(Image source Twilight Breaking Dawn Movie Blogspot)

BY ANTHONY MARTINEZ

Twihards got a taste of the best-selling series’ final countdown this weekend, and they sucked the life out of the box office. ‘Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1’ had the fifth-best worldwide opening weekend ever. Variety has the numbers.

“Summit's "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" scored a whopping $283.5 million worldwide opening, of which an estimated $139.5 million came from Stateside plexes…”

‘Breaking Dawn’’s opening day hit $72 million. Critics are conceding that, though the movie got poor reviews, those opinions don’t seem to affect how many Twilight fans hit theaters. Here’s HLN.

“Bottom line here is it doesn’t matter whether the movie is any good or not. I’ll tell you this; it’s not particularly good. It’s very melodramatic. It’s corny, long and really, kind of dumb.”

So, why don’t the reviews resonate with fans? ABC Action News takes a look at both sides.

“Again, this is according to Steve Persall that ‘the real horror comes from realizing how many Twihards consider this series the most important cultural event of their lives.”

“Well, it didn’t really match up with the book because the book gives more feeling and like thoughts. So you get to understand some concepts better.”

“If the movie doesn’t maybe measure up to the book, why do you feel like it’s necessary to even go see this movie?”

“Well, I just think it’s the thrill of it all, you know.”  

Many in Hollywood wondered if this movie, being the fourth in the series, could hold its own. Breaking Dawn did not beat previous Twilight films, but it’s still a major success, and Deadline Hollywood says the industry should be thankful.

“Breaking Dawn Part 1 is shattering the four-month-old North American box office slump ... Hollywood should be grateful to females young and old for keeping the business buoyed this weekend … Despite director Bill Condon receiving the worst reviews of the franchise ...”