Mildly enjoyable in a "so bad it's good" way

Rating: 6/10 (13 November 2014)

At this point it is futile to quibble about the lack of character development, wooden acting and cliché dialogue. This doesn't make me some "Twi-hard", but I did find some enjoyment in this installment due to the utter ludicrousness of the plot and some truly hilarious moments. The first 30 minutes concerns itself with Edward and Bella's nuptials, and this was probably the worst part of the whole movie due to some extremely cringe-inducing, cliché-ridden dialogue. However, after that we get treated to the honeymoon which explores (in a chaste, PG-13 way) what it would be like for a vampire to have sex with a human. They don't just bang the headboard, they break the entire bed (technically, Edward does but whatever). Then, what follows is one of the most inexplicable pregnancies since the Virgin Birth, and seems to making a case against abortion. Admirable, but misguided. Anyway, the conflict that ensues over this vampire baby makes for some of the more melodramatic moments in the film. Obviously not competently handled, but interesting enough to watch unfold. However, the way in which it is resolved is head-scratchingly bizarre, yet completely expected if you've been paying attention before. I think that the only creepier thing than Edward grooming Bella for vampire-dom is Jacob imprinting on Renesmee, who is literally a baby. It couldn't get any more pedophilic than that, in my opinion. And somehow, because of the immutable werewolf law this solves the problem. Ridiculous, but kind of funny still. There's also a cheeky, yet ominous mid-credits scene which sets up the inevitable finale to come (but didn't Bella's eyes opening again already do that?). Anyway, the filmmaking quality here is the best yet in the series, with excellent cinematography and visual style to spare. Overall it's less awkward and overly "teenage" than its predecessors, probably due to the maturing of the subject matter. Flawed, but enjoyable enough for fans of the series.