The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2

I finally got to see this last installment of The Twilight Saga.  I waited until the initial frenzy had subsided and the theater was not even half full for a matinee on a Saturday.  I thoroughly enjoyed the gorgeous mountain landscape and forests of the Pacific Northwest on the big screen, majestic in a way my average size TV could not equal.  I was curious by how the story would unfold, given the last image of Bella in Breaking Dawn – Part 1, when she opens her eyes as a vampire.

The infant Renesmee has unusual characteristics, including an accelerated growth trajectory, but then she is half vampire and half human.  We get to see Bella as a vampire, and yet she really doesn’t act that much different from who she was as a human.  She is coached by the Cullens on how to act human to fool her father, but her acting has been such in this series that nothing really changes.  We get to see her hunt, but it’s not really that exciting.

What is interesting is how her father accepts Bella’s physical coldness and lack of an explanation for his grandchild’s apparent age.  His love and acceptance of his unusual daughter is an example for parents everywhere.

It gets complicated when Renesmee is rumored to be an immortal, and she comes to the attention of the Volturi.  A search ensues for other vampire/human offspring from around the world to help vindicate her.  I liked that part a lot; different cultures were represented from this global hunt for others like Renesmee, echoing the diversity of humans on the earth.

The evil vampires want to destroy Renesmee, and as the Cullens prepare for a confrontation by enlisting the aid of other vampires and the werewolves, Bella discovers her gift, soon to be put to good use protecting those she loves.

I really liked the ending, and don’t know if it is the same or different from the book because as I mentioned previously, I haven’t read them.   Remember that Alice has a gift:  the ability to see into the future.  This gift is one that plays prominently in the final scenes of the film.  It’s a gift we all have actually.  We can look into the future by imagining what outcome our choices will inevitably bring to us.  This is the last message Ms. Meyer gives us from this story.  We choose our future with our own free will.

Would I recommend this series to you?  If you are a movie lover, I predict you will like these for the reasons I watch many different types of films.  I want to see how they’re put together, how the story unfolds, what the messages are, enjoy the cinematography, the acting, the dialogue.  They’ll never be in my list of top 100 movies not to miss, but they do entertain.  Let me know what your opinion of The Twilight Saga is if you have seen it.