---
title: "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2"
critics_score: 57
critics_reviews: 22
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012): what the critics said

Critics' score 57 from 22 reviews: 5 positive, 12 mixed, 5 negative.

Most critics land in the middle, and many say the same thing: this is the liveliest entry in the saga, which is not quite a recommendation. The praise clusters on two performers. Michael Sheen’s Aro is singled out again and again as the film’s high-camp pleasure, and several reviews find Kristen Stewart more relaxed and energetic as a vampire than she was as a human. The extended showdown is the sequence most often named as the point where the film wakes up.

The reservations concern everything around those moments. The digitally rendered infant Renesmee is faulted almost as widely as Sheen is praised, and a late twist is the high point for the Evening Standard and a misfire for Digital Spy and Total Film. Most agree it is a film for the faithful. The spread is wide: The Hollywood Reporter finds it dull, and Vulture, writing years later, calls it inert, while Den of Geek and Variety come close to enjoying it.

## The New Yorker

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic finds the finale ludicrously entertaining, with some reservations. They praise Michael Sheen’s camp performance and the film’s momentum, while noting its “No boys allowed” caveat.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2-2)

## Variety — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 November 2012. 

Chang finds the finale unexpectedly lively and exciting, praising its audacious extended showdown and Kristen Stewart’s energized performance. He criticizes the digitally rendered infant Renesmee as a visual-effects misfire.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2-1117948738/)

## Empire — Helen O'Hara

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 April 2012. 

O'Hara finds the finale a satisfying conclusion for fans, though newcomers may be confused and the first half drags. She praises the leads’ ease in their roles and singles out Michael Sheen’s flamboyant performance.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2-review/)

## Evening Standard

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2012. 

The critic calls it a fitfully brilliant finale, despite a weak second act. They single out the climactic twist and action as the film’s high point.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/twilight-breaking-dawn-part-2-115mins-12a-review-8322741.html)

## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2012. 

Sharkey calls it the best entry in the series, while cautioning that fan appeal should not be mistaken for praise. She singles out Kristen Stewart’s lively performance as Bella, while faulting the dialogue and effects.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-twilight-breaking-dawn-2-review-20121116-story.html)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page content is unavailable, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint can be verified.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2-2012)

## Screen Daily — Brent Simon

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 13 November 2012. 

The page identifies this as a review, but the review text is hidden behind a paywall. Its verdict and any specific praise or complaint are not visible.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2/5048948.article)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 16 November 2012. 

The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No praise or complaint can be reliably identified from the available text.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/16/movies/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2-ends-the-series.html)

## Slant Magazine — R. Kurt Osenlund

Rating 2.5/4. 15 November 2012. 

Osenlund finds this the first compulsively watchable Twilight installment, though it still leans on contrived drama and thin characterizations. He praises Kristen Stewart’s lively performance as Bella and the finale’s surprisingly affecting romance.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2/)

## Radio Times — Karen Krizanovich

Rating 3/5. 

Krizanovich says the finale should please the many devoted fans and may win over some newcomers. She singles out Bill Condon’s visual achievement as its standout strength.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-e14r8u/breaking-dawn-part-two/)

## Time Out — Guy Lodge

Rating 3/5. 15 November 2012. 

The three-star rating suggests a mixed verdict. The description singles out the saga’s vanilla vampire-chronicle quality as a complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-two)

## The AV Club — Genevieve Koski

Rating C. 15 November 2012. 

Koski finds the film a messy, fan-focused conclusion that will satisfy devotees but leave others unmoved. She praises the campy humor in Jacob’s scenes, while criticizing the rushed handling of conflicts and the finale’s retreat from consequence.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2-1798174988)

## Total Film — Emma Dibdin

Rating 2/5. 15 November 2012. 

Dibdin finds the finale emotionally stunted and likely to please only devoted fans. She praises Michael Sheen’s scenery-chewing performance and the climactic battle, though a final twist undermines the latter.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2-review/)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 14 November 2012. 

Bradshaw finds the finale ultimately bland, despite a few moments of wit and the satisfaction of seeing the story conclude. He particularly criticizes the uncanny-looking CGI baby and the saga’s extensive posing and lack of real stakes.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/nov/14/twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2-review)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 13 November 2012. 

McCarthy finds the final installment stylistically mundane and often dull, with few memorable scenes. He singles out Michael Sheen’s entertaining performance as Aro for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-390070/)

## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 25 July 2018. 

Ebiri finds the finale inert and increasingly silly, with the series’ melodrama flattened into lifeless camp. He singles out Michael Sheen’s brief, genuinely forceful performance as the rare moment that brings the film to life.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-twilight-breaking-dawn-part-2.html)

## Den of Geek — Mark Harrison

Rating 3 out of 5. 16 November 2012. 

Harrison finds the finale a satisfying, entertaining improvement and the strongest entry in the saga. He especially praises Kristen Stewart’s performance and the surprisingly violent third act, while criticizing Renesmee’s unsettling visual effects.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/twilight-breaking-dawn-part-2-review/)

## /Film — Russ Fischer

Rating 5.5 out of 10. 16 November 2012. 

Fischer finds the film silly and mostly empty, but more enjoyable than its predecessors. He praises the climactic battle sequence and the cast’s playful camp, especially Michael Sheen’s performance.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/523130/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2-review-with-nothing-at-stake-the-oh-so-serious-franchise-is-free-to-play/)

## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 14 November 2012. 

The critic finds the finale entertaining and more successful than its source material, while still faulting the franchise’s underlying material. He praises Bill Condon’s wit and style, along with the film’s wintry atmosphere.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/twilight-breaking-dawn-part-2-review-vampiric-malarky-ends-some-bit-64996/)

## NME — Owen Nicholls

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 16 November 2012. 

Nicholls finds the film entertaining but largely aimed at fans, with little to win over hold-outs. He singles out Michael Sheen’s performance and the finale’s absurdity as its highlights.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/blogs/the-movies-blog/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-two-film-review-781746)

## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds

Rating 2. 16 November 2012. 

The review finds the finale a weak sign-off, marginally better than its predecessor but unlikely to win new fans. It praises Michael Sheen’s deliciously high-camp performance while criticizing the climactic twist as a dramatic misfire.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a438829/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2-digital-spy-review/)

## The Playlist

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 13 November 2012. Festival review. 

The headline suggests the critic considers it a high point for the franchise but still a low point for cinema. The page text is blocked, so no specific praise or complaint beyond that headline can be confirmed.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/rome-review-the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2-probably-a-high-point-for-the-franchise-still-a-low-for-cinema-20121113/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2.md