These movies continue to improve as they continue throughout the series. But it is impossible for any of these films to be considered great. When Catherine Hardwicke cast these three leads, I don’t know what was going through her head. There are many actors who could have done a better job then them. New Moon and Eclipse could have been two films, and maybe Twilight, if these three actors were never cast.
In this one, there is more action and better plot. They build up the ending better than Stephanie Meyer did in the books by actually showing us the mind process of Riley, Victoria’s new lover and a newborn vampire. It is an interesting concept that we see very little in the book that could have made Eclipse the greatest of the series.
Kristen Stewart still hunches over her body and mumbles incoherently when she gets mad at Jake or Eddie. Her buckteeth is shown less in this movie, but that still doesn’t mean she is improving. RPattz, or whatever he is being called now, still has vacant expressions whenever he talks. When he is relaxed, his eyes are relaxed. When he his mad, his eyes bulge out of his head. That is the only indication when he gets upset. And Taylor Lautner continues to speak the words as if he was just reading the script. The only other bad actor was Dakota Fanning. She was good in New Moon, but that was because they gave her three lines. In this one, Fanning has a larger role as Jane, in which she did not do a good job at all.
With all of these flaws in the leads, you might be surprised to read that I actually liked Eclipse. I liked the acting from the Cullens. It was nice to see more of the Cullens. Outside of the great action sequences, the best scenes were when Rosalie and Jasper (Go Team Jasper!) tell their back stories. I am a huge fan of Jasper and it was nice to see more of him in this film than in the others. And the new Victoria (played amazingly by Bryce Dallas Howard) is one of the greatest actors in this series so far. Howard got to show off some great fighting skills. But the actor that I was really impressed with was Riley. Xavier Samuel did a very good job as the newborn vampire leader. He plays perfectly alongside the beautiful Bryce Howard.
All of the romances in these films are really beautiful, (Jasper and Alice, Emmet and Rosalie, Riley and Victoria, Carlisle and Esme), except for the love triangle that we are supposed to care about. That is the major downfall of the films and ultimately the books: I wouldn't care if Bella or Jake or Edward dies. Their so called passion for each other is a fickle thing and filled with contradictions. If Stephenie Meyer could write a romance like the one of Jasper and Alice for Edward and Bella, or if Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson could act better, I would love these books and films.
Lastly, I would like to mention I enjoyed the technical aspects of the film like I did with New Moon. Most importantly, the music is where this film really shines (Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings). The greatest part of the score is the theme for Riley and Victoria. I also thought that the theme for the love triangle (not a theme for just Bell and just Edward and just Jacob, but for all of them) was as heartbreaking as the love theme in New Moon. I look forward to what the next composer will do for Breaking Dawn (TBA).
Overall, I say see it if you have seen the other films, but, like I said with New Moon, if you haven’t seen the other films, don’t go out of your way to see them. I would advise waiting until the end of 2012 for when Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part II comes out. Let us have a show of hands for those who will actually listen to me. (I didn’t think so.)
(GO TEAM CHARLIE)
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