Eclipse Review
In this movie, the third in the Twilight series, Bella (Kristen Stewart) finds herself forced to choose between Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). That may not seem like a big deal considering that was the plot of the second film, New Moon, but there's a twist. At the end of New Moon Edward proposed to Bella. Jacob and Bella had gotten close, and this leaves her torn. In the midst of all this, a vampire army, started by Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard, taking the place of Rachelle Lafevre) when she turned Riley (Aussie import Xavier Samuels). Now he's leading the army, and the wolves and vampires are ready for battle to protect Bella, who is an ally to both. By the end of the movie, Bella is coming of age. No longer an awkward teenager, she's moving on to becoming a woman, knowing exactly who she is and what she wants.
I have to say that between the three films so far, this is my favorite. David Slade has an eye for suspense and drama. This is the same man who directed Ellen Page during the infamous vasectomy scene in Hard Candy and directed another great vampire movie, 30 Days of Night. While the vampire mythology between the two movies is different, both vampires are equally vicious in battle, and I don't think anyone could have captured that ferocity better. Lautner and Pattinson both played their parts with heart and strength. Stewart's Bella seems stronger this time around whereas before she seemed more awkward and naive. There was more focus on the rest of the Cullen family in this film, which is great because there wasn't enough in the previous two. The flashbacks telling the origins of Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) and Rosalie (Nikki Reed) were visually breathtaking. One excellent part was Rosalie getting revenge on her former fiance in her wedding gown, her eyes a very bloody shade of red. A major change in the movie was the replacement of Rachelle Lafevre (Victoria in the previous two films) with Bryce Dallas Howard (the daughter of famed Apollo 13 director Ron Howard). Her features were doll-like and her voice had an innocent quality but when she got angry, she got really angry. I think people underestimated her, but she's proof that big things come in small packages. I was really glad to see Gil Birmingham (as Billy Black) and Billy Burke (as Charlie Swan) used more in this movie. They're not necessarily bit players and they're not the main attraction, but that doesn't mean their talents should be taken for granted. In relation to interaction with each other, the training sequence with the Cullens and the wolves was great. Jasper and Alice (Ashley Greene) were adorable. Emmett (Kellan Lutz) proves himself to be the playful beefcake of the group. Carlisle (Peter Facinelli) and Edward also spar, and it really is like watching a father and son wrestling, but not in a George Costanza/Festivus kinda way. =)
There were some things I really loved about this movie and some things that were lackluster:
Good: a) Dialog: Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg paid attention to key dialog from the book that fans would notice had it been left out. Ex: Bella declares she's "Switzerland", Emmett makes fun of Bella for breaking her arm until she mentions that she punched a werewolf.
b) Effects: Bella's punch to Jacob's face looked convincing, despite Kristen Stewart's doubts. The scene was shot in two parts, where Stewart first punched a black prop box and in the second part, Lautner stood in the prop's place. Another great effect was the CGI wolves. Jacob was HUGE standing next to Bella during the training sequence and the attention to the detail of each wolf was astonishing.
c) Filming: I'd heard people complain about shaky camera work during the film but I didn't notice. And NO BLUE FILTER (thank God) except for evening scenes. There was some fantastic transition between scenes, especially from Rosalie's flashback scene to Riley scolding the newborn army.
d) Costumes: The hair and makeup in this film seemed more natural. Stewart had to wear a wig in this film and in New Moon because of her short style leftover from filming The Runaways (with Dakota Fanning, who plays Jane, one of the Volturi) but this time, it didn't look as obvious. And while Jackson Rathbone's hair changes with each director, it looked better this time. Also, the vampires didn't look like they were wearing tons of talcum powder to make them pale. The skin coloration was a bit more subtle but still convincing.
Bad: a) Music: The usage of music in the film ranged from cheesy to decent. The Beck & Bat for Lashes song "Let's Get Lost" left me yawning, but Sia's "My Love" (played during one of Edward and Bella's scenes) was a great choice. The soundtrack for this film has some good artists on it, but it doesn't flow as well as the soundtrack for New Moon.
b) The tent scene: I have to say, this was a lot milder than I thought it would be. The exchange between Jacob and Edward is still intense, but the actors said re-shoots were done because Slade wanted the scene to be slightly more erotic. I didn't sense that from watching it.
I fully intend to see the movie again and can't wait to buy it on DVD. Definitely worth watching if you haven't seen it yet, even if you aren't necessarily a fan of the series.