The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2

Rating: 3/10 (31 March 2013)

I knew this film, the last in The Twilight Saga and continuing from where Part 1 left off, was a big winner at the Razzies, but the critics gave it a reasonable review, so I was certainly interested to see what opinion I would have for it, having gone through all the four other films, from Razzie winning director Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Dreamgirls). Basically Bella Swan (Razzie winning Kristen Stewart) is embracing her life having turned from human to a vampire with new husband and vampire Edward Cullen (Razzie nominated Robert Pattinson), she is exploring the possibilities of her newfound abilities, such as high speed and increased vision, and together they are enjoying life with new vampire-human hybrid baby Renesmee. Half-human half-werewolf Jacob Black (Razzie winning Taylor Lautner) wants to protect the new baby, and Bella's father Charlie (Billy Burke) wants updates as he was told Bella was sick, so Jacob explains that she had to be "changed" for her life to be saved, and he turns into a werewolf to help him realise what has happened but not have it told, as any humans who find out about vampires will be killed by the Volturi. Several months pass and Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy) is growing at a rapid rate, and she is spotted by bitter Irina (Maggie Grace) on the outskirts of the woods sees the child from a distance and believes she may be an immortal being, so naturally the Volturi, led by Aro (Michael Sheen) will come after them. The Cullens prove to themselves that the rapid growth of the child will not go too much further and that she is not immortal, and summoning witnesses like the Denali family encounter one of Bella's other newfound abilities, to create a powerful mental shield to protect others from attacks in the mind. Some of these witnesses are attacked and unable to protect the Cullens, so they must fight the Volturi themselves and this cannot be avoided, and some of the unaffected witnesses do agree to stand in battle against them, it is all based on powerful abilities that want to be claimed. Aro arrives on what becomes the battle field, and he is allowed to touch Renesmee and be proved that she is not immortal, Irina accepts her mistake but is immediately killed, her sisters are restrained from taking action, but the leader still insists the child could pose future risk, and Alice Cullen (Razzie nominated Ashley Greene) and Jasper Hale (Jackson Rathbone) believe there may be other children like her. Alice shows Aro a vision of the future where he refuses to let the family and the child go free and the big battle ensues, where there are many casualties on both sides of the fight, most being the Volturi, with major characters Dr. Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinelli), Jasper, Seth (Booboo Stewart), Alec (Cameron Bright), Caius (Jamie Campbell Bower), Marcus (Christopher Heyerdahl), Demetri (Charlie Bewley) and Felix (Daniel Cudmore) dying. The vision ends and Aro is warned that these events will become reality if he continues to pursue Renesmee, and two witnesses, a fully-grown vampire-human hybrid and his aunt undetected for one hundred and fifty years, arrive to prove that she will not be a threat, so the leader orders his guards to retreat, only getting one more glance at Alice and Bella. The Cullens return home and Alice sees a future vision of Edward and Bella together with Jacob and fully matured Renesmee, Edward reads her mind and knows that his daughter will be happy with Jacob protecting her, in the end Bella allows Edward to read her thoughts, followed by the couple sharing a kiss. Also starring Dakota Fanning as Jane, Elizabeth Reaser as Esme Cullen, Kellan Lutz as Emmett Cullen and Nikki Reed as Rosalie Hale. The cast is only slightly the alright standard to the other films, and some of the story works okay, but the problem is the length of the film, the execution and speed going up and down in pace, the special effects are less impressive, and to be honest I found this a boring end to the series, a disappointing and near terrible romantic horror fantasy. It won the Razzies for Worst Picture, Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel, Worst Screen Couple for Lautner and Foy and Worst Screen Ensemble for the Entire Cast, and it was nominated for Worst Screen Couple for Pattinson and Stewart and Worst Screenplay. Adequate!