Review of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012) by Lihui C — 26 Mar 2014

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II.

After struggling to deliver her half-vampire/half-human baby girl, named Renesmee (a combination of both her mother and mother in law's names), Bella Cullen quickly recovers into a full-fledging vampire due to the enormous needle that was injected into her heart by her lover Edward Cullen. Bella soon discovers a world that she was meant to be in; with 20/20 vision, keen to hearing, cold touch and amazing close-ups of hair-changing sex. Bella then confronts her well-oiled, muscled six pack friend, Jacob Black, who imprinted on Bella's daughter during her recovery. She gets infuriated, which was definitely fun to watch knowing the awkward and essentially weird ending to Jacob's undying love for Bella. Alice visions that the Volturi is after her whole family due to the unknown harm and danger that the child might bring, a false accusation because the child was "born, not bitten. She grows every single day." The Cullen's then find witnesses from all over the world to help resolve the situation and to stand with them in trial against the menacing Volturi clan. This is where the story changes, mostly, for the better.

As a fan of books and the different theatrical interpretations of it, I find Breaking Dawn Part II very loyal to the book that inspired it. Harry Potter ended gracefully, closing the critically acclaimed series and forever engraved in the hearts of so many potter heads. The recent phenomenon, The Hunger Games, is a welcome change to the supernatural. It actually is one of the most thought provoking storylines that I have ever read. Other movie adaptions are; The Host, Beautiful Creatures, Warm Bodies, The Mortal Instruments, Divergent and Ender's Game. So comes the conclusion of the long lasting 5 years of the Twilight series and as a whole, I can say that it has been a rollercoaster ride of a worldwide spectacle. I particularly enjoyed the first Twilight, the third; Eclipse and finally, Breaking Dawn Part II. New Moon and Breaking Dawn Part I were both beautifully filmed but narratively, including the pacing, weak. Breaking Dawn Part II; although uneven, served as a better and more serious entry of any film series. It provides a better story than the other 4 combined. It gives us all, the whole audience, a chance to root for something better than the usual Team Edward, Team Jacob, etc. Breaking Dawn Part II makes us care about the moony glances the two shares, the ever painful voice of Edward declaring his love for his Bella Swan, the chirpy characters, the scenery and the highly entertaining scenes of decapitation or the pile of bodies covered in red blood. Bella is a stronger character than her past life as the normal, ever-blinking Bella. It's good to see her in a different more visceral light, far more enthusiasm than her husband who was the brooding vampire throughout this entire series. Edward...still a passing thought. Jacob...still is the six-pack werewolf. However, all these characters have grown up since the first installment which makes the viewer feel even older.

Breaking Dawn Part II has moments of hilarity, emotions (the protective relationship Bella shares with her daughter), and violence. The violence for this film is intense and graphic, not gory, surprisingly emotional because the battle does kill off characters that we've known since the first. The climax is so rewarding that it is easy to forget the crammed in scenes towards the beginning, the digital effects of Renesmee and the horrible-pedophile laugh Martin Sheen makes.

Overall, I loved Breaking Dawn Part II. I think it is one of the best conclusions to any series...well, followed after the Harry Potter. "Breaking Dawn Part 2 is intense, highly better than the first part, emotional, suspenseful and has the best violent-ending to this successful series.