We have finally arrived. 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2' is finally the conclusion to this series which has captured the hearts of millions.
Please read the review of part one to catch up.
Bella (Kristen Stewart) has given birth to Renesmee, her half human, half vampire baby. Edward (Robert Pattinson) turned Bella into a vampire during the delivery so she could survive. Things are complicated when Jacob (Taylor Lautner) imprints on Renesmee, meaning that when she grows up, he claims her as a mate. Weird.
The Volturi, an ancient coven of vampires who dictate and enforce the law of all things spooky, become aware of Renesmee and are convinced she is an immortal. Immortals are dangerous because they never age past childhood and tend to be uncontrollably destructive. This means the Volturi want to pay a visit to good old Forks, Washington and destroy the child.
Thus begins a race against time as the Cullens and even the werewolves scramble to find a way to save the child.
Can Bella and Edward convince the Volturi that Renesmee isn't an immortal and not a threat? Will everyone be able to live happily ever after?
If one were to trim down some pointless scenes in both part one and two, one could easily envision 'Breaking Dawn' to be a single long film. Instead, the filmmakers were more interested in making more money off of the rabid fans. Sure, maybe things were already condensed from the books and that would have further pared things down, but there seems to be so much wasted time in these movies. It all amounts to a few vampires waiting around for some important vampires to arrive in town so they can talk. Can you recall a concluding chapter of any series that involved so much stagnation?
A few slightly redeeming qualities would be a few decent special effects which are ultimately outnumbered by the poor ones. Scenes involving baby Renesmee are especially disturbing because the baby's face is obviously digitally altered to have more mature features. It's just strange-looking.
Also, apparently, every vampire has to run at almost all times. Someone says something dramatic on one end of the living room? Expect someone to run right next to them. It seems to be their fastest method of transportation so vampires walk to the Pacific Northwest from all parts of the globe. This is clearly a case of abusing an effect which extends beyond the running. Vampires have many magical powers that cover a broad spectrum.
The other nice effects come in the form of the violence. Vampires necks must be rather weak because heads pop off left and right. For a PG-13 movie, there are a ton of (bloodless) decapitations. Even this effect is ruined because it is utilized most (and abused) in a climactic battle sequence which could have actually been cut.
Five movies in, the acting will finally sort itself out, right? Nope. Expect more melodrama and under-emoting. At least the pissing contest between Edward and Jacob has finally subsided.
Special features include: nothing in the rental edition.
It's easy to imagine countless fans sobbing at the final scenes of 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2.' These last few years have, no doubt, been an emotional rollercoaster for them as their debates of Edward versus Jacob have subsided to make way for their concern for Renesmee's well-being and the eternal love of Edward and Bella.
That leaves the rest of us to shake our heads and to ponder the knowledge that, for an entire generation, vampires will be defined by this silly series.
Rated PG-13 116 minutes 2013
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