Films: Twilight Saga Eclipse (2010)

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.

Films: The Twilight Saga: New Moon

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Dir. Chris Weitz
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke

Firstly, I'd like all two of my regular readers to appreciate that I saw this film on the very day it was released. I also started to write this blog as soon as I returned from the cinema. However, I'm glad that I left it this long to finally publish this one, which I will explain now.

I followed a trio of giggling teens sporting a selection of Twilight themed t-shirts into the theatre. I took my seat and soon realised I was surrounded by hundreds of these people. The trailers seemed to go on forever as the hysteria built to astronomical levels. Then, the film certification slide appeared and screams filled the room. I mean, actual screams just at the sight of those three little words: The Twilight Saga. It was then that I knew this would be a cinematic experience like none other. Pause to consider for a moment that this film made millions at the box office and reached the number 1 spot even before it was released. Madness.

The throng of hormones screamed, sighed, tutted, cheered and sobbed in unison every time Taylor Lautner or Rob Pattinson came on screen, and even more hysterically when their shirts started to come off. The worst part was, mob mentality got the better of me, and I joined them, even to the applause as the final credits rolled. This was exactly the reason that an instant blog would have been an error. Now, without my vocal comrades around me, in the quiet of my front room, my enthusiasm and love for the movie have worn off. I enjoyed the film, but it fell short in many ways.

Chris Weitz has coped well with the task of bringing the second book in the Twilight Saga to the screen. He had to deal with glistening vampires, a mass mob in Italy, men transforming into werewolves, and he did not have the first film's now iconic leading man 'RPattz' featuring for more than 30 mins together. The CGI used to create the werewolves is quite impressive, as is the vampire's sparkling skin effect. The cinematography is also good, the Seattle landscape once again boasting some beautiful views.

However, I struggled with the performance of Kristin Stewart (could she actually have become more awkward than she was in Twilight?) and the scenes between her and Robert Pattinson are, at times, laboured and cheesy. There is none of that electrifying chemistry that melted my bones throughout Twilight. In fact, Lautner saves the movie. It is not just his glorious body that lights up the screen, but his ease infront of the camera. And he gets to deliver some pretty smashing comic lines. I wish there had be a little more of the film devoted to time spent with the wolf pack as in the book because this would have lightened the tone of a very complicated and emotional story. It comes off as a perfectly irritating portrayal of teen angst and sexual frustration.

With all of that said, it's pretty faithful to the book (read my review of the saga to see why this is my least favourite of them!). New Moon leaves us with a perfectly unsatisfying cliffhanger - unless you have read the books - which of course guarantees a repeat of the insane hysteria next year for part three.

My Rating: *** 3/5 stars
Recommendation: Take it with a pinch of salt. Allow yourself to cringe a little and remember that the best really is yet to come!

Books: The Twilight Saga

The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyers; Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn
Okay, I'm feeling sheepish. The bandwagon definately passed me by, it's passengers waving and hollering in a cloud of dust. Twilight simply did not exist for me until a few months ago.

I have just finished reading the final book in the Twilight Saga. I am completely sold.

I could write a review of each separate book, because, like most Twi-fans, I have my favourites. But instead I've decided to give you a brief rundown and then let you go discover them for yourself. Feel free to check back and let me know which book you liked best!

Likened to a modern Romeo and Juliet story, the Twilight saga basically centres around two teenagers who fall in love, despite the fact that one is a human and the other a vampire. Of course, their relationship quickly becomes the catalyst for a lot of tricky situations, including the restoration of several age-old legends, truces and rivalries.

Bella Swan moves to the small, rainy town of Forks, Washington to live with her dad. Life is dull an repetitive until she encounters the Cullen family. It takes little time for Bella, to realise there is something different abouth this family and, as Edward swoops in to save her from a car accident, their lives become unavoidably linked. Bella starts to put together the pieces; stunning beauty, impossible strength and speed, ice-cold skin. A book of Quileute legends hands her the only possible explanation - he is a vampire. Bella is single-minded in her love for Edward, however, and can't begin to imagine life without him. So, despite his craving for her blood, and the scathing looks from his siblings, Edward and Bella stay together.

Lucky for Bella, the Cullens are a family of "vegetarian" vampires, choosing to feed only on the blood of animals rather than humans. While Rosalie takes an almost instant disliking to Bella, the others, Emmet, Jasper and Alice, all seem very welcoming. However, with Bella, a human, knowing about the Cullen's secret, it is hard for them to stay protected for long. Throughout the saga, they have to take on various formidable foes including expert tracker vampires and ancient and powerful vampire royalty, The Volturi.

Throughout the saga, Bella's close friendship with her best friend Jacob is also put to the test, particularly when he begins to turn into a werewolf. You'd think Bella could handle another dose of the fantasy world, but it's complicated. Werewolves happen to be the sworn enemies of the vampires, and will die to protect the people of Forks from the Cullens. Of course, Bella's new 'family' have no intention of hurting any people in Forks, but their regular brushes with the darker side of vampirism even begin to throw a strain on that.

A brief not about book two, New Moon; imagine a 500 page transcript of a teenage hissy fit. It's redeeming feature is the introduction of the werewolves. Read it and move on!

Book three, Eclipse, is my hands down favourite. This is mainly because we get to see a lot more of the Cullen family (I'd join them at the drop of a hat!). The werewolf situation is fully developed and we now have a pack of at least 6 ready to defend the humans. Age-old truces and animosity however become faded and blurred when Jacob's love for Bella and the threat of a coven of vicious and bloodthirsty 'newborn' vampires see the old enemies finally and reluctantly united.

The stories are almost entirely written from Bella's PoV which is just as well, as Edward can read minds and that would make for tricky reading. However, this does occasionally border on clumsy as she dedicates pages to the powerful beauty of Edward Cullen. I can forgive this though as Meyers allows conversations to run just as they would in life, and makes great effort to bulk out the characters and their motivations throughout the series. Because of this, the characters are very 3 dimensional and you become quite easily attached. Which probably explains the insane levels of fan-dom which accompany the books and now film franchise.

It is as simple as this. Mom's love Twilight because it is about abstinence. Girls love Twilight because Edward is basically the most perfect, polite, caring, protective man ever. Boys love Twilight because it is full of action, vampires and werewolves.

Rating: Twilight - ***** 5/5 stars
New Moon **** 4/5 stars
Eclipse ***** 5/5 stars
Breaking Dawn **** 4/5 stars
Other books by the author: The Host
Recommendation: You may need to clear your diary because if you're anything like me, these bookds will have you hooked. Don't do any internet research before reading - there's a lot out there and spoilers will ruin it and make you sad!