The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2

Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Ashley Green, Jackson Rathbone, Michael Sheen

Dir. Bill Condon
Scr. Melissa Rosenberg

I have a love/hate relationship with the Twilight movies. Well, maybe ‘love’ is too strong a word. But I was happily entertained by the first instalment, Twilight, and by Eclipse. Both New Moon and Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (BDP1) however, drove me near insane with rage. Which is, in itself, rather entertaining (I like nothing more than yelling at fictional characters). So could Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (BDP2) bring balance to the universe? In short, yes. BDP2 is wonderfully ridiculous and gloriously naff and I had a great time watching it. It also has, without question, the best and biggest fight scene you’re likely to see all year. To those who like to dismiss these films out of hand, you’re missing out on a real treat.

At the end of BDP1, our gloomy protagonist Bella (Stewart) gave birth to her miracle child, died while doing so and was “saved” by her vampire hubby Edward Cullen (Pattinson). So, finally, hurrah, everyone is a vampire. Except, of course, for werewolf Jacob (Lautner) who is nonetheless stuck with the Cullens because he “imprints” on Bella and Edward’s daughter, Renesmee. It’s not all happy families however, and once again the Volturi – the most powerful clan who enforce the laws of all things vampiric – are after the Cullens and their new strange half-breed child.

I haven’t read the books on which this series of films is based, but I’m told that this last instalment posed the most problems for filmmakers and fans alike. In other words, nothing much happens in the book. A lot of standing around and talking and coming to sensible agreements about thorny issues. Yawn. I think without really annoying the fans too much, Condon and Rosenberg have managed to let us have our cake and eat it too. In a glorious, ripping-heads-off sort of way.

The special effects are, as always, a tad awful. And I’ve learned to live with that. But nothing quite prepared me for the horror that is baby Renesmee. I understand they had to make her do things they couldn’t possibly get a real baby to do, but did she have to be so utterly unsettling? It was the frightening element of the movie.

The performances in BDP2 are largely more of the same. Although, I have to admit, this is the first time I actually didn’t mind Bella. Stewart is finally able to portray a strong and formidable leading lady, rather than one who largely mopes about. Pattinson was also a bit more animated and engaging in this instalment. Lautner continues to be the weakest link. Along with every non-Cullen/non-Volturi vampire on offer (and there were quite a number to choose from), who were all utterly ridiculous stereotypes. It’s great to see Bella’s dad Charlie (Burke) back and Burke gives a lovely performance, as always. The real highlight though, without any doubt, is the return of Michael Sheen as Aro, the Volturi leader. He captivates every time he appears on screen. And that very special laugh was the best bit of the whole movie and worth the price of admission alone.

Critics love to hate all things Twilight. If you don’t mind me plagiarising for a moment, I completely agree with the oracle Mark Kermode, who said recently: "the sight of stuffy, bespectacled greying men berating films aimed primarily at teenage girls is as farcical as it is depressing." I like to laugh at Twilight as much as the next person, but I can’t deny that I have a soft spot for the whole weird and wonderful and ever-so-slightly-camp Twilight universe. And if you take it for what it is, BDP2 is an entertaining film.

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Jacob: Lot of red eyes around here …