After three films in three years that have burned up the Box Office, it’s fair to say the “Twilight” film saga, much like the books upon which they are based, is a global phenomenon.
The films have made stars of the three principle leads — Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner — and inspired legions of dedicated fans with stories that are a mix of vampire mythology and angsty teen drama.
“Eclipse,” the third film in the franchise, ramps up the action a bit more with a war among the vampires and werewolves, but the heart of the films remains the love triangle between Bella (Stewart), her vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen (Pattinson) and her love-struck werewolf friend Jacob (Lautner).
As the “action” of “Eclipse” picks up, Bella is still singing the same tune — she wants to be changed into a vampire to be with Edward always. He’s not as hot for the idea. Neither is Jacob, who believes that he offers Bella a better chance at living a fuller life. This creates plenty of tension among the three.
But soon Edward and Jacob have to put aside their differences because Bella’s life is threatened by the creation of a new vampire army. The group is led by new vampire Riley (Xavier Samuel), who is really just a pawn being used by Edward and Bella’s nemesis Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard).
Realizing the threat posed by this army will require greater force than either can muster on their own, Edward and his family join forces with Jacob and his wolf pack to defend Bella and the town of Forks from the invading army.
The Cullen clan also hopes to dispatch this threat before the nefarious Volturi descend on Forks and do it themselves.
“Eclipse” is a bit darker and certainly the edgiest of the “Twilight” films. Director David Slade (“Hard Candy,” “30 Days of Night”), though he handles the angsty drama well, clearly was brought in for his experience with darker fare. This serves “Eclipse” well as the vampire army is built and during the climactic battle sequences.
However, “Eclipse” isn’t totally action-oriented. Though early trailers might give the appearance of it being an up-tempo summer action film, it takes a while for the epic showdown to materialize, and even then the real focus remains on the interpersonal dynamics of the three leads.
For much of the preceding film, “New Moon,” and this latest installment, the focus is on the choice Bella faces. Each of her suitors presents their case, and while the attempt is made to give the feel of it being a tough, drawn out decision, there never really seems to be much mystery about where it is going. Of course, fans of the book series already knew that going in — as did most people who have a television set in this country.
The three young stars of the “Twilight” series have been everywhere recently. And while their complicated relationship takes center stage in the film, it isn’t the most interesting part of “Eclipse.” What the casual fan and filmgoer will likely appreciate is the fact that in this third film the supporting ensemble is given a greater chance to shine.
In this film the audience finally gets a little of the back story for other members of the Cullen family, giving Nikki Reed, who plays Rosalie, and Jackson Rathbone, who plays Jasper, a chance to stretch and shine a bit. Dakota Fanning, who reprises the role of the creepy Volturi leader Jane, also delivers a strong, albeit brief, performance in the third film.
Among Bella’s human connections, Billy Burke, who plays her dad Charlie, and Anna Kendrick, who plays her friend Jessica, are the best scene-stealers. Not surprising since Kendrick’s work outside the “Twilight” series — which netted her a Best Supporting Actress nomination last year — revealed her to be quite a talented young actress.
That said, there are a couple things about the film that didn’t work for me. Some of the dialogue is laughable. Doubtless most of the offending lines in the script from Melissa Rosenberg were culled from the pages of the novel, but still they don’t always work when said aloud. Sometimes the dialogue in key dramatic sequences creates a bit of unintentional comedy.
Additionally, this film felt a bit deceptive. It starts out with ominous tidings about the impending war, however not enough time is devoted to building up the principle villains. Howard is a more marquee performer in the role of Victoria — and slides easily into the role previously occupied by Rachelle Lefevre — but she isn’t really given a lot to do and isn’t on the screen that much in the film, minimizing the effect of the final confrontation between Victoria and Edward.
Also marginalized is the war itself. After so much build up, the actual action of the battle is relegated to a few minutes in the final act. Then the film quickly jumps back into the unending angst of the relationship between Bella, Edward and Jacob. It would have been nice to see a little more payoff for such a tremendous build up.
These, however, are minor quibbles to the franchise’ core fan base. And this is certainly the most entertaining of the film series so far. It’s amazing to see how far the technical aspects of the film have come as well. When “Twilight” was released in 2008, it was clearly made on a shoe-string budget by a small studio. After bringing in huge sums for the first two films, the polish in the technique and expanded budget are evident in the production values on the screen in “Eclipse.” For those fans that just can’t get enough of Bella, Edward and Jacob, this film is a can’t miss summer hit. And for those looking for a little escapism this summer, “Eclipse” works better than most of the films released thus far.
“Eclipse” has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for intense sequences of action and violence, and some sensuality.
Three stars out of four.
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