Twilight: Eclipse

Let me just start off by declaring my allegiance: Team Jacob.

Having talked to some fans of the book I hear that is absolute heresy. The connection built between Bella and Edward appears much stronger in the book, but in the movie version the battle for Bella's heart seems much more balanced.

And here we are three movies later, more or less in the same place we were when this whole saga started. Bella still pure, slightly out of place in a normal society, and in grave danger as she tries to become a member of the undead. The story never seems to move forward from the original but this attempt at least finds a better balance to tell the same story.

The love triangle gets center stage, as both Jacob and Edward are in this movie evenly rather than one being two small to focus on or the other running away to Europe. The characters definitely have the high school act nailed down, whether that's the writing of the script being overly simplified or the actors showing their limited range. They get the heart-spewing and overly dramatic hormones down pact.

Maybe it's a combination of both as the acting has improved since the first movie. Granted there was a lot wrong with the movie in the beginning, and there is no way any of these actors will receive any acting award besides the golden popcorn. This franchise is steadily improving, which leaves me hopeful for the next two movies. Kristin Stewart still looks out of place, Taylor Lautner still seems to be overacting, and Robert Pattinson still conveys his message without a pulse. But, I mean that's what the characters call for, an outcast, a slave to emotion and a member of the undead. Maybe these young actors have become so ingrained in the character they are over delivering their character traits.

And it certainly can't be the writing that is all bad. Melissa Rosenberg is able to show off some comedy in that she lampoons the story itself. My favorite moment is when Edward questions if his counterpart Jacob even owns a shirt. A legitimate question as he appears to be without the top article of clothing through most of the movie. Not that any of the preteens and moms in the audience will mind. Rosenberg knows what the audience wants and finally gives it to them in the proper dosage. There aren't any layers beneath the surface of the story as every character seems to spout off the emotion they have when they have it, but was I any different in high school? I prefer not to think about it actually.

David Slade is to date the best fit for this project in the directors chair, having dealt with vampires and teenage angst in the past (30 Days of Night and Hard Candy respectively). The climax of the story is strong and the CGI wolves look great in the battle sequences. We even get some back story on some of the other members of the Cullen clan. It may have been a little out of place, but it didn't disrupt the flow of the story.

Once you get past all the fantasy elements this is a story about high school romance, and that story could probably stand on its own. It's definitely the best of the three movies out there, but that is still not saying a whole lot. C-