Slade brings sharp edge back to romance saga

Rating: 8/10 (29 July 2010)

The third instalment of the Twilight saga sees Bella Swan (Stewart) struggling in her friendship with Jacob (Lautner) whilst her love for Edward (Pattinson) grows, but an army of newborn vampires are sent to Forks by an old enemy to avenge a death.
The saga based on Stephanie Meyer's bestselling novels has sprouted much praise and critics all over the world and whether you like it or not you have to admit it has made one massive impact.
Hopefully with more edge and better direction the hype and praise will be surrounding the accomplishment of a good film rather than who is dating who off screen like we had with New Moon last year.
Eclipse starts in a fast manner with a new figure being chased by an unidentifiable attacker in the pouring rain. Straight away you can tell it has the right director at the helm in Slade. The action is consistent not just in this opening but throughout. His choice of extreme close shots and realistic taming of motions for his characters works better than its predecessor. There are times when the story itself borders quite finely on its 12A certificate but that's the beauty of this story. He handles the managing of time very well not always overselling and when there is a vibe of repetitiveness on in the air that is more due to the source novel and the amount of mind pondering being conveyed through the protagonists here.
When reading Eclipse last year it seemed to me the tension and adult circumstances moved up a few notches and there was more intrigue and scenarios that made it less queasy and more entertaining than many critics have said. The violence is sharp but not graphic and parents may wish to take note of the implied meanings in many conversations between the teenagers.
For this film the plot shifting from scene to scene in the 'war' works well enough but it is the romantic side the twi-hards will be interested in and none will be left too disappointed.
All the ideas and screenplay will satisfy many as Pattinson and Stewart generate their best on screen chemistry, despite a few queasy moments. Lautner still frowns too much but has improved vastly since New Moon.
This adaptation is better than others because it incorporates the side characters in more. Jasper, Rosalie and the wolf pack get more on screen time which was a necessity to the film's success.
I must confess I went into the cinema believing this would carry forward the slow repetitive vibe of New Moon but thankfully the pace is faster, the comedy is sharper (Billy Burke is a genius as Charlie Swan) and the 2010 release justifies the nature of Meyer's book which is what it needs.
If you, like me were let down by the second part fear not. Go and give this a view because if you liked the raw upgraded book this shall not disappoint.
8/10