"Eclipse:" A Movie You Can Sink Your Teeth Into
By KARINA MITCHELL
NEW YORK (CBS) Third time's a charm for one tormented teen and her unearthly love interests.
It may sound cliche, but the latest installment of Summit Entertainment's wildly popular vampire franchise has finally gotten it right.
"Eclipse," latest episode of the "Twilight" series penned by Stephanie Meyer, has just the right mix of teenage unrequited love and angst to appease its adoring, female fan base, and swift moving, action adventure to appeal to a broader audience.
Pictures: "Eclipse" Hits Hollywood
Under the stewardship of new director David Slade ("Hard Candy" and "30 Days of Night") much of the sap that oozed from "Twilight: New Moon" and it's predecessor has been capped. In its place comes a film that is not only palatable, but one that actually possesses a developing storyline, something missing from the previous two chapters.
That's not to say the filmmaker harbors any doubt about who the target audience is and what it is these viewers want. The film doesn't dare stray too far off the romantic tale Meyer has spun. Instead of using the cards he's inherited, Spade elevates the impassioned love triangle between high school senior Bella (Kristen Stewart), her vampire love Edward (Robert Pattinson) and bare-chested werewolf suitor Jacob (Taylor Lautner) to new, intense heights.
The storyline picks up where 'New Moon' left off. Bella is preoccupied with trying to get her brooding beau Edward to claim her chastity along with her humanity, initiating her into his world forever. Edward, who's had 109 years to perfect the gentlemanly thing to do, definitely wants to marry her first.
The contentious relationship between Jacob and Edward has a chance to grow and fester this time round, with both subhumans growling and sneering menacingly at each other throughout much of the film.. The Cullen clan and the local werewolves do join forces over a dark and sinister new enemy that seems to be responsible for a spate of vicious killings and disappearances around the Seattle area, not far from the town where Bella lives.
The Cullens are convinced that a vampire is producing a host of newly indoctrined vampires, stronger and more deadly than the previous generation. The flaming red-headed Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard who took over from Rachelle Lefevre) is, in addition, still a chilling threat, out for revenge against Edward and his family by savaging Bella. The menacing Voluturi, led by Dakota Fanning displaying strong acting skills, add to the bloodcurdling mix. Combined, their threat to wreak havoc and keep Bella and Edward apart are the reasons why Edward and Jacob form an unlikely alliance to protect Bella from harm.
All three actors turn in strong performances. Pattinson rises to the occasion, playing to a tee a young man torn between his love for a woman and the legacy it will cause her to bear, should he allow himself to succumb to his carnal desires. Stewart finally shows real emotion, giving you glimpses of a girl torn between the decisions and the emotions she experiences, while Lautner cements his place as a Hollywood hearthrob who's got his acting chops, with his taut, sometimes primal portrayal of the werewolf Jacob.
Spade does a good job in making Eclipse look and feel like the epic experience Summit hopes it will become by using panoramic, sweeping imagery. One scene really does visually take your breath away for a moment. It places Bella and Edward , lying quietly next to one another, squarely in a sweeping field full of flowers - just the stuff prepubescent dreams are made of.
Other scenes uses CG effects to maximum advantage, creating ravaging fight sequences between the different camps that lead to a dramatic climax. Spade uses screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg's lines to advantage, lightening up the sometimes brooding, repetitive storyline with jolts of wit and humor. For example, Edward at one point complains to Bella, asking if Jacob owns a shirt - an obvious reference to the female frenzy over Lautner's physical conditioning.
No doubt about it, "Eclipse" is destined to convert many, creating a whole new breed of vampire lover, salivating to sink their teeth into future installments.
Even as pandemonium reaches a feverish crescendo ahead of Eclipse's nationwide opening Wednesday, anticipation is already beginning to mount over the film's penultimate installment "Breaking Dawn", which is slated to be split into two parts, with the first eyeing a Nov. 18, 2011, opening. Let the countdown begin.