THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE Review

Our good friends over at Big Fan Boy originally published this review. Go check out their site, because they are awesome!

As I’m just now getting my hearing back and my heart has finally stopped racing, I guess it is as good of a time as any to nail down my thoughts on the newest TWILIGHT SAGA movie. It may be too ambitious for me to jump right in and declare my undying love for Jasper…oh wait, I mean ECLIPSE (Jasper is a character, not a movie! Get your hormones in check Reyes!). But I’ve never been one to do what is expected of me. I’m an adult and I love/hate Stephanie Meyers’ TWILIGHT SAGA, that’s just something you need to know about me.

The two previous films, TWILIGHT and NEW MOON, bring out a certain level of 16 year-old girl in me that is not always pretty. I live in a magical world full of unicorns and cupcakes when I watch these movies, simply due to their engaging nature. I imagine what it would be like to live in Forks, Washington straddling the werewolf and vampire boundaries, tied to both sides by my love for two men. And just before our final, epic kiss/battle/death match I come crashing back to reality. Let’s be honest, this is a make-believe world for teens, and I’m no longer a teen.

Walking into ECLIPSE I had the same sickening feeling in my stomach when NEW MOON finished—the feeling that this movie was actually TRYING to be good. It no longer embraced the camp, and instead favored the serious. It didn’t work for me in NEW MOON, but ECLIPSE is a different story entirely. This time around I went with it and was rewarded with a guilty pleasure that I’m not ashamed to admit to everyone I really liked.

The recently reunited Bella Swan and Edward Cullen (Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson) are relaxed and incredibly comfortable with each other, a level of comfort we hadn’t seen in the previous movies. Yes, wolfy Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) is still trying to win Bella’s affection, but he (and any TWILIGHT fan) knows that Bella belongs with Edward. It doesn’t stop him from brooding around and breaking stuff when he gets mad after learning that Bella loves both him and Edward. But unlike the book versions of these characters, Jacob and Edward both allow Bella to choose who she wants. Brownie points for that.

Director David Slade (30 DAYS OF NIGHT, HARD CANDY) brings another positive element to the saga—the visualization of the fan-favorite vampire army battle. I won’t go into too much detail, since there is something to be said for an intense fight scene, but trust me when I say even guys who are tricked into seeing this movie will be pleased. The special effects and action in that final scene are fantastically choreographed and amazingly satisfying. It was a moment even the most arduously judgmental Twi-hard will admit matched the book’s fervor.

I’m not saying that I love these movies because they are great works of sweeping romance and Oscar-worthy writing and acting, that would be laughable and a lie. I love them because they are so campy, cheesy, and downright hilarious that it’s impossible not to like them. If you go in ready to enjoy the next 2 hours full of teen angst and acting only a termite would love, then you are already in the right place.

And just so you know I’ve NEVER made a TEAM JASPER shirt. Okay, I totally have.