That poor mountain lion never stood a chance against the new bloodthirsty vampire Bella! This heroine flies across forests at lightening speed: barefooted, in stylish make-up and a tight blue mini-dress hunting for blood… Breaking Dawn – Part 2, the fifth and final film based on the popular novels by Stephenie Meyer, opens to a slow and lacklustre start but ends with a thrilling twist sure to catch audiences by surprise…
Director Bill Condon, returns to redeem Part 2’s finale with much pizzazz: breathtaking scenery, colourful eyes and elaborate costumes. He ties up the sequence nicely from where he left off in Part 1: Bella’s back-from-the-dead, after giving birth to a half-human half-vampire daughter. It’s the over-the-top special effects and pixelated wolf scenes that worries me, and even more puzzling, the spooky android baby that grows exponentially… The screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg is fanciful: the storyline involves an overrated head-snapping trend. Where’s the blood? I ask…
The action-packed film is goofy at its best and doesn’t quite live up to its illustrious beginning Twilight (2008): filled with mystery and a forbidden love, which had audiences’ hearts racing with excitement. With 18 new characters and plot diversions, the film leaves little time for character development. In Part 2 – the spotlight’s on Bella (Kristen Stewart); she’s notably cooler and even arm-wrestles but it’s her sexy-red-eyes that wows. Edward (Robert Pattinson) is his usual charming self; soft spoken and rational. Hunky werewolf, Jacob (Taylor Lautner), is now a babysitter. Chief Swan (Billy Burke) is likeable but that’s because he’s the only stable human character in Forks and Martin Sheen is entertaining as Aro (Volturi head).
Let’s dissect Breaking Dawn – Part 2:
1. In the opening, Condon teases with an intimate scene between Bella and Edward. I got all fired-up by this hot-vampire-coupling but disappointingly there’s no bed-breaking or sweating here. Vampire sex is bloody tame.
2. The fact that Taylor Lautner takes his clothes off compensates for the bland jokes and outlandish plots. Ah, he woos the female audiences at our advance screening; they go wild over his buff physique.
3. Wait, there’s no love triangle… Jacob tells Edward and Bella, “You two look great together.” I say it was a lot more exciting when Jacob and Edward wanted to kill each other. The romancing era’s over; it’s all about Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy) and the threat this supposedly illicit child poses to the Volturi; they come charging to snap her cute-little-head.
4.The cliff-climbing Bella, the strongest vampire, kicks Jacob’s fine ass for imprinting (a wolf thing) on Renesmee: the once thrilling wolf is suddenly weak (Jacob, better to keep your clothes off).
5.A global army of gifted-vampires assembles in Forks with the Cullens to serve some eye-popping tricks. But can they take down the savage Volturi clan…
6.What’s the best part of Breaking Dawn – Part 2? It’s 15 minutes climax. Is it worth it? Absolutely, if you can make it through the first 100 minutes without pulling at your hair…
Alas! All good things must come to an end… Some will shed tears and some will sigh relief but given the hype and Twilight mania, nothing any critic says is relevant. Swooning Twi-hard fans will turn out in droves to watch their favorite vampires, team up with the wolf-pack, in a final showdown with the Volturi.
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Director: Bill Condon
Rated: PG 13
Running Time: 115 Mins
Screenplay: Melissa Rosenberg
Now playing in theaters.
