Darkmatters Review: The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn - Part 2

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (12a)

Dir. Bill Condon

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“I thought we would be safe forever. But "forever" isn't as long as I'd hoped.”

Here it is then – the ‘epic’ end to the Twilight Saga. The supernatural film series that has limped along in highly unconvincing fashion, pleasing many girls and alienating many guys along the way.

Fans of Team Jacob and / or Team Edward finally get to see how it ends for pouty and now red-eyed Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), her sparkly skin oddball vampire hubby Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), and bad boy, often-shirtless wolfy Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner),

"just your average vampire family"

Is it any good? Well despite an unpromisingly miserable and criminally dull Part 1, Breaking Dawn – Part 2 actually manages to be the ‘least bad’ of the whole franchise. I asked my son’s girlfriend Aimee – who is a self confessed fan of Twilight for a female reaction to the film… She said: “It was fantastic, just brilliant!” - a friend's daughter Rebekah Middleditch was also keen to make sure a female voice got heard in this review - so she says:  "I thought that the film is great because it is so full of surprises. I love the bit where Bella and Edward move into their new house because it’s so romantic and it’s such a sweet moment. I love Twilight it’s such a fun young movie and they are all great actors, it’s a shame that it is now over."

Hhhmmm - so I guess it doesn’t really matter what I say!?

Anyway, the plot revolves around Bella’s new half human / half vampire baby Renesmee whose existence is apparently a crime to the vampire overseeing council The Voluturi. The only hope for a happy ending seems to be for the lead trio to assemble a team of witnesses from around the world who can vouch that the young offspring won’t herald the end of vampire-kind.

Cue a weird bunch of blood suckers (each with handy X-Men like powers) getting together to try and convince the Volturi not to massacre the baby and our teen heroes.

The heroic X-Factor finalists lined up...

Along the way we also get to witness Bella learning to use her new super strength, speed and erm, sense of smell… Now married she and Edward are morally free to spend most of the time in bed together too making super powered love to each other.

All this is bit hard on her poor human dad (Billy Burke) for whom she has to ‘pretend’ to still be human too. Wolf boy Jacob adds to the tension by ‘imprinting’ on the baby girl “Nessie" – whose accelerated growth rate means that she can become a viable love interest for him by the end of the film… Doesn’t make it feel right though.

Fans of the books might also be in for a shock as a wholesale plot diversion sees the Cullens, their friendly werewolves and witness pals having a mass brawl with the baddie Volturi who themselves have special powered vamps such as Jane (Dakota Fanning) who can hurt people with her mind. It’s a bold move and by far the most exciting ten minutes of all five films!

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööö – a quality historical thrill ride worth taking

3 – better than Breaking Dawn Part 1 (DM Review) 

Awesomeness ööö – the fight is at least worth a look

Laughs öö – couple of smirks to be had

Horror ööö – weedy for a 'horror film'

Babes ööö – Kristen looks better undead!

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - true love waits (forever)

"a rare non angst-ridden Stewart"