It’s that time of year again. No, not when Christmas lights are hung or people are full of excitement for the impending holidays. Declarations from passionate fan girls claiming they are“Team Edward” or “Team Jacob” commences once again as “Breaking Dawn—Part 2” is released.
Not being a huge fan of the
Twilight movie franchise, I had low expectations walking into the theater to
watch a screening of “Breaking Dawn—Part 2.” I anticipated cheesy lines and
mediocre acting, both of which were present in the previous four movies.
However, I was left mildly impressed with the filming, effects, and plot of
this film.
Directed by Bill Condon, “Breaking
Dawn—Part 2” will be the last of the “Twilight” movies and has garnered much attention
in the media. A pop culture, the series has fans ranging from teenage girls to
“Twi-Moms.”
In the beginning of the film, Bella and
Edward’s constant professions of love for each other did not dispel my poor
expectations. Kristen Stewart, who played Bella, showcased her egregious acting
skills with emotionless facial expressions while delivering comedic or
sentimental lines. The hunky actor of Jacob Black, Taylor Lautner, proved he
was just that—attractive but with pitiable acting skills that were cringe
worthy. The whole cast, besides the actors that played the Volturi, the
ruthless, intimidating vampires, could have sharpened their acting chops.
Forcing their scripted dialogue without a wide range of emotion, the actors did
not convince the audience of their characters’ genuineness or acquire sympathy
for the outcome of their future.
Regardless of the cast’s deplorable
performances, “Breaking Dawn—Part 2” triumphs the series’ other movies. The creative
opening credits, featuring dark, bloody red transforming to a delicate growth
of snow, were artfully mastered. The film never became dull and had a fine
balance of action and romance to satisfy the quixotic women that desire the perfect
relationship that Bella and Edward exemplified along with the boyfriends or
husbands of those romantics. Unfortunately, Bella and Edward’s CGI baby
distracted the audience with its unnatural, morphed features. On the other
hand, the animation of the werewolves was astonishingly realistic and had the
potential to scare younger children. The movie was tastefully composed with the
dramatic sequence of scenes and an unanticipated twist differing from the
novel.
Picking up where the last movie
ended, Bella’s transition to a vampire was concise as she is launched into
motherhood with her newborn daughter, Renesmee. The storyline intensifies as
the vampires prepare for the imminent meeting with the Volturi. The most praiseworthy moment of the movie was the
well-executed conclusion that had the audience reminiscing about the last four
years. As the ending credits rolled, sadness overcame the audience as soft sobs
were heard for the finale of such a popular franchise.
Unlike the past movies, “Breaking
Dawn—Part 2” filtered the dreary moments to produce a captivating motion
picture. Although the film exhibited Bella and Edward’s eternal love for each
other, it also illustrated Bella’s gradual transition from an awkward teenage
girl to a mature, brave mother. In spite of the lackluster acting, “Breaking
Dawn—Part 2” exceeded my expectations. Nevertheless, the film is still
incomparable to critically acclaimed movies, such as “Casablanca” but conquers the other four
movies of this overrated series. Catering to females in desperate need of an
idealistic love story, Stephenie Meyer’s book, “Breaking Dawn,” was brought to
life for all audiences with Bill Condon’s interpretation of the novel. Condon’s
directing cunningly defeats the past directors’ attempts to convert the script
into a crafty, pleasurable film.
