The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Review

“Decisions, decisions,” says the cherubic, fiery-eyed Jane (Dakota Fanning), overlooking an army of newborn vampires and weighing the option of dispatching their ranks.  It’s a short scene in the highly-anticipated sequel but, buried in the heart of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, it speaks to the thematic resonance of choice infused into this supernatural world of the undead, the shapeshifters, and the human caught in between.

The David Slade-directed third installment is a vast improvement over the previous two, a surprisingly watchable follow-up to Catherine Hardwicke’s uber-passionate original and Chris Weitz’s stuffy, overlong sequel.  Eclipse sinks below surface-level desires for more depth of character and complex plotting, while showing a sense of humor about itself instead of the intensely serious staring contests of its predecessors.

Unfortunately the first and second, such as they are, remain prerequisites for understanding the connection between Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), her relationship with Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), and the superpowers the two love interests possess.  Still, Slade should be commended for his management of the genres, mixing the romantic with the horror as best as those two opposite styles will blend.  But special kudos are in order for delivering a passable piece of entertainment within the trappings of Stephenie Meyer’s cheesy source material and her penchant for the melodramatic.

An ominous opening sets a more mature atmosphere, establishing a sense of danger into Bella’s otherwise moody existence.  A “serial killer” is snatching up bodies in Seattle, just a short vampire jog from her hometown of Forks, WA.  In reality, her redheaded nemesis Victoria (now played by Bryce Dallas Howard) and her pawn Riley (Xavier Samuel) are forming an army of fresh, powerful bloodsuckers to enact her revenge on the Cullen coven.

Right away, Stewart seems more comfortable in her pivotal role as Bella.  The character feels more lived in and less of the awkward, lip-biting damsel rendered nearly catatonic by love and later depression.  Here, she’s given thought and range of emotion as she’s torn between the (literally) undying love of Edward and the warm, comfortable embrace of Jacob.

Thankfully, Slade doesn’t dwell on Bella’s ambivalence, instead allowing her preferences to develop while leaping over to check in on Victoria’s growing forces or flashing back to fill in the background details of the plot’s secondary characters.

Jasper, stiffly played by Jackson Rathbone, recalls his Civil War beginnings and Rosalie (Nikki Reed) shares her origins to illustrate lessons of choice to a conflicted Bella unsure about becoming a vampire and, more importantly, giving up her human life.  Similarly, Jacob invites her to listen to the Quileute tribal council and hear the legend of their lycanthrope ancestry, his shapeshifting destiny, and their long-standing feud with the vampires.

The plot threads build to an engaging climax where it is immediately evident Summit spent the money on believable special effects to enhance the ripping, clawing wolves and the clanking of marble vampires in the inevitable showdown.  Though the script from series screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg loses momentum by lingering on the mutual respect between sworn enemies and talky discussions of feelings following the film’s resolution.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is the best of the Meyer adaptations thus far, though that’s not saying much.  Outsiders will find merit in this sequel and fans will relish a continuation that truly cultivates their beloved characters in an empowering context of choice and free will.

3 out of 5.