The Twilight Saga – Breaking Dawn Part 2 – A Movie Review (and upcoming movies that look awesome!)
I am a closet Twilight fan.
I didn’t read the books until the year the last one (Breaking Dawn) was released, but after I borrowed the first one from a friend, I got online and promptly bought the entire series because I had to know what happened.
These books are not the epitome of literature (and I’m not going to go into all the other issues that others have raised about the books), but the point of a good story is to enrapture an audience, and Stephenie Meyer has managed just that. Even if it hasn’t appealed to every audience, it has certainly captivated an impressive one!
Spoiler Alert! (just, ya know, to be safe)
First off, this is the final installment of the Twilight Saga, so if you haven’t seen any of the other movies, spoilers will abound!
The first two movies (Twilight and New Moon) sucked, from a critical perspective. The third was better.
Breaking Dawn Part 1 was like watching a movie with the same characters, but a completely different perspective. The directing was GOOD. The special effects were amazing.
Breaking Dawn Part 2 holds up to (and perhaps blows out of the park) Part 1.
The intro sequence was amazing – I don’t even know how to describe it. Except that if I had this movie on DVD, I would probably just watch the intro sequence over and over and over. It consisted of amazing scenery shots interspersed with close-up shots of ice crystals forming. So gorgeous!
And the intro scenes to Bella as a vampire (or a blood-sucking fairy, as my husband likes to call them) and the way her senses have changed is very well done. There are advantages to putting this on the big screen that Stephenie Meyer couldn’t quite capture with text on a page – the incredible sensory detail that Bella is actually able to process in her new form becomes real. If you’ve never experienced it, it’s hard to imagine they way it works from just reading the books. But if you watch this movie, it truly comes to life.
The story itself was very well adapted to screen, but my one complaint is that for Renesmee being the reason for the entire plot, she felt like too much of a minor character. I would have loved to see more interaction, especially between her and Bella and her and Charlie.
Charlie is one of my favorite characters between both the books and the movies, and while he plays a semi-major part in the Breaking Dawn book, it felt like he was strangely absent from the final movie. That made me sad.
For the most part, this movie also sticks true to the books. While some plot points had to be brushed over due to time (such as the significance of the wedding gift Bella receives from the Volturi, and the lack of an explanation as to why Jacob won’t age later in life), the essence of it all is there.
And then they throw you for a loop. Honestly and truly. I was . . . about to go up in arms, honestly.
But it works so well.
And that’s really all I can say without spoiling it all :D.
So, if you’re a fan of the books, this movie is an absolute must-see.
Spoilers Over!
And lastly . . . the trailers alone were with the ticket.
Oh, the trailers were awesome.
They were for:
Oz the Great and Powerful
I can’t even tell you how much I’m looking forward to this movie. I devoured all of the Oz books as a child, and I can see so much they’re going to pull from them in the trailer! I’m looking ridiculously forward to the porcelain doll village . . .
The Hobbit
Do I have to explain my love for The Hobbit and all things Lord of the Rings? I’ve already got my midnight showing tickets for the premiere. The only thing that could have made this trailer more perfect is if the dwarves sang in it. But no, they couldn’t show that one on the big screen *pouty sigh*.
World War Z
I’m not much of one for horror movies, but this one looks fantastic! As long as I watch it in the middle of the day.
Safe Haven
A girl on the run from a stalker, hiding in a small town, and falling in love. Very cliché plot, yes, but the trailer looks really good!
Playing for Keeps
This has the potential to be a really awesome family movie – especially if things go the way it looks they might in the trailer, and the main character might reconcile with his ex-wife. In this day of “disposable relationships”, it would be really awesome to see a movie where a relationship is saved.
Now You See Me
All I can say is: Science Fantasy Psychological Action Thriller. This looks epic.
And for once, I can actually say that I want to see every single movie that there was a trailer for.
Wow – I also want to see all those movies!!
They all look so good!
Good to see this review! I’m a not-so-closet Twilight fan, but the ardor has waned and I now wait for the movies to come out on dvd to see them, especially since I have my own little vampire at home now, lol. I’m definitely looking forward to the final installment but I’m sad to hear Charlie wasn’t in it very much! He’s been by far my favorite character throughout the whole thing…gotta love Billy Burke! I wonder if I’ll be able to keep my head buried in the sand long enough to be surprised by this twist everyone is talking about when the movie is released on video…
OH MY WORD THE HOBBIT. Tyler and I are going as our second anniversary date!!! Because as you well know, nothing says romance like pandering to a girl’s Tolkien obsession. We had a Lord of the Rings marathon on our honeymoon lol.
I wouldn’t have gone to see this in the theater if a friend hadn’t bought me a ticket (it was a choice between buying a ticket for this, or The Hobbit. I’m sure you understand why I chose The Hobbit). But I’m glad I did get to see this one in the theater, it was very well done.
HAHA, yes, nothing is more romantic than that! You know I get it, especially considering how you and I met ;). The midnight showing we’re going to is not in 3D, but Brandon and I will probably go for our anniversary (Jan 5) to see the 3D version of it.
I saw it last night and thought it was amazing (so much better than Part 1). And yes, that twist towards the end had me squirming in my seat. I loved it! 🙂
I may have to talk Clay into a double feature next weekend…. Skyfall and Breaking Dawn. We’re seeing Skyfall already!
Also… yes, Oz. Looking forward to it! Very excited they are including the china people. =)