Entertainment

Breaking Dawn’s Fantastic Finale

Fans all over have been waiting for the premiere of the epic conclusion to The Twilight Saga’s Breaking Dawn: Part Two. The first part of the fourth movie left fans with the long-awaited turning of Bella into a vampire, complete with the opening of her eyes to reveal their blood-red color.

Part two picks up where the last one left off. Bella is now awake and is looking at her surroundings with her super-enhanced vampiric sight, until her focus rests on Edward. The couple has a tender reunion, only to turn humorous as Bella crushes Edward in a hug with her newborn vampire strength. She is then reunited with the rest of the Cullen family in addition to Jacob Black and Renesmee, her daughter. The rest of the movie follows Bella and the crew as they adjust to their new lives and worry over the fate of the rapidly-growing Renesmee. There is then the threat of the powerful vampire government, the Volturi, who believe that Bella’s daughter could pose a danger to all vampires.

 Fans of both the books and the movies alike will be delighted with this final installment of the saga. The action of the film followed the novel almost perfectly, and paced the action in a way that held the audience’s interest. As in the other movies, the setting was beautifully done, and the cinematography captures the essence of the area in which these characters live. The actors put on a solid performance, making you see past the hype around Stewart and Pattinson’s personal lives and focus entirely on their characters. Not only were the main cast members phenomenal in their performance but so were the supporting cast members, including Mackenzie Foy, the little girl chosen to portray Renesmee.

The young girl did a surprisingly good job at remaining serious in her role, acting wiser beyond her years and fulfilling an image readers all over the world have had in their heads. Expectations like that can be tough on anyone, let alone an eleven year old, but Foy shines in her role.

Perhaps the most incredible thing about this film was the creative license the director and producers took with it. They took something that was supposed to serve as a nice companion to a beloved book and completely twisted it in a way that even the most dedicated Twilight fan will be caught off guard. However tempting, it is best that this specific scene is kept a surprise, for it would not have the same effect had audiences had prior knowledge. Because it is a movie based off a book, what changes could the director have made that were so dramatic? Let’s just say, it was enough to get the entire audience in an emotional uproar, turning the Twilight world upside down, only to set it back again just as fast. It is this plot twist that makes the movie this captivating and definitely sets it apart from its predecessors.

Overall, the film was enjoyable, even beyond the at times mediocre book-to-movie adaptation level. To me, it was not only a movie for fans of the books (though they should be read), but for people that enjoy a good cinematic experience. People should not be afraid of being labeled a Twilight super-fan or facing harsh judgment from those who dislike the media frenzy that surrounds the franchise. If you read the books, even in secret on your e-reader, you should see this movie. It makes a great companion for what is a great novel, and brings the entire saga to a nice, neat close.

The creators really did save the best movie for last; it reminds audiences why they fell in love with the series in the first place, and at the same time eases them into what is truly the end of the series. Director Bill Condon and screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg did a great job turning the book into a movie that surpassed everyone’s expectations, making the experience fun for all.

Breaking Dawn: Part Two is currently playing in theaters everywhere.