Bella Cullen’s thirsty, scarlet eyes brought a startling end to the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 in November 2011, and now, this November, those same eyes flicker across the screen as Bella wakes up to start her new life as a wife, mother and vampire.
While sitting in the the theater, it was clear that the audience expects to see a completely refined Bella, played by Kristen Stewart, but is shocked that Bella looks almost the same as she did when she was a human.  Mumbles run through the theater as people complain that she does not look as extraordinary as they had hoped.  However, she surprises viewers, as well as her vampire husband Edward, played by Robert Pattinson, by pulling him into a crushing hug with her supernatural strength.
The movie proceeds, closely following the story of the novel it is based on, Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyers.  The once Bella-crazy Jacob Black, played by Taylor Lautner, has a new love.  The new object of his desire is Renesmee Cullen, played by Mackenzie Foy, who is Bella and Edward’s half human and half vampire daughter.
While society would typically discourage a romance between a newborn and an 18-year-old, Twilight fans insist that it helps complete all of the love interests between the characters.
“At least it’s not Jacob’s fault that he loves Renesmee.  He didn’t voluntarily imprint on her,” junior Amy Lafluer said.
Others disagree with the scandalous pair.
“It’s creepy,” sophomore Mari Riera said.
Remember that the role Renesmee plays as Jacob’s future love is not her only purpose in the movie.  The vampire royalty, the Italian Volturi, arrive to punish the Cullens for creating a newborn, fully vampire child.  It is up to Bella and Renesmee, showcasing their new vampire powers, to save the Cullen clan and Jacob’s wolf pack from the falsely targeted royal wrath.
The Cullens reach out to friends from all over the world to stand witness that Renesmee is only part vampire, and that the Cullens did not purposely transform a once human child.  The power of child-like innocence is highlighted as Renesmee reaches her hand out to touch the faces of all of the potential witnesses.  She uses her powers to show them memories from the time of Bella’s pregnancy with her, convincing them of her partial humanity.
Because this is a Twilight movie, most viewers expect to see a big fight followed by a happy ending.  What most are not prepared for is the vision that the psychic Alice, played by Ashley Greene, shows the head of the Volturi, Aro, played by Michael Sheen.  Scenes of bloody battle between the Cullens and wolf pack against the Volturi, with significant deaths on both the sides, horrify the audience as some of the most crucial characters are killed.
The transition from Alice touching Aro, allowing him to see the future with her, and the actual fight is incredibly sneaky.  The entire audience screams once the violence commences, not realizing that it is just a vision of what will happen if Aro insists on destroying Renesmee for fear of the secret of vampires being revealed.
Once the shot zooms out to reveal Alice holding a shaking Aro’s hand, it is clear that no harm actually occurs, and the viewers let out a sigh of relief.  Aro understands that a fight will only bring his own demise and the Volturi leave peacefully.
The movie ends with a wide-shot of a peaceful Edward and Bella lying in the same meadow in which they appear in the first Twilight movie.  Bella lifts her magical defensive shield from her body, which allows Edward to read her thoughts for the very first time.  She takes him through a montage of their relationship, from the time they first met, up through when she becomes a vampire.
The couple kisses, leaving the audience with the sweet memory of Bella and Edward’s eternal love.  A simple ending to an explosively popular movie series.
For many, the thought that the madness of vampire-obsessed teenage girls is over, is a relief.
“It makes me mad how much others love it all so much.  It makes me hate it more” senior Jackie Gross said.
For those who cannot imagine that the Twilight movies are over, remember that Bella and Edward’s closing kiss is not the mark of the end of an era, but rather the beginning of forever.
 
– Bianca Chiappelloni, Staff Writer