Director: David Slade
Writers: Melissa Rosenberg (screenplay), Stephanie Meyer (novel)
Cast: Xavier Samuel, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, and Bryce Dallas Howard
Rated: PG-13

Twilight EclipseI’ve made it no secret that I enjoy the Twilight movies. Yes, I am a straight male Twilight fan; deal with it. In my extensive review of the last installment, New Moon, I’ve pointed out why the movies work for me as well as what my problems with the movies are. Needless to say that when I heard David Slade, director of one of my favorite vampire movies ever, 30 Days of Night, was directing Eclipse, my excitement grew.

The story of course picks up where the last one left off. Bella (Stewart) still wants to become a vampire, Edward (Pattinson) still wants to marry Bella. Jacob (Lautner) still wants Bella while Bella still shows feelings for him as well. Also the threat of our red-haired villain Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard replaces Rachelle Lefevre) returns. Meanwhile, the arcane Volturi clan lead by Jane (Dakota Fanning) ventures to Forks as packs of newborn vampires, led by Riley (Samuel) start a slew of murders throughout Seattle. Oh, then there’s the alliance of the Cullens and the Quileute werewolves.

Slade does leave his own mark on this installment in the series. There are some great camera angles, nice night shots (as to be expected, 30 Days of Night was gorgeous for taking place entirely in the dark), and exhilarating action sequences. The romance scenes are tastefully done as to not be inappropriate for younger viewers (more on that later), while being extremely sexy at the same time.

The acting this time around is consistent with the others, and I’ll repeat again that those naysayers doubting the abilities of the cast have mistaken. This is a fairy tale style romance drama, with exaggerated dialog and emotions, eye candy, and love as the center focus of the film. Throw in De Niro in this movie and one might say he sucks as an actor as well.

Something I particularly enjoyed in this movie were the flashbacks. We see tales of Jacob’s tribe in dealing with vampires – which one particular story makes an impact on Bella. Also Rosalie (Nikki Reed) gets some good camera time as she reveals her vampiric origins.  Our previously quiet, blood-thirsty Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) reveals his past as well and takes more of a leadership role in Eclipse. It was very nice to be able to learn more about these characters and their backgrounds. Having so many characters, it’s hard to feel connected to any but I feel they did a nice job shedding small bits of light on each one at a time.

On the surface, the movie may not seem like it sends the best messages to young girls. Bella devotes her life to a boy, toys with the notion of getting married immediately after graduation, and wants to make a life changing decision that will, well, end her life – all for a boy. That may seem scary to parents, but if we take a closer look, there’s a lot there to applaud.

First, Edward is ‘old school.’ He refuses to have sex until marriage. There’s a scene where Bella throws her self at him, tells him she wants to do it, and he refuses. How many males would do that this day and age? There’s another scene with Bella talking to her dad about safe sex; it’s a cute moment.

And finally there’s the notion of staying true to one’s self. Everyone around Bella constantly tells her how she needs to be, what decisions she needs to make. Bella’s character shows growth and strength as she acknowledges her true feelings, and sticks to what her heart cannot deny. Sure, making a choice to never experience a full life is a little out there, but Bella is different, she knows what she wants, and in her own way is still living her life on her terms, not for a boy, but for making spontaneous decisions, going the path less traveled, and knowing that she has no regrets.

So what did I not like about this film? I expected the Volturi to be more of a threat in this one. Though they do make a menacing appearance, I had the feeling they would have had a larger role. The battle sequence, while awesome, could have been a little longer. The film, like its predecessors, spends much time with the build up and the emotional angles. And though David Slade did have some great looking scenes, I expected this film to have more of a darker feel to it that would make it stand out more from the others (perhaps this was under the studio’s control though).

Overall this film is highly enjoyable for those with an imagination and a soft heart. There’s a potential love triangle, uncommon alliances, intense fight scenes featuring werewolves and vampires, and plenty of comic relief to top it off. I have to say that being in a theater (regardless of it being primarily girls and women – I’m not complaining) with everyone laughing out loud during the subtle cute moments in the film made the whole experience much more fun.

Hey these movies may not be for everyone; although I will still never understand the Twilight hate campaigns and ridiculously low IMDb scores. Forget the traditional notions of vampires; wake up people, they’re not real, why do they have to adhere to a rule book? I enjoy these movies for my own reasons, and much like our heroine I form my own decisions. I’ve still never read the books at the time of this writing, but I still can’t help but get lost in the story.

On a side note, Kristen Stewart continues to win my heart…

IMDb/trailer | Official Twilight movie site

Share