Synopsis: In The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2, Bella (Kristen Stewart) awakens transformed – she is now a mother and finally…a vampire. While her husband Edward (Robert Pattinson) delights in her beauty, speed, and uncommon self-control, newborn Bella has never felt more alive; and the destiny of her best friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) has become entwined in that of their exceptional daughter Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy). The arrival of a creature so rare cements an extended family, but will soon ignite forces that threaten to destroy them all.
Release Date: November 16, 2012 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Fantasy, Drama
Film Review
Production
The end of an era, years of torture for some, and for others the closure to a story that has, to my astonishment, given them great pleasure. It is of course, the final Twilight Saga movie with Breaking Dawn: Part Two. While most series tend to go out with a bang, so they are remembered, the Twilight Saga goes out with a tiny whimper, much to the dismay of myself as the first part of Breaking Dawn finally had me interested–beyond the usual desire to revel in criticizing one of the most poorly written, acted, and directed series to ever make it to the big screen.
Breaking Dawn: Part Two begins right where Breaking Dawn: Part One left off; Bella (Kristen Stewart) is now a vampire, after nearly dying giving birth to the half-human half-vampire child she had with Edward (Robert Pattinson). The child, named Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy), was imprinted with the forlorn werewolf Jacob (Taylor Lautner) and is growing at such a rapid rate no one knows how long she will live or what her future holds. The interesting nature of the half-breed child is not what Breaking Dawn: Part Two focuses on, and it would have been a stronger film had it done so. Instead it brings up an age old law amongst vampires when Renesmee is thought to be a turned-child vampire by vampire cousin Irina (Maggie Grace) who goes and tattles on the Cullen’s to the Volturi, headed by Michael Sheen’s camptastic Aro, stating that they have turned a child. This is a big no-no in the vampire world because children cannot be trained, or made to control themselves, and therefore cause havoc when they go on feeding frenzies. It sounds tragic, so is the fact that the Volturi killed all of the vampire children years ago by throwing them into the fire with the women/mothers who turned them. Yes, Breaking Dawn: Part Two does get a tad bit dark, and more carnage is spilled than the previous Twilight Saga films–but there is no blood, because, vampires don’t have blood in their veins so nothing comes spewing out when their heads get ripped off. Again, and unfortunate plot point that would have made things much more interesting or at least visually engrossing.
Well now, the Volturi are coming for the Cullen’s and their only defense is to gather up a bunch of vampire friends who can serve as witnesses to the child not being turned, but born. It all sounds interesting, or having the potential to be and that is why it comes as a shock that the entire film is boring. The first twenty minutes or so, when Bella is on the hunt and sparring with Jacob over his imprint with her child is fun. You get to see a more laid back and non-brooding world for the Cullen’s and Jacob; even the inclusion of Bella’s father Charlie (Billy Burke) finally learning things are not as vanilla as he thought in his small town holds promise for some human/vampire/werewolf mingling. This does not happen, and the rest of the movie until the final climax is left to introducing new vampire characters, but not getting to learn much of anything about them, and arm wrestling matches between Bella and Kellan Lutz’s Emmett. Or sweet moments between Bella and Renesmee, or any vampire she touches, that only make a viewer think this child is going to be important, that she will do something in the film to make a difference or provoke action. Again you are fooled, as Renesmee doesn’t do anything except give sweet smiles and enact a strange giggling fit–if that is the right way to describe it–in Aro.
Breaking Dawn: Part Two seems to have forgotten to include any new sort of character development, and with the 18 new vampires it was surely there, nor does it have any great deal of excitement. The entire story is stale and wholly anti-climactic except for the battle which ends up being yet another disappointment. You wait the entire movie for this grand showdown and then a twist comes on that makes your stomach turn because you cannot believe the lack in Meyer’s creativity that she can’t write an ending that is dramatic, traumatic, and tragic. Every great love story has tragedy, Breaking Dawn only delivers teen dream fantasy with sugar and sweet kisses that make you want to wretch. For those who have read the novels it will all make sense of course as they already know the ending. For someone who is going in armed with only the knowledge from the prior films the ending is a pathetic way to conclude the love story. It does make way for sequels, whether they are adapted from novels Meyer’s will more than likely write–she would be a fool not to–or from an original screenplay. This will at least guarantee Taylor Lautner has a long-standing career in Hollywood, in case anyone was worried that his expressionless face would cease to exist on movie screens in the future or his bare torso–both of which make an appearance in the film, in case that was your sole reason for buying a ticket.
Comedy Factor
When all else fails, or you know people are going to laugh at you, go ahead and make them laugh on purpose. This may have been the motto on the Breaking Dawn set between the actors and the filmmakers. When director Bill Condon discussed Aro with Michael Sheen he must have told him to camp it up, go over the top, and make Aro the best C-movie vampire concoction possible. Sheen did as he was told, and each and every gesture, line of dialogue spoken, and facial movement is layered with camp. He’s so aware of this fact that it makes his scenes in the movie hilarious. But everyone has a hand in the ridiculousness of Breaking Dawn: Part Two. We are all in the joke at this point. Bella and Edward’s longing looks and hyper-sexed characters–this time they get to have as much sex as they like, rough vampire stye. Unfortunately they don’t break anything, much to the viewer’s dismay and Lutz’s Emmett. It would be a difficult dare to complete if you were told to not laugh during Breaking Dawn: Part Two. Go ahead, just try, I guarantee in the first three minutes you will, it is inevitable, thanks to the entire cast and filmmakers, and especially screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg and the novel writer Stephenie Meyer. The question remains on whether we should thank them or feed them to the wolves.
Cast and Crew
- Director(s): Bill Condon
- Producer(s):
- Screenwriter(s): Melissa Rosenberg
- Story:
- Cast: Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan)Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen)Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black) Peter Facinelli (Dr. Carlisle Cullen)Elizabeth Reaser (Esme Cullen)Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen)Jackson Rathbone (Jasper Hale)Kellan Lutz (Emmett Cullen)Nikki Reed (Rosalie Hale)Billy Burke (Charlie Swan)Mackenzie Foy (Renesmee)
- Editor(s): Virginia Katz
- Cinematographer: Guillermo Navarro
- Production Designer(s):
- Costume Designer:
- Casting Director(s):
- Music Score: Carter Burwell
- Music Performed By:
- Country Of Origin: USA