REVIEW BY NATALIE WARWICK
Here's to an end of an era - Twilight film 5 has been released and the franchise is now left to box set sales the world over and to be watched by Twihards at sleepovers. I am a big fan of the books (well the first 3) and three years ago I read all four books in record time, counting the hours until New Moon was to be released...and trawled 4 cinemas, as 3 were fully booked, on opening night to watch it. At that point in time I couldn't get enough of Twilight. Now 3 years on I lack the enthusiasm and in a bid to avoid the 'full to the brink' showings and gaggles of wolf whistles and boos and yay's at every turn I decided to go and see the final instalment a few weeks after release.In truth I always disliked Breaking Dawn. I felt that the Twilight series would have done better finishing with Eclipse in relation to it being an epic love story. Sorry, nowhere in Romeo and Juliet or Wuthering Heights (on which New Moon and Eclipse were based on) did they get married and go on a honey moon and have children...zzzzzzzzz. Ok ok Romeo and Juliet got married but you get my drift. I was also not expecting much from this film as, in the book, nothing dramatically really happens.
This is where the film has merit over the book. We see a whole new scene unravel which doesn't happen. I remember watching in suspense and confusion; desperately racking my brain to see if I had got it wrong and misremebered the ending. But alas I hadn't - this scene was obviously put in to give the film substance so hooray for that. I half thought aswell that they had changed the ending too.
On its own merit the film follows the same flow as the rest of the franchise. And is quite an enjoyable ride and a fitting final conclusion. I prefer Bella as a vampire. It's the first time she is portrayed as a strong and self assured woman. By this film, long gone is the teenage anx riddled scenes and we're left with a more mature story. I imagine watching all 5 films in order would see a great development in her character. I actually liked to see the new editions to the cast come to life, on screen, and I think they did Enesme (Bella and Edwards daughter) really well.
My favourite part of the film was the end where they did a montage of all the films, showing all the key parts to Edward and Bella's relationship, all along to the original soundtrack. I actually shed a tear or two because it took me back to when I first read the books and watched Twilight over and over again. At that point I could not getting enough of the story of forbidden love and teenage anx. I found it very fitting and emotional on how it relit these memories and bought back to the foreground what Twilight was always really about. (As Breaking Dawn Part 2 doesn't really delve into) And that is.. in the words of Carrie Bradshaw (ala Sex and The City)... love, real love, ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't live without each other love.
Year: 2012
Classification: 12A
Duration: 115 mins
More info to be found on IMDb
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