The 'cheesy' Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2 teaser: 5 talking points

In a groan-inducing clip, Bella is transformed into a red-eyed vampire eager to chow down on an innocent deer

Thanks to a new 48-second teaser, Twi-hards can finally satisfy their urge to see Bella Swan transform into a blood-thirsty vampire.
(Image credit: YouTube)

Last weekend wasn't all about The Hunger Games. Another film franchise with a rabid fanbase managed to steal a sliver of the spotlight for itself. A 48-second teaser for the final Twilight film, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2, debuted in front of The Hunger Games, and now it's been released online. (Watch the video below.) The oh-so-brief clip begins with Kristen Stewart (Bella) narrating: "After 18 years of being utterly ordinary, I finally found that I can shine," alluding to her transformation into a vampire. Robert Pattinson (her husband, vampire Edward) and Taylor Lautner (lovesick werewolf Jacob) also make blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearances in the teaser, which, even in its brevity, has fans and critics buzzing in anticipation of the film's November release. Here's what they're going on about:

1. Bella is a vampire...

Once we see Bella's eyes turn blood-red, it's clear that her transformation into a vampire is complete, which should "speak to fans who have been craving this next step for Bella since the first movie," says Jocelyn Vena at MTV. We'll finally get to see some much-needed strength and confidence from the typically reserved character. Actually, I find Bella "even less compelling" as a vampire, says Natalie Zutter at Crushable. At least when she was an awkward klutz, she had a semblance of charm.

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2. ...And she likes to eat deer

The climax of the teaser is a pseudo-cliffhanger in which vampire Bella "channels her inner Katniss" [Everdeen, heroine of The Hunger Games] and apparently goes hunting for deer in the woods — which she will presumably eat to abide by Edward's family pledge not to kill humans for blood, says Christina Everett at New York's Daily News. "It's going to be a bad day for Bambi, isn't it?" says Ali Plumb at Empire.

3. The clip is packed with corny lines...

There are embarrassingly "cheesy" lines from both Lautner's Jacob ("I didn't expect you to seem so… you") and Pattinson's Edward ("We're the same temperature now"), says Terri Schwartz at iVillage. Pattinson's may be one of the most ridiculous cinematic lines ever intended to make audiences swoon, says Sarah Anne Hughes at The Washington Post. Please, says Vena. I think it all sounds "pretty sexy and romantic."

4. ...And it's awfully short

At just 48 seconds, devoid of action scenes, and offering only the barest glimpse at the plot, the teaser "just isn't that compelling," says Zutter. It's so short and vague that it fails to "muster up any enthusiasm" for the upcoming film. Actually, while it may be short, says Vena, the teaser is "very, very sweet."

5. The Hunger Games slays it

Now that The Hunger Games has arrived, it's "stealing every bit of the thunder among the usual Twilight audience," says Katey Rich at Cinema Blend. Indeed, the final Twilight film seems "long beyond its expiration date," says Zutter. Not only is Katniss Everdeen "so much cooler" than Bella Swan, but the interminable wait between the final two Twilight films has caused the once-frenzied anticipation to peter out.

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