I find this second installment of the series much more intriguing than the first.

Rating: 6/10 (22 May 2012)

Yes, I know. I started with Breaking Dawn Part 1 and haven't even touched upon Twilight yet. My bad, I guess, but I find this second installment of the series much more intriguing than the first. Here we have actual drama, as real as a story about vampires can be, and real conflict. Bella is a teenage girl who acts like a teenage girl, and both Jacob and Edward act like teenage boys...which is sort of a real contradiction in Edward's case. I mean, after a couple of hundred years, don't you think a man might have some modicum of maturity? But maybe being a vampire retards your common sense in favor of your hormones. Hmmm. Wait a minute, what hormones? He's dead! Oh well, I could go on and on with the contradictions in this film, but who am I to rain on anyone's parade? This is a Romeo and Juliet set in the fantasy of seclusion and passion, a love that was written in the stars. The special effects are great, especially the transformation sequences with Jacob and the rest of the tribe. After all, you knew they were werewolves, right? And the addition of Michael Sheen as Aro, the head of the Volturie and Dakota Fanning as Jane, the evil inflicter of pain with a devilish smile, brings a new dimension of mystery to the story. Rated PG-13 for violence and dramatic action, this one is safe for the teens and even the 10 year old girls who are lovers of romance. Collectible if you have the original, and my wife and daughters own all four and are anxiously awaiting the fifth. (There you go, ladies, I reviewed it.)