After opening Wednesday to record-breaking box office numbers, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” has proven that the “Twilight” fever is still intense and slightly disturbing. The newest installment of the series, however, is not as exciting as the buzz surrounding it. While the movie isn’t terrible, nothing much happens that will cause anyone but the fans of the series to happily anticipate the next installment.
“Eclipse” follows Forks, Wash., resident Bella Swann (Kristen Stewart) as she prepares to become a vampire and join her true love Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) in the days following her graduation. Her plans are complicated, however, when her best friend Jacob Black (Taylor Launter) insists he also is in love with her. In the midst of the teenage drama, a vampire army is being formed in Seattle with the purpose of destroying Bella – a plot device used to fuel the angst rather than excitement.
While the vampire army sounds threatening and the movie hints at its creepy possibilities, a lot of the potential for this thread of the story goes unused. Because of the easy fixes found in the plot, the protagonists of the film never seem to truly believe they are in danger, which leads to a loss of urgency.
The romance is truly what this film is about and will not leave fans disappointed. For the most part, “Eclipse” completely follows its source material and brings to life scenes like the infamous tent incident almost word for word in places.
Even though the movie takes cues from the book in many places, it does manage to make the characters more likable. Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg continues to make Bella into a multi-dimensional character (something she never was in any of the “Twilight” novels) and allows the female protagonist to make to story more about herself than about the two boys vying for her.
Many of the misogynistic actions taken by Edward and Jacob in the novel are either taken out or written in a way that isn’t as disturbing as it was on the page. Edward is no longer a controlling stalker (for the most part), and Jacob is no longer scarily forceful (sorta).
The exchanges between the three leads is sometimes rather stilted and soap operatic, but it’s doubtful anyone completely engrossed in the story will notice. At times, Pattinson and Stewart manage to make more of the dialogue and scenes given to them and shine. However, Launter delivers most of his lines without conviction.
Anna Kendrick, who plays Forks valedictorian and Bella’s friend Jessica, uses her tiny amount of screen time to the best of her ability and gives a hilarious performance.
The viewer finally learns how Rosalie Cullen (Nikki Reed) became a vampire as the movie delves into her and Jasper’s (Jackson Rathbone) backstories. These flashbacks, though rather short, are one of the few times the movie reaches its potential.
“Eclipse” is not a bad movie – it is simply made with its audience in mind. It caters to the fans of the saga and preserves author Stephenie Meyer’s source material. Unless one is completely absorbed with the “Twilight” series, it will be hard to feel anything for it but lukewarm acceptance and an admittance of it was “alright.”
Two out out of four stars