The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - Movie Review

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Part 3 of Stephenie Meyer's blockbuster tale continues the downward spiral of moping. It's efficiently made, with a few moments of energy and levity, but everyone really needs to lighten up.

Even though they're now pledged to be together forever, Bella (Stewart) and her dreamy vampire boyfriend Edward (Pattinson) are stuck in a gloomy funk. Not only does she have lingering feelings for Edward's mortal enemy, the hard-bodied werewolf Jacob (Lautner), but vengeful vampire Victoria (Howard) is still after her. Meanwhile, an army of young-blood vampires is building in nearby Seattle, mobilised by the hot-headed Riley (Samuel). And a Vulpari delegation, led by pain-monger Jane (Fanning) is on its way to clean up the mess.

Director Slade does manage to crank up the momentum in the film's final act, but before then it's just scene after scene of painfully dull soul-searching as Bella and Edward mumble about true love while Jacob tries to convince Bella that she really loves him. The problem is that Jacob is so much more interesting that it's a no-brainer: not only is he hot-blooded, but he also has a sense of humour. And he refuses to put a shirt on over his outrageously sculpted torso.

But no, Bella yearns for diamond-skinned "old school" Edward. Maybe if Pattinson were allowed to invest a little more personality into the character we might understand why. Or if Stewart actually showed any emotion beyond sulking. Besides Jacob, the most interesting characters are Edward's lively family (including Facinelli, Reed, Greene and Lutz). And Bella's school buddy Jessica (Kendrick) is so much more engaging that we almost wish the film were about her instead.

Audiences who haven't seen the first two films will find the first hour of this one intolerably dreary, and frankly the rest of the film isn't that much better. The effects are decent but never convincing. And the lacklustre pacing, complete with several irrelevant period flashbacks, makes it tediously unfocused. But the premise is still compelling, and if you've made it to this point this chapter is an essential part of the saga. So grit your teeth and suffer through: it's not unwatchable, but it should've been so much better.

Facts and Figures

Year: 2010

Genre: Romance

Run time: 124 mins

In Theaters: Wednesday 30th June 2010

Box Office USA: $300.5M

Box Office Worldwide: $300.5M

Budget: $65M

Distributed by: Summit Entertainment

Production compaines: Sunswept Entertainment, Summit Entertainment, Temple Hill Entertainment, Maverick Films, Imprint Entertainment

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 2.5 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 49%
Fresh: 114 Rotten: 120

IMDB: 4.9 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director: David Slade

Producer: Wyck Godfrey, Greg Mooradian, Karen Rosenfelt

Screenwriter: Melissa Rosenberg

Starring: Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black, Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen, Peter Facinelli as Carlisle Cullen, Billy Burke as Charlie Swan, Elizabeth Reaser as Esme Cullen, Nikki Reed as Rosalie Hale, Kellan Lutz as Emmett Cullen, Jackson Rathbone as Jasper Hale, Gil Birmingham as Billy Black, Anna Kendrick as Jessica, Michael Welch as Mike Newton, Christian Serratos as Angela Weber, Bryce Dallas Howard as Victoria, Justin Chon as Eric, Xavier Samuel as Riley, Kirsten Prout as Lucy, Dakota Fanning as Jane, Sarah Clarke as Renée, Cameron Bright as Alec, Catalina Sandino Moreno as Maria, Booboo Stewart as Seth, Julia Jones as Leah, Chaske Spencer as Sam Uley

Also starring: Wyck Godfrey, Melissa Rosenberg