The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
(2012)The epic finale that will live forever.
The conclusion of the phenomenally successful Twilight saga. Bella and Edward are beginning their new lives in blissful matrimony with their daughter - Renesmee. But when the sinister Volutri believe a claim that the child is a half-breed, they set out to destroy the Cullen family. Bella and Edward forge a global alliance with other vampire clans to stand together and protect their daughter.... More
Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and the rest of the cast from Breaking Dawn: Part 1 return, as does director Bill Condon.Hide
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Directed by Bill Condon
Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Dakota Fanning, Michael Sheen, Ashley Greene, Anna Kendrick, Maggie Grace, Nikki Reed
Written by Melissa Rosenberg (based on the books by Stephenie Meyer)
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The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
BY Mark-Roulston superstar
After seeing part one, it was difficult to... More see where the story had left to go. We had seen the unending wedding of Edward and Bella, the banal South American honeymoon, the shocking and genuinely upsetting pregnancy/birth, and the werewolf falling in love with the baby. It seemed like an appropriate place to end it, but Summit and Stephenie Meyer obviously had other ideas, hence we have Breaking Dawn, part 2.
While perhaps not as off-the-leash nutty, Breaking Dawn, part 2 maintains a lot of the weirdness of the preceding chapter. Picking up exactly at the point where part one ended, Bella (Kristen Stewart) finds herself having to adjust to her 'newborn' vampire status, learning to control her superhuman strength and fighting the urge to hunt humans. Edward (Robert Pattinson) begins to assume a mentor role, but for whatever reason Bella learns so quickly that the learning plot is pretty much dropped.
Here's the first and biggest of the many problems of Breaking Dawn, part 2. For at least the first two thirds of the film, plot threads and characters are introduced with enough fanfare to make one think they're going to be important cogs in the larger machinery of the story, only to be forgotten or abandoned with zero explanation. Perhaps it's fan service, and people familiar with the novels will be able to link things up, but for newcomers it becomes increasingly hard to keep track of who everyone is, why they're involved, and what on earth is happening from one scene to the next.
The character of Alistair (Joe Anderson) is a good example. Following the development that the Volturi, the ruling council of vampires last seen in New Moon, are coming after Edward and Bella's daughter Renesmee, the Cullen clan assemble a team of vampires from across the globe to defend the child, the last of which is the enigmatic Alistair. Yet after an introduction to suggest he will be a character of some importance he merely ends up lurking in the background, and popping into one random and pointless scene with Bella. He's always there, but doesn't actually do anything significant.
It's this scattered and overloaded approach that really damages an already abysmal film. On top of the lack of charisma in the stars, the questionable storytelling is a real hindrance for anyone set on enjoying Breaking Dawn, part 2 at all, not to mention how simply ugly the thing is. There's an over-reliance on terrible green-screen work, shoddy visual effects, and whatever lunatic decided that an almost completely CG Renesmee was a good idea needs to be removed from the business of movie making.
However, much like the last film, a part of me loved Breaking Dawn, part 2. As I said, it may not seem as insane as part one, but in some ways that's a good thing. I loved part one because I was caught completely off guard by the madness, but was appalled by it because much of the content really shouldn't be part of a film made for pre-teen girls. Part two dials back the more troubling aspects of the previous film and just revels in the stupidity of Meyer's writing. It's weird as hell, but really pretty harmless, aside from all the decapitation. Oh boy, there's a lot of decapitation.
Director Bill Condon and his cast seem to be having a lot more fun here. The most ridiculous thing about the first three films in the series is how unwaveringly serious they are, but with both parts of Breaking Dawn, it feels like Condon and Pattinson in particular are winking at that portion of the audience who, like myself, are simply there to see how off the reservation this daft franchise can go. It manages to achieve a delicate and kind of wonderful balance of satisfying the true fans (the Twi-hards) with its creepy romantic melodrama, while clearly acknowledging the bizarre and quite frankly awful story Meyer has crafted. The awareness of this final chapter is perhaps its greatest asset, and if you're willing to abandon all logic and actual critical appreciation, then Breaking Dawn, part 2 delivers a great time at the cinema.
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BY Cass-Hodder wannabe
BY RealityCheck superstar
Much like the others, only this ones actually good! Kristen Stewart can now act and the rest of the cast are still awesome. If you didnt enjoy (or watch the others) then why are you even reading this!? It feels a lot faster paced with everything happening, so you barely notice the time. You will enjoy it as it does stay very close to the book, even with the ending that Stephanie Meyer added. The last farewell song and goodbyes should leave all Twi-hards with wet... More eyes.
Genre : vampire/werewolf, love story, fantasy, action
4/5 : good wrap up of the series and yet still leaves it open, we shall see.Hide
The Press Reviews
48%
of critics recommend.
Rotten Tomatoes Score. More reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fans will be left on a high; other viewers will be confused but generally entertained by a saga whose romance is matched only by its weirdness. Full Review
The final installment of the immortal Bella/Edward romance will give its breathlessly awaiting international audience just what it wants. Full Review
This second of two Bill Condon-directed installments clears a low bar to stand easily as the franchise's most eventful and exciting entry. Full Review
I must admit if you're going to bring the series to a close, "Part 2" does it about as well as it can be done. Full Review
Despite all those fierce confrontations and tribal divisions, exhaustively rehearsed and mythologised, nobody's really a bad guy and nothing's really at stake. Full Review
The dialogue remains spotty and sappy, the effects still haven't caught up to modern-day standards, but "Twilight's" popularity is such that even when it falls short, it doesn't seem to matter. Full Review
Despite the slow start Mr. Condon closes the series in fine, smooth style. He gives fans all the lovely flowers, conditioned hair and lightly erotic, dreamy kisses they deserve. Full Review
Between its farcical script, soulless relationships and waxwork performances, this is a final chapter that will please only the most devout fans. Full Review
BY Rebecca Barry Hill Flicks Writer
Finally, the end has come. Breaking Dawn Part 2 is a bleeding sight more interesting than the filler that was Part 1. It’s the Braveheart of the bunch, proving bigger, better and bloodier than its predecessors, as Edward and Jacob’s various tribes – and all their freaky cousins – go to war against the Volturi.... More
Even so, it still reeks of the odd Twilightisms that have plagued all the films. Bella and Edward’s affection is destined to forever remain in the honeymoon phase, thereby disappointing scores of young fans in their future relationships. However they might think twice about the chivalrous Jacob given his creepy new reason to be hanging around the loved-up pair (which may have something to do with their pretty young daughter, Renesmee).
It helps that much of the action pivots around the child, whom the law-making vampires believe to be a dangerous “Immortal”, leaving less time for the relationship drama to play out. There are still more close-ups than a Columbian soap opera but Bella has finally grown up - Kristen Stewart’s open-mouthed pout is still prevalent throughout but thankfully she’s less of a sulk. And Michael Sheen as the Volturi’s sociopathic leader Aro is flamboyantly good.
Part of the fun is watching Bella embark on her new life as a “newborn” vampire and mother, which, despite the risks, looks easier than human parenting. Sure, she might want to kill her baby but it means she gets an instant nanny – and therefore more time to enjoy her lover’s sparkling skin. She also discovers her new vampiric talents, which are developed within the space of about two minutes.
Breaking Dawn Part 2 is also the best-looking film so far. Set to another atmospheric indie soundtrack, and with director Bill Condon’s stylised direction, the exotic new vampires join the fray as though they’re part of a Dolce and Gabbana campaign.
If you’ve made it this far through the series, you won’t mind that, nor the cult-like Cullen family moments or Charlie’s oddly accepting nature when it comes to his daughter’s fidgety behaviour. You’ll simply sit back and enjoy the ride.Hide
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