The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)Dir: David Slade
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner + a billion other people!
FINALLY! A Twilight film that is worth the hype.
In the third film in this massively popular series, David Slade has managed to blend the intense teen drama and the dark, supernatural conflict of the previous two films to produce an exciting, gripping, heart-breaking story. I could not be happier.
So, having experienced 'First Night Hysteria' for the New Moon release, I felt it was only right that I did the same for this film. Yes, the t-shirts, screaming girls and special edition popcorn-pepsi-keychain combos were all present - a place for which the term 'The Twilight Zone' may actually have been invented. Still, as the lights went down and the screen expanded, a few excited giggles and whoops quickly died down as the film suddenly dived straight in with the merciless creation of newborn vampire, Riley.
The film moves seamlessly from vampire-werewolf battle action to the smouldering love triangle scenes with Bella, Edward and Jacob. All three main characters have grown into their roles so much that you can finally look past the strange contacts, white face paint, awkard stuttering and propensity to go shirtless and actually feel empathy and affection for them. I want to make a particular mention of Robert Pattinson who I felt really faded in the previous film. It could have been the fact that he was in almost every scene of Eclipse but he was also breathtaking in his beauty and delivered a great performance. And here's something new - he actually smiles and jokes in this film! All this being said, Taylor Lautner's Jacob brings great warmth and humour to the screen - something that was merey glimpsed in the second movie.
The cast does not stop there, however. My dream realised, we get to spend a lot more time with the warm and boisterous wolf pack, and equally are allowed to delve further into the back stories of Jasper and Rosalie Cullen. In fact, this is a film of flashbacks, bringing greater depth to Bella's supernatural world of folklore, treaties and immortality.
The breathtaking mountains and rivers of Washington and Oregon once again provide a stunning backdrop to the action, with sweeping views of Seattle's city lights bringing an urban edge to the film. And, oh, the special effects are simply fantastic. One scene in particular which I longed to be 'done right' in its transition from page to screen is when Jasper trains the Cullens and werewolves to fight the newborn vampires. The CGI effects capture the speed, agility, power and ferocity of these creatures perfectly. I actually smiled for the duration of the short scene. Grinned like an idiot. If I could have punched the air without fear of being battered with empty popcorn tubs, I would have!
In short, this is the best film of the Saga so far. It gets everything right. My favourite book in the series has become my favourite film in the series. Isn't it nice when things just work?
My rating: ***** 5 stars
Recommendation: You will love this film more than the others. In fact, don't even bother to watch the other two first. Your 'Team____' status will be challenged more than ever before so be warned.
The film moves seamlessly from vampire-werewolf battle action to the smouldering love triangle scenes with Bella, Edward and Jacob. All three main characters have grown into their roles so much that you can finally look past the strange contacts, white face paint, awkard stuttering and propensity to go shirtless and actually feel empathy and affection for them. I want to make a particular mention of Robert Pattinson who I felt really faded in the previous film. It could have been the fact that he was in almost every scene of Eclipse but he was also breathtaking in his beauty and delivered a great performance. And here's something new - he actually smiles and jokes in this film! All this being said, Taylor Lautner's Jacob brings great warmth and humour to the screen - something that was merey glimpsed in the second movie.
The cast does not stop there, however. My dream realised, we get to spend a lot more time with the warm and boisterous wolf pack, and equally are allowed to delve further into the back stories of Jasper and Rosalie Cullen. In fact, this is a film of flashbacks, bringing greater depth to Bella's supernatural world of folklore, treaties and immortality.
The breathtaking mountains and rivers of Washington and Oregon once again provide a stunning backdrop to the action, with sweeping views of Seattle's city lights bringing an urban edge to the film. And, oh, the special effects are simply fantastic. One scene in particular which I longed to be 'done right' in its transition from page to screen is when Jasper trains the Cullens and werewolves to fight the newborn vampires. The CGI effects capture the speed, agility, power and ferocity of these creatures perfectly. I actually smiled for the duration of the short scene. Grinned like an idiot. If I could have punched the air without fear of being battered with empty popcorn tubs, I would have!
In short, this is the best film of the Saga so far. It gets everything right. My favourite book in the series has become my favourite film in the series. Isn't it nice when things just work?
My rating: ***** 5 stars
Recommendation: You will love this film more than the others. In fact, don't even bother to watch the other two first. Your 'Team____' status will be challenged more than ever before so be warned.
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