Eclipse

The third installment of the Twilight Saga finds the human/vampire couple Bella Swan and Edward Cullen basking in their renewed love after spending time apart and narrowly escaping death at the end of the last chapter "New Moon".  However, their happy reunion is short-lived as there are new dangers afoot.  Vengeful vamp Victoria (now played by Bryce Dallas Howard after a mid-sequel casting change) is still after some payback on the Cullen clan for murdering her mate.  This time around, Victoria starts putting together an army of newborn vampires (who are stronger than older vampires because their human blood still lingers in their veins) to go after the Cullens and kill Bella once and for all.  After a series of rash killings and strange disappearances overtake Seattle, Edward and Bella are tipped off to something bad coming... but is it Victoria behind these crimes or the Volturi, coming to collect on the promise that Edward made to change Bella into one of their own?  Bella's humanity is a central issue throughout the Twilight books, but it is the main argument Bella and Edward have in this film as the pair barter and compromise over when the transformation will take place.  The saga is really just a chaste love story at heart.  Bella loves Edward and wants to be with him at all costs, even if that means giving up her human self.  Edward loves Bella and wants to protect her soul at all costs; he is reluctant to change her for this reason, and also wants to wait to have sex until they are married, much to Bella's chagrin.  He loves Bella so much that he is even willing to let her go and choose Jacob (her werewolf bestie) if she so desires.  Of course, we all know who Bella will choose in the end, but Jacob's persistence in winning over Bella and the friction that the love triangle causes between the two alpha males is fun to watch.  Director David Slade ("30 Days of Night") does a fantastic job with keeping the action moving and making the lovey-dovey scenes less saccharine and mopey.  The fight scenes are exhilarating and had me holding my breath at times.  Bella still gets stuck in brooding mode from time to time but Kristen Stewart is a beautiful sulker, and as Bella transitions from girl to woman Stewart plays her with more confidence and maturity than in previous films.  Robert Pattinson does his job well, playing Edward with a smoldering intensity that would make any girl swoon.  As Edward and Bella's impending nuptials loom in the not-so-distant future, the closing scene of "Eclipse" has us Twihards chomping at the bit to see what's next.


4 out of 5 stars