Close to Greatness

Rating: 8/10 (2 July 2010)

I'm not a huge fan of the first two "Twilight" films. I liked them; I just think that they are heavily flawed. Some parts drag, the visual effects are enjoyably bad (here's looking at you, CG wolves), some intriguing characters are given frustratingly short time (Michael Sheen's pitch-perfect performance as Aro in "New Moon" comes to mind) and at times, I thought that Kristin Stewart and Robert Pattinson were too obviously underplaying their roles. Whilst many people choose to either love or hate "Twilight", I've chosen to remain firmly in the middle.
With "Eclipse", the "Twilight" fan in me has been set free. Not only is "Eclipse" the most gripping, cinematic and poignant of the three "Twilight" movies so far, it's the first which I would gladly go to the cinema to watch again and again. I'm surprised to say it, but I came dangerously close to loving this movie.
In a chillingly economic opening, a young man named Riley (the coldly menacing Xavier Samuel) is hunted down and bitten by a mysterious figure, left screaming in pain on the docks of Seattle. We then return to Forks and everyone's favourite human-vampire couple, Bella Swan (Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Pattinson). Whilst Bella is still intent on becoming a vampire, Edward is doing his best to put her off the idea. Things are further complicated by werewolf Jacob (the ever-shirtless Taylor Lautner), who desperately tries to make Bella shift her romantic attention to him. However, trouble is approaching. The vengeful Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard, sexual alluring yet viciously inhuman), with the now-undead Riley as her right-hand man, is raising a newborn vampire army, a ravenous and ultra-strong force which is intended to destroy Bella and Edward. In order to avoid bloodshed, the vampire clan of the Cullens team up with Jacob's wolf pack. But just what role is the Volturi, led by the dangerous Jane (Dakota Fanning. bitterly witty and malicious), playing in this game?
"Eclipse" is easily the best of the "Twilight" series so far for the same reason that "Prisoner of Azkaban" was better than the first two "Harry Potter" films; the change of perspective. Taking over the reins after Catherine Hardwicke and Chris Weitz is British director David Slade. Having shown his aptitude with vampires in the gory, atmospheric "30 Days of Night", Slade brings much-needed edge to this material. He deftly blends action, horror, comedy and romance into a hugely entertaining, often compelling whole, whilst drawing much improved performances from the three leads.
"Eclipse" also has fun with itself. At one point, Edward complains about Jacob, "Doesn't he own a shirt?" It is this good-natured humour which stops "Eclipse" from drifting into the overly serious mood that the first two movies sometimes adopted, and actually makes the characters more human. Take, for example, the scene where Bella's father Charlie (Billy Burke in a performance of wonderfully low-key comedic timing) talks to Bella about boys. It is not only hilarious to watch, but it also strikes a note of poignant realism; this is something that could actually happen to girls around Bella's age, unlike the agonisingly silly wailing scenes in "New Moon".
"Eclipse" is much more thrilling than the other two movies. An early chase through the forest is terrific, tense without being over-the-top, swift without being confusing. However, the big action scene is the concluding face-off between the Cullens, the wolves and the new-born army. This sequence is breathlessly choreographed, endlessly exciting and flawlessly paced. This is easily the most "guy-friendly" of the "Twilight" films so far.
Acting-wise, Stewart is much more likable as Bella in this movie, probably because she isn't stupidly throwing herself off a cliff or constantly moaning. Here, Bella is a much more complex and stronger individual. By becoming a vampire, she will lose all those closest to her, and Stewart shows Bella's inner turmoil with admirable restraint. There are moments where she slips (one moment where she yells at Jacob is exaggerated, and drew unintentional laughter from the audience), but for every slip-up there are five perfectly judged moments, such as the sad look on her face as she embraces her mother for what could be the last time. Pattinson brings an understated sadness and pain to his role, showing Edward's longing for Bella to remain human. Unfortunately, he's fighting a losing battle. Lautner (one of my favourite things about "New Moon") brings his charisma back to the table, with steely determination in Jacob's quest to win Bella's heart. All three leads are giving this their best shot, and whilst their performances aren't perfect, they all convince. The Cullen clan is memorably brought to life with lively performances, with the two stand-outs being Jackson Rathbone as Jasper and Nikki Reed as Rosalie. Whilst both were in the sidelines for the first two movies, here they get their chance to shine through flashbacks into their character's pasts; these scenes are powerful, chilling and unexpectedly moving.
This movie is gorgeous to look at. The sweeping camera shots evoke the same epic feel of "Lord of the Rings", with the luscious scenery bedazzling the eyes. Speaking of LOTR, that series' composer Howard Shore composes a perfect musical score, both bombastic and sensitively intimate when necessary, and which easily stands up to the enchanting work of Alexandre Desplat on "New Moon". The visual effects have much improved since "New Moon", with the wolves benefiting in particular.
There are flaws. The make-up work is too obvious, whilst I wanted to see more of some characters (most notably Victoria, Riley, Jane and new-born Bree (nicely played by Silent Hill's Jodelle Ferland)). Nevertheless, "Eclipse" is a really well-made, entertaining movie, with enough romance to keep the fans satisfied whilst introducing enough new elements to win over previous sceptics (such as myself). I look forward to seeing "Eclipse" again, to see if my high view of it could go even higher.