The Film
Spoiler Alert - do not read this section if you don't want to read about details of the plot
Following the first part of Breaking Dawn that covers the romance and rebirth; The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 has a little more action. This second installment sees the close of the Twilight Saga, and promises a bloody battle in the eyes of one vampire to draw the series to an end.
Breaking Dawn - Part 2 brings the rebirth of Bella (Kristen Stewart) as a vampire. Her new husband Edward (Robert Pattinson) must face several struggles as they start their lives together and welcome their new child Renesmee - who is experiencing her adolescent years without all the fun parts like the terrible twos. Breaking Dawn - Part 2 brings the Cullens together with an international group of vampires to stand against the Volturi, a whole two-hours in the making.
Satisfy your blood thirst in Tom Fugalli's theatrical review of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2
The Picture
Details of the 1080p picture are crisp and clean. Once again, the Pacific Northwest serves as the setting for most of the film, but this time around, a snowy white backdrop replces the lush greenery of previous episodes in the series. While the vampires travel - briefly - to other locales, most of the scenes still look somewhat like Vancouver, where the movies were filmed, with interiors shot in elaborate sets that could be anywhere. One interior scene was filmed in New Orleans - possibly because actor Wendell Pierce couldn't leave the set of Treme to go to Vancouver.
Animation effects of the werewolves are often convincing, though sometimes the detail of the transfer gives too much of the mystery away. The PG-13 rating minimizes the gore that comes with decapitating a vampire, though heads seem to be removed as frequently as action figures in the hands of a mischievous child. The effect adds more comedy than bloody drama to the film's climactic battle between Team Cullen and the Volturi.
The Sound
Both Breaking Dawn Part 1 and Part 2 have the curious distinction of sound that is "Optimized for Late-Night Listening." It is possible that the audio of the movie is curbed for the Blu-ray audience, and the battle is not quite as awesome or dynamic as it could be. We found that, even during battle scenes, the subtle sounds of rustling in the snow came out more clearly than death blows dealt by the Volturi, which was almost distracting. Some of the battle sequences felt like they were lacking the full power that the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack had the potential to deliver. So overall, the sound mix is a bit uneven.
The Extras
A few extras help close the chapter on The Twilight Saga. A 7-part making-of documentary looks back on the series and the filming. The inside scoop on the making of Breaking Dawn - Parts 1 and 2 are discussed in "Two Movies At Once," a six-minute documentary with cast interviews. Fans can also get some explanation on the filming in the audio commentary from director Bill Condon. Part 2 has some extras that were lacking in the Extended Edition of Part 1.
Final Thoughts
Followers of the series will need to see, and possibly own, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 on Blu-ray Disc. It goes well on the shelf next to Part 1 and the rest of the series. Even those who don't aspire to own the films may have some interest in seeing the angst-ridden popular fantasy series come to a definitive close, and move on with their lives.
Product Details
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