The Twilight Saga is a true enigma. No sane person can claim they are quality movies, yet to say they are abominable is almost too harsh. They’ve become a genre all their own, and the numbers don’t lie — the five films of the series have grossed billions worldwide and don’t have a cult following so much as a full-fledged congregation of shrieking teenagers. There is also merit to the overall story that Twilight comprises, especially in terms of the written works by Stephenie Meyer. The films are blockbuster gimmicks and have worn the crown of corniness proudly, yet “Breaking Dawn: Part 2” brings this bizarre phenomenon to a close with climactic melodrama and even some engaging action.
One of the film's better traits is its sense of finality
Personally, I am a sucker for the final installments in any trilogy, saga, TV show — what have you. I was actually rather excited to see this Twilight conclusion, even though I haven’t been too keen on the series as a whole. “Breaking Dawn: Part 2” does exactly what it is supposed to do by tying up loose ends and promoting a sense of finality in every scene. As the Twilight movies began to seal a trend of triteness after the deplorable first film, audiences who weren’t tied to the books seemed to become less and less interested in the saga. Had the caliber of the movie series been higher, this final film may have been more heavily anticipated by a wider audience than just a demographic of giggling tweens.
Director Bill Condon made lemonade with the lemons at his disposal, with the scarce narrative drive the prior movies left for him. Condon signed on after Summit Entertainment made yet another director swap after “Twilight: Eclipse” in 2010, and though both parts of “Breaking Dawn” don’t compensate much for the tone of comic sensationalism set by their predecessors, he is by far the most talented director to be involved in the series.
In “Breaking Dawn: Part 2,” the Italian sect of vampire elites called the “Volturi” catch wind of Renesmee’s (Mackenzie Foy) birth and believe Bella and Edward have created an immortal child, which is a big no-no in vampire law. Immortal children are turned at young ages and cannot control their thirst for blood, which threatens to expose the vampire world. The Volturi set out to execute Bella and Edward for high treason, led by the ancient Aro (Michael Sheen). Edward’s family, the Cullens, take the defensive and seek out other vampires across the globe to vouch for the fact that Renesmee was born, not bitten. Even Jacob (Taylor Lautner) the werewolf offers his help, because if the witnessing fails then there will follow a swift and epic battle with the malicious Volturi ranks.
Awkward cast dynamics can create soap opera drama
The performances are much the same as they’ve ever been — Pattinson displays his familiar brooding and Lautner has his token shirtless scene. Stewart is able to effectively shed her timid depiction of Bella in exchange for a strong vampiress presence. What’s laughable in each Twilight movie is that this cast, no matter how attractive, have very little chemistry together. Scenes of dialogue will drag on and on, full of awkward stares and bizarre mannerisms.
On the whole, “Breaking Dawn: Part 2” is but an extension of the soap opera that the first film “Twilight” kicked off in 2008. The dialogue is dull and situational, the characters are shallow and the plot seems to be stretched in order to accentuate all of the drama that Condon is trying to express. Yet within the confines of the series, this is the most bearable to watch. If one can forget how bad it really is and embrace the cliches and delivery, then they may even be able to enjoy it the way people enjoy their daytime soaps. It gives fans what they want, and is a relatively enjoyable ride for casual viewers. One thing to be said in praise of “Part 2” is that it features one very intense and definitively epic fight sequence at the tail end of the film. If nothing else, it’s worth the watch for those 10 minutes of action — that’s my excuse, at least.
