By Ronna Fisher, assistant editor
Confession time: I love Twilight. I have been to every midnight premiere since the book series became a movie series.
I wasn’t always a fan, though. When I heard about the Twilight series, my first thought was, literally, “Why would I want to read a book about vampires? That is so stupid.” But one day I was bored, and after reading the first page I have been hooked ever since. I refuse to become one of those fans. I’ve never purchased Twilight merchandise, besides the books and movies. I don’t critique every little detail of every movie. For instance, when the first movie came out, Twihards (as some fans like to be called) were upset that the curtains in Bella’s bedroom were purple and not yellow. I couldn’t care less whether the curtains are the same color or not. But, I do love Twilight. So, of course I enjoyed Breaking Dawn: Part 2.
Things I did not like:
While this was only a slight annoyance, it was an annoyance all the same: baby Renesmee was part CGI, part animatronics, and part real baby. And, slightly creepy. If you know anything about Breaking Dawn, you know there is a baby and the baby is important. The CGI was probably used to control the rapid aging of the child without having great differences between each child.
There was a fairly awkward scene between married couple, Bella and Edward. Let’s just say, my younger sister wisely and virtuously covered her eyes. The film somehow created a very sensual (and awkward) scene without showing . . . too much. The scene, followed by jokes referring to the scene lasts for approximately five to ten-ish minutes. But hey, as my friend pointed out, they’re married.
Along with the vampire action comes a strange kind of gore. The characters are vampires, so there’s no blood, but there are plenty of decapitations. It was enough to make my movie-going buddy and me squeal in disgust. Just picturing the scenes now makes me shudder. Apparently, the movie had to take the sound effects of the decapitation down a notch to escape an R-rating. I also think there was a tad bit more vampire blood-sucking action than previous movies.
Things I liked:
One of the coolest things about BD is how graphics were used to allow the audience to see the world through a “vampire’s” eyes. In one scene, as new vampire Bella is running through the forest we see and hear tiny, insignificant details. We see flowers blooming from far away and tiny insects and birds flying through the air, etc. We see the details that Bella is supposed to be seeing as well. Even the sound effects emphasize a more developed sense of hearing.
The soundtrack was also spectacular and appropriate. The film is full of mellow, alternative (and some slightly pop-ish) tracks from the likes of Ellie Goulding, Feist, and Christina Perri. There are also some great piano ballads and the return of “Bella’s Song,” played by Robert Pattison (Edward).
One of my favorite parts of the film was the credits. Practically every actor that has been in any of the Twilight movies—not just Breaking Dawn—was featured. It was a really great commemorative ending to the whole series. It also highlighted the growth of the characters and actors. For instance, Bella is no longer a clumsy, stuttering, “pathetic,” angst-ridden teenager. Kristen Stewart portrays a strong, confident, and beautiful Bella. Side note: Ironic name, huh?
I know Twilight is not for everyone. I know that many disdain Twilight for being a bandwagon series. Sometimes, jumping on the bandwagon is fun. Sometimes, it is exciting sitting in a theatre packed full of people who are excited about the same thing as you. Sometimes, it’s nice to laugh along with strangers, knowing that you all get the joke.
I know Breaking Dawn Part 2 is not for everyone, but I think Breaking Dawn Part 2 has something for everyone. This Twilight edition was purposefully funnier than any of the other films. There was action. There was romance. There was vampire super-powers. There was a coming together of a motley, misfit crew to fight for something they believe in.
Bob Hoose, a PluggedIn online reviewer writes, “It’s as if the X-Men and the Avengers all showed up at the last minute to save the day and make the world a safe place for Bella and Edward’s love to blossom and bloom.”
If you are already a fan of Twilight, Breaking Dawn Part 2 is a solid ending to the series, spotlighting the growth of the characters and actors. If you are not already a fan and you are dragged to the theatres, you may just find yourself surprised to find you enjoy the movie. Let me put it this way. My father went to see it. He doesn’t like movies. He doesn’t like science fiction. He doesn’t like action. He only likes certain types of romance. He basically will watch a Hallmark movie. He hadn’t seen any of the previous Twilight films, and I warned him that he wasn’t going to enjoy this one. He pronounced at the beginning that he had come to the movie to sleep and told me to wake him up if he started snoring. Not once did he fall asleep, and after the movie was over he asked me, “Are the other movies as good as this one?” Case in point.