MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 115 minutes
Rating:
Synopsis: After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi.
I couldn’t decide whether I would be overly excited about The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 or if I would dread it. Considering it marks the end of the Twilight Saga, what will I have to look forward to next November? That’s where my mind was while viewing the film, though my thoughts quickly changed to ‘OMG, this is awesome!’ No, I’m not a teenage girl, but I sure as heck felt like one for the last quarter of the movie. I had a huge smile on my face and couldn’t contain my girlish glee.
That being said, the movie isn’t great. It’s good, but doesn’t pack the punch I was expecting from a finale. I was slightly uncomfortable watching Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) enveloped in eternal bliss. Their kisses seem forced, lack passion and are kinda awkward. Also, I felt like I was intruding on a private moment. It’s difficult to watch a film when you feel the impulse to turn your face away from the screen, which I did a few times. Not only that, but Stewart keeps up the typical humdrum performance she displays in just about every film she’s ever been in. I can’t tell you how I upset I was when I realized I wouldn’t get to see more of what I wanted from Bella. A newly transformed vampire, Bella acts like the silly teenager she was when she was human. Ok, so she gets a little angry, once, but even that seems contrived. I wanted real passion and conviction in Stewart’s performance and didn’t get that.
Even the presence of Charlie (Billy Burke) couldn’t pull me out of my funk. I love Burke and what he brings to each film, but he’s not around long enough to make a lasting impression. He’s always fantastic as Charlie and pulls emotion from you like no one else, but one man shouldn’t have to carry a full length feature film when there’s an ensemble cast. So who does carry the film and what kept me watching? The soundtrack. That’s not to say the other soundtracks in the series aren’t as good, but I loved just about every song that played during the film. They not only fit the mood but express it so well, I was moved. A good song will do that, though.
The ensemble cast has a chemistry that works better off screen more than on. Every one of the Cullens—with the exception of Alice (Ashley Greene)—appears stiff and robotic. I realize they’re playing vampires who lack the essence of humanity—meaning they don’t breathe, blink, or fidget—but come on! Life can be injected into any performance if the actor allows their personality to shine through. Case in point, Emmett (Kellan Lutz) tries to be the jokester and embodies the big brother of the family. Having seen Lutz in various interviews, you can see he has a similar vibe when interacting with people. On the other hand, Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) is the one who lacks restraint when humans are around, so he tends to hold himself upright as if he’s being physically restrained. I get that. But there’s no reason for the other members of the family to appear like him. I could be nitpicking, but after four films, shouldn’t the bugs be worked out by now? I have to go back to the first Twilight film and point out how much I loved it because the actors portrayed the vampires with such raw emotion. In every subsequent film, they’ve lost that original appeal, and the result is some semblance of what a vampire is supposed to be. It doesn’t work.
The special effects detracted me from the film. I couldn’t stop glaring at the obvious CGI used throughout the movie. The green screen was seriously overused, making the film feel counterfeit. You know how they say too much of a good thing is bad? Well, there is way too much CGI and it kind of kills the overall effect of the movie. And I’m sure I don’t have to mention the dreadful contact lenses and wigs used on the actors. The inconsistencies are blatant and distracting. The costume and makeup departments have taken a cast of beautiful people and made them look alien. Being pale is one thing; looking like a piece of chalk is another.
What saves this film is what was missing from the novel—the final battle. This one event occurs at the three-quarter mark and completely overrides my previous complaints. From that point on, I had a permanent smile on my face, eyes glued to the screen and sitting on the edge of my seat during the well-choreographed ten-minute free for all. I’ve never been more shocked during a movie because quite a few unexpected things happen. There’s one major unforeseen event that sets the entire battle off. The gasps from fellow movie goers could be heard throughout the theater, followed by complete silence as we waited for someone to say it wasn’t real. (Although, if you’ve seen the film, you know the outcome of the battle, and that it was used mostly for shock value, giving readers the visual they yearned for. “They” being me.) I wouldn’t have rated the overall film above two stars if not for this sequence because Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is simply mediocre. The ending is a perfect close to the saga. I stayed through to the final credits for a special memory reel of all the familiar faces we’ve come to know throughout the series. I thought it was a fantastic touch, and a classy way to close the door on the phenomenon.
Should you rush out to see this film? Not unless you’re an ultimate Twihard. While it kind of disappoints, there are a few laughs, surprises and tear-jerker moments to appease everyone’s tastes. But with someone like me, who’s a huge fan of the books and first film, I found it disappointing that the saga has lost some of its magic. Long gone is the feel of an independent film; this one reeks of big production, and it shows. But hey, as long as Stephanie Meyer is happy with the way her novels have been adapted to the screen, it doesn’t much matter what I think.
For more information on the film, visit the official movie website: http://www.breakingdawn-themovie.com/.
Photo credit: ™ & © Summit Entertainment, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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