Rating :   58/100                                                                     115 Min       

‘Breaking Dawn – Part Two’ is a reasonably fulfilling conclusion to the Twilight Saga. Unfortunately, it suffers massively from the decision to separate the story from the final novel into two films. It begins with Kristen Stewart exploring her new found ‘self’ and then builds toward the inevitable climax, but everything else, including the central love triangle and vampiric dilemma, has already been resolved. You could literally edit out an entire hour from part two and not miss anything, apart from some of the nice scenic shots which feature throughout. In fact, the cinematography has been chosen to directly mirror the red, white and black colours of the book covers and it works pretty well as a direct tie in, and although a little more flare to properly define it in its own right may not have gone amiss it still creates an impressive atmosphere and background.

Diehard fans of the series upset at it all coming to a close may be consoled by the fact that the makers of the films have been in talks to possibly continue the story beyond that of ‘Breaking Dawn – Part Two’, but regardless, this finale will be largely remembered for one particular, unique moment. There was a palpable reaction in the cinema from the midnight audience viewing it, and whether or not you enjoy the film will largely hinge on how you feel about it. The Red Dragon, although not familiar with the books, considers it a rather brave decision given the popularity of the franchise. Indeed, a reel of classic film excerpts shown at this year’s Oscars ceremony featured a clip from Twilight and although it first seemed a little odd, it was justified given its extraordinary fan base and success, and most people whether they admit it or not will probably find something to like amongst the five film saga. The Red Dragon’s own opinion is that he rather enjoyed the carnage….