A stupidly entertaining finale to an entertainingly stupid series

Rating: 6/10 (14 December 2012)

What can I say that hasn't been said already? A plot synopsis or any background information is practically redundant because I imagine that if you're reading this (not very good) review, you already know the setup.
'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part Two '(that title's not clumsy at all) is my first Twilight-related experience since the Chris Weitz- directed 'New Moon', I must say however, I'm not one of these people who passionately despises the series, nor am I someone who lives for it, i.e. a 'twi-hard'; honestly, I'm somewhat passive about the series. I kind of enjoyed the first two installments, finding the shoddy visual effects, cheesy dialogue, often flat performances and ludicrousness to be consistently entertaining.
It's worth noting that (in a manner somewhat similar to the Harry Potter films) the cast have eased into their roles and appear more comfortable in them than ever before. At the same time though, the trademarks of the series are still present - the lingering and forlorn frowns, the lip- biting and Taylor Lautner's way of saying "Bella" when he gets 'emotional'. Also worth a mention is Michael Sheen's performance as Aro; exactly what the franchise needs, he's ridiculously camp and OTT, which is displayed delightfully in a moment of maniacal laughter that wouldn't have been out of place in an episode of Adam West's Batman. It was similarly nice to see Lee Pace, a personal favourite of mine, get some screen time.
Out of all the Twilight films I've seen thus far, I found this to be the most solidly enjoyable, offering a number of scenes where it embraced its inherent absurdity. These included (but was not limited to) Bella wrestling a mountain lion, the creepy relationship between Jacob and borderline MacGuffin child Renesmee, and Bella beating the crap out of Jacob. There were also moments where I wondered if it was consciously laughing at itself - Jacob's "should I start calling you Dad?" remark to Edward and dad Charlie's confusion at his granddaughter's name. Interestingly though, the CGI incarnation of baby Renesmee resembled some sort of demon-child that you'd find in a 70s horror film. A final act showdown showcases the best action and effects displayed throughout the series, unfortunately and frustratingly, it is robbed of its entertainment factor following a cheap twist. In the end, all it really amounts to is "creepy soapy claptrap", as Danny Leigh remarked, but let's not forget that there is indeed a place for "creepy soapy claptrap".