Synopsis: The Vampires and Werewolves must unite to fight an evil group of vampires on the hunt for Bella.
Release Date: June 30, 2010 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Romance, Action
Film Review
Production
The guilty pleasures that are the Twilight movies reach their highest level of melodramatic woe with this third installment. The movie must be referred to as a sequel, or threequel, because it starts right back up where the second one left off. If you do not know the backstory good luck figuring out who these people are and their motivations. I still firmly believe there is little, if any, merit to watching any of the Twilight movies (see Twilight: New Moon). It is still very difficult to watch many of the talented actors in the film perform worse than the guy on the street corner reciting lines from a random 70s movie. I was surprised though how Eclipse struck a chord of likability in me while watching. Considering I was in my teenage girl mindset I could see why millions flock to the theatre to watch these vapid characters. It is the same reason millions watch soap operas everyday on Television. The heightened melodrama, sexual tension, fits of jealousy, dangerous doings, and of course, the forbidden. When you bottle all of these up into a film it is very difficult to not find pleasure. Eclipse also manages to do what the others have not, it lightens the mood and quite often pokes fun at itself. The most obvious instance having to be when Edward remarks about Jacob, “Does he own a shirt?”. Yes, the objectification and fetishizing of the young not quite legal Jacob is indulged quite frequently throughout the film. At least this time it is met with laughter both on and off the screen. This is where I think the acceptance happens with Eclipse than with any of the films before. No longer is it taking itself so serious all the time. All of the characters have adopted sarcasm into their dialogue and so just when you think you cannot take any more of the toneless delivery, or ridiculous lines, a moment of relief occurs.
In terms of story there is not much new to Eclipse than what has come before. The love triangle between Bella, Jacob, and Edward is in full swing. Some new levels being added, to twist it even more and leave the viewer salivating at the thought that Bella just may go hot animal over cold hearted blood sucker. Much of the movie is spent in conversation between Bella and Jacob, Bella and Edward, and even Jacob and Edward. Gasp! These boys are learning to play nice, or are they? As for the dreaded fight between the new vampire clan and the old, wise Cullen’s…it gives you one great fight scene but otherwise, no real build up of suspense. This movie belongs to the love triangle and all else is just filler.
Writing
With so much talking going on it is amazing how repetitive and boring it all ends up being. Bella, Jacob, and Edward, in their respective scenes together, are constantly going over the same life questions and dilemmas. That would be all well and good if any of us really cared after five minutes. How many times can they talk about marriage? Or how Jacob does not want Bella to become a vampire? Or have Edward stare blankly into Bella’s eyes while he explains, for the umpteenth time, how he is hesitant about her turning? Enough already. Even if these scenes were written above a second grade school level they would still amount to nothing. For no matter how many times everyone questions their futures we all know what is going to happen because their is no depth or character development ever occurring. If it was we would have seen it by now as this is the third film. There was one shining moment and it leads me to this…I am on “Team Bella”. If only to hope that the hint of maturity, of self-assuredness, of female empowerment, she shows ever so briefly at the end of the film will build and grow in the final installment of the Twilight Saga. Bella has always been written as one of the blandest female characters ever. If her final monologue is a hint at what is to come then I eagerly await to see what happens next. I will not hold my breath though, and neither should you, that she, or any of the other characters, or the story as a whole, will grow into anything more than it has already. Meaning, nothing.
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