” Of course, after this she finds herself pregnant with Edward’s half-vampire, half-human fetus, making the “ick factor go through the roof” (washingtonpost.com).

Then come the components of the movies themselves. The first film is filled with especially long, empty gaps of Edward staring at Bella. And it’s not just a stare of endearment; according to a review from Entertainment Weekly, “[Edward’s] creepy stare is a special effect of its own” (ew.com). A review from E! continues to say, “[The] stuttery, drop-fame, fast-motion style of action directing… looks like he [the director] simply shot stuff in slow motion and then sped it up, all while goosing it so that you can’t quite make out what’s going on,” adding to the underlying consent that the Twilight films are overdramatic, and at some points, just too much (eonline.com).

Sophomore Haley Tweedie enjoyed the Twilight Saga, and thought “It’s the type of series that people either love or hate. They either think it’s overrated or they’re really into it.  Guys don’t like it because they’re super jealous of the male actors.” Yes, alright, the male actors are exceptionally attractive. Does this mean the story and movies are excellent? For many teenage girls, apparently so. After all, our society is obsessed with self-image, the media, and physical attractiveness.

Even though sex appeal is the only thing the Twilight Saga has going for it, come November 18, females around the world will swarm to theaters to view this undeservedly popular film. For many, it will be due to obsession and the thrill of a romantic fantasy. Some will be in it for the hot guys. However, it’s nice to think that some will go to see it, not because they love the idea of choosing between dreamy boys, but primarily to laugh at the ridiculous film.