The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2 (2012)

At long last, we reach the concluding chapter of the Twilight Saga. It’s had fewer ups than downs but there is finally light at the end of the tunnel. Too bad the final leg of the journey fails to measure up to any of the first three films in the series.

Bella awakens as a newborn vampire, finding herself strong, super-fast, and hungry for blood. Bella is able to restrain her thirst and learns the ropes from Edward. Together, Bella and Edward watch their daughter, Renessme, grow at a rapid pace, reaching pre-pubescence in a matter of months. When a visiting vampire sees the child, she flees, thinking Renessme is a dangerous Immortal Child, capable of nothing but destruction. Upon learning this false information, the Volturi set out to destroy the Cullens for violating their laws. The Cullens, knowing the potential wrath of the Volturi, scramble to gather friends who will testify to Renessme’s true nature and stand to fight the Volturi if necessary.

In many ways, Breaking Dawn Part 2 mirrors the structure of Part 1. There’s a lot more build-up and rising tension but the pace loses its way when introducing all the vampires who come to the aid of the Cullens. Maybe this could have been avoided by trimming some of the excesses of Part 1 to include a few introductions instead of wallowing in pointless wedding and honeymoon details. The conclusion would have been similarly anticlimactic had it not been for a massive battle scene. The point remains, however, that few, if any, chances are taken and neither Bella nor the Cullens end up sacrificing much of anything at the end of it all.

I can’t fault the film for lacking character development. By now, everyone is as formed as they are going to be and there just isn’t enough time to give proper development to the myriad of vampires being introduced. Even Bella’s discovery of her newfound vampire abilities is rushed, though I’m not complaining. The whole sequence was cheesy and full of poor visual effects. And yet, it is probably exactly what the Twihards were hoping for.

Breaking Dawn Part 2 is something like the sum of all previous installments. It’s not as bad as the haters think it is but it’s not a good movie by any stretch of the imagination. It may merit a re-watch or two simply because it brings the series to an end but it’s not a very satisfying end for those of us who like full-bodied stories instead of fluffed-up wish lists. In some ways, I’m glad there was a fake-out at the end because it would have been insufferable otherwise.

RATING: 2.25 out of 5