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 …

Skyfall

Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Albert Finney, Ben Whishaw

Dir. Sam Mendes
Scr. Neal Purvis, Robert Wade & John Logan

After the disappointing Quantum of Solace, fans have been holding their collective breath, hoping that Bond can be restored to the wonderful grittiness that was Casino Royale. Well, everyone can finally exhale – Mendes has delivered not only the best Daniel Craig Bond, but the best Bond outing …. (wait for it) …. ever. Well, maybe that’s overstating it, but not by much. Skyfall is not just a great Bond film, but a great action film, period – more than a sum of its Bond-ish parts, Skyfall walks a fine line and walks it well.

As is tradition, from the very opening scene, Skyfall drops us right in the middle of the action. Bond (Craig) is hot on the heels of a stolen list of undercover British agents, when he is shot and presumed dead. Of course, he isn’t dead and resurfaces when M (Dench) needs him most – MI6 is under attack, from an unknown enemy and from inside the corridors of political power. Bond is tasked with finding the list and restoring order to the universe.

It’s a pretty simple story, which is somewhat of a relief. The rule of thumb seems to be the more convoluted a Bond plot, the more awful the film. In Skyfall, the actions of a madman (Bardem) are driven by that most wonderful and visceral of motivations: revenge. And for Bond and M, this is a story of redemption and resurrection. This allows Mendes and his cast to delve, to reach down deep, and bring to the screen the most emotionally honest Bond to date. Sure, you don’t necessarily want every Bond film to be Skyfall, but this is a real emotional injection in the arm of a franchise which has certainly suffered from its fair share of two-dimensional characterisation.

Mendes also manages to navigate the fine line between a good film and a good Bond film. Without the knowing, and sometimes humorous, nods to the past, Mendes was in danger of making a film that simply wasn’t Bond. Without making fun, Mendes manages to homage the past and bring it right into the present.

The action on offer here is spot-on. Not too frantic or detached. But retaining a style and finesse that is all Bond. The whizz and bang of the London underground scene made my teeth rattle. I could have lived without all the product placement, and loudly scoffed at one particular moment when the camera lingered a little too long on Bond’s Omega wristwatch. But what’s a little mid-action advertising between friends?

For my money, Skyfall offers some of the best acting in a Bond film ever. Craig has already shown us he is more than cut out for this role and his performance here doesn’t disappoint. Dench is her usual wonderful and slightly cantankerous self. Bardem completes the oddly-Shakespearean trio, with a performance that possibly tops them all. Darkly camp, if there is such a thing, he is perfect. Fiennes is a welcome addition to the cast, giving a restrained and understated performance. Whishaw, as the new Q, is a delight. And Finney, well, I thought he was dead. Turns out, not so much.

I hugely enjoyed this film. I slapped my knee and whooped at one point, quite against my will. And the opening credits were simply the best (but being an Adele fan, I would say that). I highly recommend Skyfall, and not just to Bond fans. This is a fine action film with surprising emotional depth.

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M: Dignity! To hell with dignity! I'll retire when my goddamn job is finally done.