So the day has finally arrived where the hyper-phenomenal ‘Twilight’ franchise draws to a close. Years of melodrama, fangirl obsessions, and pre-teen squeals have led to this final installment, and you know what? It isn’t half bad. ‘Breaking Dawn – Part 2’ is the second half to last year’s ‘Breaking Dawn – Part 1‘, both directed by Bill Condon (‘Dreamgirls’). Last year I stated ‘Part 1’ was the most enjoyable ‘Twilight’ thus far, mostly because it featured genuine laughs and even poked fun at itself. ‘Part 2’ does this even better, and, with a new band of supporting characters and self-referential humor, is the best ‘Twilight’ of them all.

‘Part 2’ picks up right where the last ended, with Bella (Kristen Stewart) now a full-fledged vampire. With her new vampire powers, the old dull and lifeless Bella is gone. In her place is now a fun and more active character, though Bella is still pretty awkward because it’s Kristen Stewart. Bella and Edward’s (Robert Pattinson) newborn daughter Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy) is a half-human, half-vampire hybrid who grows at a miraculously fast pace; within a few months she looks like an 8-year-old!

Renesmee poses a potential threat to the vampire world as an individual of her kind has never been seen or recorded before. The Volturi, the Italian vampire coven and self-appointed rulers and police of the vampire world, see Renesmee as a dangerous liability that could reveal vampires to the rest of the world. To prove Renesmee’s innocence and lack of danger, the Cullen family gather all their friends and family to stand with them against the Volturi.

This leads to a reunion of wildly different vampires we’ve never seen before, or some we’ve seen for a few seconds in ‘Part 1’. These are vampires from different backgrounds, like Ireland, Britain, or the Amazon. They all have unique abilities, such as the power to control the natural elements or the power to create illusions. This all sounds like a cheesy “rag-tag team” kind of plot, and it is, but it adds more fun to the series, which has been severely lacking.

One thing that has always surprised me about the ‘Twilight’ franchise is the seriously shoddy special effects. The first film can be excused as it was a small-budget film and Summit didn’t realize what a big hit the serious would be. However, these final two films have budgets over $100 million that doesn’t translate to the screen. What’s with the crappy green screen in the beginning of ‘Part 2’ when Bella is running for the first time at vampire speed? At least the werewolves still look great, this time without the horrible human voice-overs.

The biggest hurdle with the production of ‘Part 2’ is the aging of Renesmee. They’ve made her face look the same throughout her growth, which means the infant form of Renesmee is computer generated. The baby looks realistic, but it has that “off” appearance that reaches the uncanny valley territory. It’s sometimes disturbing.

The other criticism the serious has always had trouble with is the fight sequences and the anticlimactic-ness of each story. The third act battle is more entertaining than any fight we’ve seen in past films, but they’re still underwhelming compared to other novel finales like ‘Harry Potter’. The conclusion to ‘Part 2’ is just as anticlimactic as every other ‘Twilight’ feature. Does it feel worth five films in getting to? Not quite, but maybe it is for those who’ve read the books. Everything that has happened throughout the series, the love triangle, Victoria’s revenge and her vampire army, and the dangerous Volturi, never builds to anything worthwhile. But perhaps that was never the intent. Author Stephanie Meyer has stated the story was always about Bella and Edward’s love story. I just wish the entire story was better plotted.

Still, ‘Breaking Dawn – Part 2’ is a surprisingly entertaining ‘Twilight’ film that benefits from its self-deprecating sense of humor. Jacob (Taylor Lautner) gets to take his shirt off one last time, but what he does in the scene pokes fun at the whole situation. Edward and Bella’s have another sex scene, and it’s just as funny as the first, though without the added benefit of the bed breaking. Bella’s reaction to Jacob’s “imprinting,” a natural reaction werewolves have that signifies they’ve found a soul mate, is humorous because she says exactly what everyone in the audience has been thinking. The film closes with a touching montage of Bella and Edward’s love, as well as a montage of every actor who has appeared in the ‘Twilight’ films, even the really minor roles. It’s a nice way to close the final chapter of this hit franchise. So long, ‘Twilight’!