Unduly ripped apart by haters of the series

Rating: 6/10 (6 July 2010)

Eclipse, when it comes right down to it, was not that terrible of a movie. It's garnered at 53% rating on rottentomatoes.com, which isn't too shabby (considering the second most popular movie this week, "The Last Airbender" only has an 8%). It's just too popular for its own good, and most people out there rip it apart without giving it a chance.
Albeit, it wasn't as good of a movie as it could have been. Kristen Stewart turned practically cold in this movie, and you are lucky if you get a smile or any expression on that girl's face. I found that Lautner and Pattinson's abilities both have improved, and in my opinion the scenes where they interact are some of the best of the film. Constant criticisms are of the two's over-acting, but if you have read the book (I know, I know), Edward is supposed to be fiercely protective and Jacob is supposed to be goofy and a love-sick teenager.
Eclipse finally gave its audiences the action that the other two movies (and books) lacked. The fight between the Cullens, wolves and newborns was well shot and very riveting, if not a little rushed. I'd definitely go as far to say that the fight scene in the movie was far better than the fight scene in the book. It was visually stunning as well as involving.
One major fault I found in the film was its unfortunate lack of a powerful soundtrack. After re-watching New Moon, the music is loud and very apparent and it really moves the story along. In Eclipse, most of the music was used as background noise in the scenes.
There were again solid performances from the supporting actors: almost everyone from the Cullen clan (save the actor who played Jasper, who I found was incredibly stiff with a terrible Texan accent), Billy Burke had fantastic timing, and even Bella's four friends from school shone.
I am an unabashed Twilight fan, and Eclipse was about all I expected to be. What made it so enjoyable was the fantasy was brought to life; that's what has made all the movies enjoyable. Fans don't flock to the theatre to see award-worthy acting, intelligent dialogue or a fantastic plot (the last two aren't apparent in the books, either), but they go to see the Cullen family's amber eyes finally realized, or the dreary town of Forks brought to life. Twilight, both the film and book series, are popular because they tap into the basest of human desires: the want for someone to love you, to care for you enough that they would fight a pack of vampires or die to save you. Love triangles crop up again and again in movies, books, TV shows because they resonant with the audience. Human desire is something that transfixes us.
Eclipse has its highs and lows, and the acting ranges from extraordinary to depressingly stiff, but it does what all good movies do: it offers an escape into a world that could not exist anywhere else. If you allow it, Eclipse can be truly entertaining, it just takes a bit of reading between the lines.