Eclipse is officially in theaters. We all know what it is. It’s infiltrated every part of our daily lives...our fast food cups, our car ads, even our clothing stores are jumping on the vamp wagon and no one has been left unexposed. It’s most epic book to movie release since Harry Potter (if you don’t believe that just remember why Harry’s release date was scared into changing) and has proven it’s influence in pop culture, consumerism, and movie making. And you know what they sayâ€with great power, comes great responsibility. A responsibility to deliver a product that satisfies the hearts of tweens, women, and the poor boys they drag along alike. Eclipse marks the third chapter in the Twilight Saga and tells a surprisingly good story that blows it predecessors out of the water.
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Eclipse picks up shortly after Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart) have escaped the Volturi and reconnected back in Forks. Bella is being ignored by her werewolf best friend, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), while rapid vampires wreak havoc in Seattle. We aren’t sure who’s behind the attacks, but we do know Victoria is still out to avenge the death of Laurent and the Volturi is still expecting the Cullens to change Bella. Natural born enemies, the Cullen clan and werewolves are forced to team up when the army of newborns threatens Forks, and most importantly, Bella. Jacob begins a fierce fight for Bella’s love after admitting his feelings and learning about her plans for Edward to change her after graduation, creating a supernatural love triangle among them.
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I must commend the minds behind the Twilight Saga for truly learning as they go along. In a movie world where sequels never live up to the originals, Eclipse proves that progression in film series is possible. The third book is no better than the first and second, but this installment of the movie saga is definitely the best. Rather than failing to capture certain charming qualities of the novels, like the first films did, Eclipse actually enhances the story. They beefed up the Edward/Jacob feud, maintained Bella’s independent attitude, and gave us more action than we expected. Eclipse adds a layer to the book we never knew we wanted, but are more than happy to accept.
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The true Eclipse stars are Edward and Jacob. Their rival characters have a great frenemy chemistry we haven’t experienced in the first two films. Twilight was all about Edward, New Moon was all about Jacob, and now we get the best of both worlds. Pattinson and Lautner’s jealous banter and frequent humorous stabs make up an unpredictable and interesting relationship to watch unfold. The choice to purposefully fuel the real-world team Edward vs. team Jacob feud by amping up their rivalry even more than the original story did is the best decision Eclipse writers could have made.
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Now to the menâ€race yourselfâ€ou might just like it too. There is a heck of a lot more action than the first movies, a nice man-jealously relation you can identify with, and minimal over-the-top-romantic-snoozefest dialogue. And the five of you who haven’t read the books? You’re going to like it too. This if the first segment of the saga to live up to the awesomeness of the novels, which means you’re only going to like it better than the first two for all the reasons we do.
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The Twilight Saga is sort of a breed of it’s own, which means comparing it with things other than itself isn’t always the easiest task. So, what we really want to know is, can Eclipse hold up against the complete movie scene? I say yes. Surprisingly it’s really, really, good. The plot and character development are a lot deeper than expected, the action scenes (including some good kills) are a nice balance to the ooey-gooey bullshit, and it’s just a fun watch. The third time really is a charm, in Twilight world and otherwise.
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Overall rating 4/5
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