The Kidd Vs. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD
I don’t think you’ll ever be able to point at The Kidd and call me a Twi-hard. However, after watching the 3rd installment of the series, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE, it’s safe to say you can at least call me a fan. After absolutely hating the first film, which was dull, boring, uneventful (shall I go on?), I actually enjoyed NEW MOON. I had a good time watching it, and I thought the absence of Robert Pattinson and the expanded screen time of Taylor Lautner were big plusses. I even watched it again the night before checking out the new film, in order to reacquaint myself with where we’re at in the franchise, and it still held up fairly well. But ECLIPSE takes things to another level. TWILIGHT fans will not be disappointed, as this is easily the best film in the series thus far. There are a couple of problem areas here and there, but the majority of ECLIPSE is better than what has come before it. The production values are far better than the previous 2 films, giving it a much better look overall. The secondary characters are better, as they are given much more to do than simply standing in the background or glaring at each other. They’re able to speak lines and perform important actions, but they also get some much needed depth that was missing from their characters in the beginning of the saga. We get to know who they are, why they’re here, and how they got to this point, with some flashbacks that help us come to put value in their presence. But the biggest difference between ECLIPSE and the earlier installments is that the acting is much, much, much better. Robert Pattinson displays much more ability than the simple task of merely brooding. Taylor Lautner gets to show off some more of that charisma and personality that The Kidd was a fan of in NEW MOON (in addition to the muscles that had the fans shrieking at each and every one of their appearances). But the person who surprisingly makes ECLIPSE work so well is Kristen Stewart. Yeah… wow. I was shocked, too. The awkwardness of her portrayal of Bella Swan is reduced greatly, making it a joy to watch her operate this time around, instead of laughing at what had become a gimmick of deep breathing, lip biting, and hair twisting.
By now, you should know the story of THE TWILIGHT SAGA. Bella (Stewart) loves Edward (Pattinson), the sparkly vampire, and he loves her back. However, Jacob (Lautner), the werewolf, also loves Bella, but she just sees him as a friend. Ultimately she’ll have to choose between becoming a vampire, which she wants against the advice of everyone who’s already a vampire, to follow through on her love with Team Edward or to stay human, in which case Team Jacob is clearly the better choice. In the meantime, Victoria (now played by Bryce Dallas Howard) is still on the hunt for Bella in order to avenge the death of her love James in the first film, so everyone has to work together in protecting her from that threat.
The tone of ECLIPSE is quickly established by director David Slade within the first 5 minutes. We descend upon a random guy, who turns out to be Riley Biers, on a rainy night… the very night he’ll be attacked by a vampire, and changed into one of their kind, leading an army of newborns to come after Bella. Those few moments are filled with the tension and uncertainty that someone with a horror background would understand, and, as we’re left with Riley screaming on the ground, gripping his bloodied hand, waiting for the transformation to take hold, we know bad shit is going to happen before this movie is through.
A lot has been made about what seems to be a dysfunctional romance between Edward and Bella (outside of the most hardcore Team Edward fans), and a lot of that criticism has been levied against Pattinson and Stewart and how poorly they’ve managed to convey the love of these 2 characters on-screen. TWILIGHT and NEW MOON are filled with moments of them just staring at each other, with a complete lack of any communication whatsoever, and it raises serious questions about the love they claim to share, because it’s hard to see. It’s hard to point to moments and say, “Yep, that’s where they connect,” because they don’t exist. On the other hand, it’s difficult to imagine why Bella wouldn’t want to be with Jacob, because, with NEW MOON serving as evidence, these are 2 people who enjoy each other’s company. They talk. They joke around. They do productive things together, and they are able to survive without the other constantly being glued to their side. ECLIPSE is able to right the wrongs of the previous 2 films though, by giving you a much clearer sense of why Bella and Edward are together, and it’s all due to the much improved performances of Pattinson and Stewart.
Pattinson goes from playing Edward as the silent mysterious type to showing off some personality beyond following Bella around all the time. He’s able to crack a few jokes from time to time, and his constant back-and-forth with Jacob, where each tries to one-up the other for the attention of Bella makes for some of the film’s better moments. Stewart really takes hold of her character finally, and you get the sense that she has grown into the role much more comfortably now. Because Jacob and Edward are always at each other’s throat, Bella’s required to be much more assertive, and it allows Stewart to exhibit more strength in the role than previously had been required. Previously, it had just been Bella moping around, following Edward like a puppy dog. But Bella has choices to make, and sitting on her ass staring at Edward all the time isn’t going to get anything done. She loves Edward… she absolutely does. And she still believes in her heart that becoming a vampire is the choice that she needs to make. But ECLIPSE calls on her to consider other options as well. She is forced to deal with the realization that she may love someone else (that’s why there are 2 teams in this franchise) and will have to confront those feelings as her life reaches its crossroads. This is the first time I can honestly admit to finding Stewart watchable in these stories, and, while there is still a blandness to the character of Bella as she’s constructed, Stewart is able to bury it to the best of her ability this time out, making Bella a far more interesting character, greatly separated from the lovesick caricature she had become.
Taylor Lautner is able to continue his momentum from NEW MOON with another dimension added to Jacob Black. His affection for Bella is taken up quite a few notches, and it allows Lautner to dig down deep for some emotion in the role, beyond the cool muscular exterior that had been carrying him to an extent. His interactions with Bella take on a far more serious tone than the playful flirting that took place the last time out, and what we’re left with is 2 guys fighting to win Bella’s heart, where there can only be 1 winner. Neither wants to lose her, and it’s that mutual understanding between Jacob and Edward that they both care deeply for this girl and they both want her to be happy that finally sheds some light on what makes her special to each. They snipe at each other, delivering cheap shots and jabs wherever they can to put the other down in an effort to make them look better, but it’s the raw honesty of their scene together in a tent that delivers the message that, as much as their rivalry has developed, what they want isn’t that different.
With the principles of the love triangle giving their best performances to date in the saga, the secondary characters really help round ECLIPSE out into fine form. We’ve come to expect solid work from Ashley Greene (Alice) and Peter Facinelli (Carlisle), as their characters are already a central part of previous events. However, it was nice to see Jackson Rathbone (Jasper) get his due, as he takes over the scenes of training for the coming battle with the vampire army. The same can be said for Nikki Reed (Rosalie), as we get a glimpse into the backstories of each, finally creating a layer of something for their characters who have been reduced to vampire window dressing. We’re able to see where Jasper came from, and his introduction in vampirism. We’re able to understand Rosalie’s ill feelings towards Bella and her careless decisions that are everlasting. Their flashbacks give a sense of what these particular members of the Cullen family have been through, and how it relates to the current situations, and it is a welcome addition in getting to know 2 characters whose names we barely learned to this point. On top of that, one of the better characters this time out is Charlie (Billy Burke), Bella’s father. He’s able to act as the confused yet protective father of a growing teenage girl approaching her high school graduation. He wants only the best for his daughter, which means grounding her as a way to create some separation between Bella and Edward after the heartache and depression she experienced before. Burke was good in the role before, but he’s been given some expanded exposure this time around, and it makes for a character we long to see in every scene he’s a part of.
The film gives us the best action of the series so far, with the battles between the vampire/werewolf alliance and Victoria’s army provided some quick but excellent action. The wolves have been improved and look better than in their NEW MOON introduction. Their phasing is still impressive, but now seeing them engage in full-on battle is definitely exciting. In addition, Edward’s showdown with Victoria brings us some strong vampire-on-vampire action. The only problem is that, for something that’s been built up as being so crucial, it’s done and over with before you know it. I wish there was more fighting to satisfy my anticipation, because the payoff, while good, doesn’t feel like it’s enough.
One of the major problems with ECLIPSE is the recasting of Victoria, switching from Rachelle Lefevre to Bryce Dallas Howard. I haven’t been a fan of Howard’s through SPIDER-MAN 3 or TERMINATOR SALVATION, and nothing changes as a result of her participation here. Howard, who displays a sunny disposition and a friendly feel, is terribly miscast as the evil, revenge-driven Victoria. Lefevre previously gave off that vibe of a cutthroat hate-filled vampire, set on making Edward experience the pain she felt by killing his love. She was willing to do whatever it took for vengeance, and you never get that from Bryce Dallas Howard. Here we get a complete shift of the character, turning her more into a plotter and a schemer, a puppet master who would prefer to send others to do her dirty work than getting her hands bloody herself. To make matters worse, Howard is completely hidden until about 3/4 into the film, using only the imagery of Victoria’s clothing and red hair to let you know she is a part of things. This was probably done to prevent your distraction from recognizing that that’s not Victoria until you were already emotionally invested in the rest of the film, rendering that point unimportant. Howard just doesn’t work in the role, and it’s a shame Lefevre was shown the door for this film, considering what Victoria has left to do in ECLIPSE.
In addition, the idea of imprinting is introduced, albeit briefly, and it seems to have been swept under the rug as something that will be explained much more in-depth in the final 2 films. Plus, the presence of the Volturi is absolutely unnecessary, as they seem to appear, if only to remind you that they exist within this world. However, their motivations aren’t given any time to be elaborated upon, and it comes across as only a reason to get Dakota Fanning some time on-screen.
I really liked THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE. The fans are going to see this film 4, 5, 6 times regardless, so what I say ultimately doesn’t matter to them, although this review will help to reinforce what they’ve been touting for awhile, that this series is better than some give it credit for. However, for those of you who weren’t that sold on the saga after the first 2 films, this is the one that’ll change your mind. There’s plenty in ECLIPSE to like, and there’s a lot more that’ll help you understand the relationships between Bella and Edward/Bella and Jacob. I know there is a lot to dislike in general about some of these characters, particularly the wishy-washy mindset of Bella at times, but, after discussing with quite a few people, her thought process, I have come to accept that Bella is the average teenage girl. She’s in love with the idea of being in love. She thinks this love is the be-all and end-all of love, and she’s willing to sacrifice everything for it. That’s how a dumb teenage girl thinks, and Bella has proven to fit that character archetype. We can debate all we want as to how poorly we believe her character is constructed, but there’s more reality than you think that fuels what makes up Bella. I have just come around to accepting that, and it has made the films enjoyable as a result. If you’re still holding onto some preconceived notions that these characters should be smarter, or should act better, or should behave differently, well, then you’re not going to like this or any other part of the series. But these movies aren’t made for you if that’s where your head’s at going in. If you’re a TWILIGHT fan, you’re going to love it. If you’re a TWILIGHT basher, you’re going to hate it. But, if you’re somewhere in that medium in-between, The Kidd thinks you’re going to like it and enjoy it.
