If Stephanie Meyer hadn't released the hit novel Twilight in 2005, where would the world be? Vampire memes wouldn't be nearly as good as they are today, we wouldn't have the parody, Vampires Suck, and Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson wouldn't be known for their iconic characters, Bella and Edward. Upon release, an intense fan base formed and a love of vampires, werewolves, and girls stuck in a love triangle emerged.
The Twilight franchise, despite its popularity, became a cult classic, and to this day, people still love the original story. Despite the undying love for the series, critics didn't necessarily see the same charm as audiences, and rated each film rather harshly. While we wait for the Twilight reboot, let's take a look at how each movie in the Twilight series was ranked by Rotten Tomatoes.
5 Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011) - 25%
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1
- Release Date
- November 16, 2011
- Director
- Bill Condon
- Cast
- Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Billy Burke, Anna Kendrick
- Rating
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 108
- Main Genre
- Adventure
Coming in last is the entry that relies heavily on storytelling, rather than the action and fighting that are featured in the other films. In Breaking Dawn - Part 1, Bella is just graduating from high school, and on top of that, she and Edward are finally getting married. When Bella unexpectedly becomes pregnant, it develops at a faster rate than normal, and in return, her body begins to break down as she's determined to bring the baby to term. This is a great build-up to the final movie that came out a year later, leaving you to wait as Bella opens her eyes at the very last second of the movie.
Why You Should Watch It
Breaking Dawn Part 1 is essential in your Twilight re-watches, if not for the story building, but for the wedding alone. It's all very extravagant as the Cullen family sets up the perfect wedding venue for Bella and Edward, but to make it even better, the audience gets to see some of the speeches given that day. Also, one can't forget the scene in which Bella's back breaks when she stands up from the couch, heavily pregnant. It's haunting and the perfect use of body horror in the franchise. Breaking Dawn Part One was highly anticipated by the audience and fans of the Twilight saga, and made over $700 million at the box office. Even though critics weren't necessarily wooed by the second-to-last installment, it still went over well with the crowds that flocked to see it in theaters.
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4 New Moon (2009) - 29%
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
- Release Date
- November 18, 2009
- Director
- Chris Weitz
- Cast
- Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Anna Kendrick
- Rating
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 130
- Main Genre
- Adventure
In New Moon, the lovers of Jacob Black get their moment in the sun as Edward flees the country with his family and leaves Bella on her own, after a birthday party goes wrong and Bella is put in danger. It introduces the audience to the wolf pack, which becomes an important part of the franchise, and likable characters such as Seth Clearwater get their debut. Also, in New Moon, we get to meet the Volturi once Edward travels to Italy in search of death after he believes that Bella died while he was away.
Why You Should Watch It
Back when there were midnight showings of highly anticipated movies at theaters, New Moon became one of the highest-grossing films in one night, pulling in over $20 million in just a few hours. New Moon is a great sequel to the first installment, and it gives the audience a chance to get used to Jacob and see how he plays a part in the love triangle that develops in the next film. The in-depth look at the wolf pack is also great as we learn about their backgrounds, the imprinting system, and how they're all connected through pain, love, and their minds. The Volturi are also an alluring yet terrifying group of people, and getting to see the hierarchy of vampires is really neat, and essential to the story from there on out.
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3 Eclipse (2010) - 47%
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
- Release Date
- June 23, 2010
- Director
- David Slade
- Cast
- Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone
- Rating
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 124
- Main Genre
- Adventure
Things begin to heat up in this third installment of the franchise, and for many fans of the series, Eclipse is at the top of their list, simply due to the battle scene alone. When Victoria resurfaces after the first film, she starts to attack and bite people in the state of Washington to form her own army of newborns, the most powerful form of vampire. After Alice gets a vision and relays the information to her family, the only logical thing to do is link up with the werewolves and form an army of their own.
Why You Should Watch It
Eclipse is a great entry in this series because it gives you much-needed background on the Cullen family, such as Rosalie's tragic past and how she came to be a vampire. Other characters, such as Jasper, get more characterization as he trains his family and the wolves on how to fight the newborns and win. The battle scene is great, and there's a tense moment when Bella is prepared to sacrifice herself for Edward while he's fighting Victoria, which really seals this movie as a great one. It also won a smattering of awards, such as Teen Choice, People's Choice, MTV, the Scream Awards, and more.
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2 Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012) - 49%
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2
- Release Date
- November 13, 2012
- Director
- Bill Condon
- Cast
- Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Ashley Greene
- Rating
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 116
- Main Genre
- Adventure
In the final installment of this wildly popular series, Breaking Dawn - Part 2 has one of the most jaw-dropping moments in film history, and everyone remembers where they were when they saw it for the first time. Of course, if you read the book, you knew it was going to happen, but going in blind, people were shocked when watching the epic fight scene and Carlisle's head being ripped off by the leader of the Volturi. This film really did a great job of wrapping everything up and leaving the audience content with the story of Edward and Bella finally coming to an end.
Why You Should Watch It
As the final installment of the Twilight saga, critics didn't necessarily see the appeal of the ending of such a great film franchise, and instead dubbed it the most entertaining of the five movies. A quality about this film that's so great is how many other vampires we get to meet, as the Cullen family calls on multiple friends from all over the world to come and testify that Renesmee is not an immortal child. Also, watching Bella learn how to be a vampire after years of begging to be one is great, as she quickly adapts to her new life. One also can't forget the way Bella shouts, "You named my daughter after the Loch Ness monster?!"
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1 Twilight (2008) - 49%
Twilight
- Release Date
- November 20, 2008
- Director
- Catherine Hardwicke
- Cast
- Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Cam Gigandet
- Rating
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 120
- Main Genre
- Drama
The film that started it all. Fans of the book series flocked to theaters to see this love story come to life, and they were not disappointed by Stewart and Pattinson's portrayals of the iconic characters. When Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad, she meets the alluring Cullen family, and quickly becomes interested in Edward. Twilight was a great first movie adaptation for this franchise and set the tone for the four other movies that came in the future.
Why You Should Watch It
People were psyched to watch the adaptation of this massive series, and the film pulled in more than $400 million at the box office, and fans quickly became dedicated to this franchise. One of the best scenes in the entire movie, is the baseball scene. It's often talked about on social media pages about how iconic the scene was, and how influential it still is. Bella tags along to a baseball game the Cullen family is playing, learning that they can only participate when it thunders due to how loud they get during the sport. The entire sequence is great and has an appealing aesthetic, but it's also a great set-up for the introduction of James and his clan of vampires, who eventually want to kill Bella.
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