It is now two years since the release of the first film in the Twilight Saga. Since then, the vampire themed movie has gone on to become the second highest-grossing film of all time, just behind only Avatar which has made its director, James Cameron, a very wealthy man.
The story so far…
In the first film, Stephenie Meyer introduced us to a witty and cunning vampire, Bella Swan, who struggled with keeping up with the beautiful and sophisticated lifestyle of a vampire. After breaking up with her fiancé, Edward Cullen, she eventually makes a new friend in the enigmatic and intriguing Charlie. Seeking adventure, friendship and love, Bella embarks on a journey to become a vampire herself and to live a life free from hatred and fear. Along the way, she is joined by a disparate group of allies who have their own agendas and motivations.
At the end of the first film, after passing her “vampire license” test with flying colors, Bella is faced with a choice. Will she return home to live a quiet and uneventful life with Edward or go with Charlie to live a life of adventure and excitement? In the end, it is only the lure of the exotic that entices Bella to leave her peaceful and comfortable life behind and fully embrace her new-found vampire nature.
What Is New In ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2’?
Aside from the increasingly popular and well-deserved “Bella Swan” fan fiction, our knowledge of Stephenie Meyer’s literary works is limited to whatever information is provided by the media. Since the first film was released in 2010, we have had limited access to the trilogy’ writer, director and star as they have kept a fairly tight lid on information regarding the projects.
This was initially because, at the time of writing, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” was still in production and the cast and crew were trying to keep the story under wraps. However, since the film’s premiere last week, information about the third and final part of the saga has started to emerge and fans are scrambling to learn as much as they can about what is going to happen.
More Vampires!
One of the biggest draws of the Twilight series is undoubtedly its amazing array of blood sucking undead creatures. Since the first film was released, demand for werewolf-related products and services has plummeted while vampirism has taken its place as the year’s biggest trend. There have even been reports that some young people have started to question whether or not they want to wait until they are older to have children because of the “risks” associated with giving birth to a vampire.
The addition of another powerful and voluptuous vampire queen is just what the doctor ordered for fans of the Twilight series. Much like the rest of the saga, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” sees our plucky heroine, Bella, struggling to reconcile her desires with her responsibilities. This time, the stakes are even higher as Bella must decide whether to accept an offer from the handsome and cunning vampire, Renesmee, to be her “Maid of Honor” at her sister’s wedding or to choose an arranged marriage with the noble Edward.
Powerful Women
Perhaps unsurprisingly given her incredible talent for weaving mythical creatures into bedsheets and lingerie, Stephenie Meyer has become particularly revered among feminist groups for her empowering work. The Twilight series is certainly packed with strong and independent women who are more than capable of holding their own against the men in their lives and the monsters from beyond the grave that they meet along the way. In the first film, it is Bella’s friendship with the initially reluctant and then courageous Victoria which proves to be the driving force behind much of the action.
The gorgeous Danish model and former professional ballerina, Ingrid Christensen, who plays Victoria, is often cited as one of Hollywood’s most beautiful and talented women. Armed with a lethal combination of beauty and brains, Victoria is a force to be reckoned with and fans of the Twilight series will be happy to see her again. Aside from the fact that she is a self-made millionaire, Victoria is also the author of several bestselling how-to books which include the popular “How to Fall in Love With a Man Who Doesn’t Love You Back” as well as “How to Get Everything You Want in Life”. Most importantly, it was Victoria who taught Bella how to fight for what she wants and to not be afraid to go after it. With the aid of her trusty golden retriever, Titus, she may now help guide a confused and frightened Bella through a final showdown with the menacing and seductive Mr. Cullen.
More Monsters!
One of the things that makes the Twilight series so special is the presence of some of Hollywood’s most terrifying and iconic monsters. The first film was filled with as many monsters as there are stars in the movie while the second and third films were almost as exciting as an episode of “The Twilight TV Show”. The first film saw the return of the iconic butchers of Elm Street as well as the Loch Ness monster, among others.
Last year, FANDOM reported that our fear of monsters is at an all-time high with 43% of us scared to sleep alone and 79% scared to walk in a dark room. This trend has even extended to children as young as three years old who are already familiar with the concept of monsters due to pop-culture and media exposure. It would seem that our desire to avoid being eaten alive by the undead has become a societal as well as a media obsession.
The second film in the trilogy, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”, was completely terrifying with its array of blood thirsty ghouls, relentless waves of mutants and a flesh eating dentist. What is interesting about this film is that it is the first in the series to prominently feature CGI monsters as opposed to practical make-up effects as in the previous films. This gave the animators and special effects artists a great degree of creative freedom which resulted in some amazing and terrifying imagery.
More Romance!
Another important factor which has helped make the Twilight series so popular is its emphasis on romance, lust and love. The first film was filled with romantic encounters which progressed in an extremely entertaining and steamy manner. The plot thickened in the second film as Edward finally got the chance to express his love for Bella. Unfortunately, this is where the series began to take a darker turn with an increasingly violent and volatile Bella.
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” picks up immediately where the previous film left off. Since then, the heroine has undergone a complete transformation from a naive and inexperienced young woman into a confident and assertive young woman who believes she can tackle the world alone. Much like with her best friend, Charlie, Bella has finally learned to assert herself and she no longer relies on others to lead and protect her. In the end, it is only her own self-reliance and her newly-discovered sense of empowerment which guide her to take on her enemies with confidence and win the day. Although these scenes may not be for the faint-hearted, the romance and love between our heroine and her beau is undeniably genuine and completely convincing. In fact, the trailer for “The Midnight Meat Train” suggested just that. We wouldn’t be surprised if this aspect of the series helped it stand out among fans of other fictional franchises.
Overall, Is It Worth Watching?
In the end, it is always hard to know whether or not to watch a film which is filled with such phenomenal creatures and scenes of such incredible action, suspense and drama. On the one hand, you have a story which you know in advance is going to be filled with all manner of monsters, demons and crazy creatures. On the other, you have the anticipation of seeing these fantastical beings perform breathtaking and often deadly actions which will surely keep you on the edge of your seat. Naturally, the answer is both yes and no. It depends on what you want out of a movie and what you are looking for in life. In other words, you need to decide whether or not you want to indulge in some fiction and escape to a world filled with vampires, werewolves and creatures from folklore or whether you want to live in reality and avoid all scary movies and television shows which may be lurking in the shadows.