When reviewing The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 do I look at it in comparison to the four films that preceded it? Do I look at it as a standalone effort even though it is still clearly only half a story, which began with Part 1 an entire year earlier? The box-office and marketing phenomenon that started in 2008 has come to an end and, for once, there is actually something to talk about even if we’re talking about a franchise that dug a hole so deep it could never hope to dig itself out.
It took three-and-a-half films for the vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson) and human Bella (Kristen Stewart) to consummate their relationship, an act that resulted in Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy), a half-vampire, half-human baby that nearly killed Bella.
Consequently, at the conclusion of Part 1 all the angst and longing stares resulted in a baby being born and Bella being turned into a vampire. Considering the anguished hell their courtship appeared to be, Edward and Bella are ready to settle down, raise their daughter and tend to their new pet, Jacob (Taylor Lautner), the werewolf who “imprinted” on Renesmee. And while he insists it isn’t as bad as it sounds… it sort of is.
The film begins with Bella getting used to her new vampire heightened senses by controlling her movements, attacking mountain lions and introducing her “adopted” daughter to her father (Billy Burke). However, trouble soon finds Bella and the Cullen clan when their cousin Irina (Maggie Grace) mistakes Renesmee for an immortal child (a really bad thing in this fictional world) and runs to the vampire ruling body the Volturi and things take a turn for the worse.
Aro (Michael Sheen), leader of the Volturi, gathers his coven to move on the Cullens while Bella and friends gather an army of their own to ensure the safety of her daughter, culminating in a battle in the snow that may be the best thing to come out of the 608 minutes that make up the entirety of the Twilight “saga”.
Breaking Dawn – Part 2 benefits from the fact it is the first film in the franchise to have a different focus than the other four. Something is actually happening that doesn’t involve whether or not Edward and Bella can be together or when will they have sex. Can you believe it?
I loathed Part 1, largely because it was 30 minutes of story strung out over the course of 117 minutes. Had they not split the two films in half I actually think they would have had one, complete and tolerable film. As it stands, Part 2 is merely the most entertaining piece to the Twilight puzzle, even if it still suffers and lags from the franchise’s tendency to linger on inconsequential moments, though it definitely has the fewest the franchise has had to offer yet.
Where Part 2 succeeds is they finally, finally give us something to watch that doesn’t involve staring competitions. They’ve finally delivered on a promise of action and it does so in a way that has me wondering how they got away with an R rating from the MPAA.
Before my screening began, a local radio DJ got in front of the audience and showered attention on what had been declared the youngest member of our audience, a four-year-old girl. No more than 15 minutes later, Bella and Edward where in a flesh-on-flesh, fireside wrestling match and by the time the film was over no fewer than 10 vampires had been beheaded, most burned and some had their heads gnawed on by a snarling werewolf.
The reason the film isn’t rated R is probably due to a lack of blood, but once the top of a vampire’s head is ripped off by forcibly separating the top of the jaw from the bottom I think we’re getting into questionable territory for a PG-13 rated film. I, of course, only mention it under such terms so as to describe what you’re in for with this one… as far as I’m concerned, the more headless vampires in this franchise the better.
As for the performances, I believe I’m able to overlook most of the cringe-worthy moments at this point, though as I alluded to, this installment isn’t as cheesy once you get beyond the opening 15-20 minutes. Otherwise, Michael Sheen seems in on the joke and offers up a laugh sure to entertain all audience members (though maybe not the four-year-old) and Kristen Stewart even has a little fun beating up a rock. Take that you hard mineral aggregate!
Lee Pace adds a little something to the story as a cool-cat New Orleans vampire named Garrett whom I’m pretty sure will be hooking up with vampire sisters Tanya (Casey LaBow) and Kate (MyAnna Buring) in some sort of twisted electric threesome should spin-off features ever be developed. And if anyone knows what the story behind Vladimir (Noel Fisher) and Stefan (Guri Weinberg) is I’m all ears, though I do have some guesses.
Yes, it’s as silly as it has ever been, but Twilight is more a fantasy romance story for a 14-year-old than it is a nuanced drama for adult audiences. This final installment at least forwards the story beyond the problems facing a freshman in high school and advances its themes to something more important than whether or not a vampire will have headboard crushing sex with his human love interest and for that I was grateful.
It’s still not the peak of entertainment, but at least it has some entertainment value and when it comes to this franchise I don’t think we can ask for anything more.
