It’s rare for me to go into a theater with exceptionally high expectations and come out exhilarated. The last movie to do that for me was The Dark Knight. Eclipse did exactly the same thing. This film is not only a vast improvement over the previous installment, it gives me a ray of hope that this series can be respected, not only by the fans, but everyone else. I may be dreaming big here because a lot of people think this series is a joke, but you have to take it as it is – an angsty teen sexual fantasy. Laughable? Yes. An abomination? Definitely not.
I am clearly speaking from a fan’s point of view; I very much enjoyed this movie and this has officially become my favorite of the series…so far. Unlike New Moon, if you are not a fan of the series, I think non-fans will enjoy this. It is much darker and while the pace may be slow at times, it satisfies. Much like what human blood would be for the Cullen family.
This film finds Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) graduating from high school and thinking about the future. Bella wants “the change” to happen, but Edward is, well, pessimistic about that. Jacob (Taylor Lautner) soon finds out that Bella wants to become like Edward, throws a quick tantrum and spends the rest of the movie cracking jokes and being shirtless. Meanwhile, Victoria (a surprisingly good Bryce Dallas Howard) is concocting a plan to eliminate the Cullens by forming an army of new, bloodthirsty vampires.
While the first installments had somewhat ham-fisted acting, the actors dive deeper into the characters making the performances truer, but never become show-boaty. Kristen Stewart gets better with each movie, as does Robert Pattinson. Billy Burke, Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed, and Anna Kendrick are standouts – while having little to work with. The rest of the supporting cast is equally good in their roles – feeling more comfortable than the first two installments. The weakest link is Taylor Lautner. He is just not a good actor and his performance is stale, much like it was in New Moon.
The feel of the film was the definite high-point. I love horror movies and this felt like a suspenseful vampire film. Sure, they still sparkle, but you remain uneasy when they are on screen, lurking in the shadows. Taking over direction is David Slade, who also directed 30 Days of Night, a more brutal vampire adaptation. His direction differs from Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight), who gave the first one a gritty, indie-type feel, and Chris Weitz (New Moon), who has an eye for detail and made New Moon an epic endeavor.
I was very satisfied with this installment, having aspects of horror, humor, romance, and drama – mixing well together. The soundtrack fit well, the acting felt more real, and the plot kept you in the film. Even if you are not a fan, I would give the film a chance. You might be surprised.
4.5 stars out of 5
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