FILM REVIEW: THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE (12A)

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE (12A)
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Bryce Dallas Howard, Xavier Samuel, Billy Burke
Running Time: 2hrs
Director: David Slade

REVIEWING a ‘fangirl’ film the magnitude of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (12A, 2 hours) is almost a pointless task.
After being roped into taking my Mum to a special early screening within the midst of swooning female Twi-hards skewing both ends of the age demographic – girls as young as nine to grandmas in their seventies – you knew this is going to be a hit, good or bad.
I was left shaking my head with tongue-in-cheek disbelief as the audience bellowed sweet “oohs” and “aahs” whenever Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart) had a romantic interlude – and then “phwooar” when the almost nearly shirt-less and six-pack admonishing Jacob (Taylor Lautner) ventured on screen.
But the most important thing is the third instalment in the uber-successful franchise again mildly improves on its predecessors.
It’s the most action-packed and engaging film of the series so far – despite still sorely lacking the polish of the Harry Potter films – with some of the dialogue and melodrama containing less cheese than Twilight and New Moon.
After Seattle is ravaged by mysterious killings led by Riley (Xavier Samuel) and orchestrated by rogue vampire Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard), Bella again finds herself in danger with bloodthirsty ‘newborns’ homing in on her and the Cullens.
With Bella’s welfare being the number one concern of vamp Ed and werewolf Jacob, the two creeds form an uneasy alliance to try and stave off the impending attack, with the powerful coven of vampires, the Volturi, watching on.
But Bella, now complete with raging-hormones whenever Ed is in the room, also has to deal with a marriage proposal to her cold-blooded sweetheart or take the easier option with her burgeoning ‘friendship’ with Jacob threatening to become much more.
With 30 Days of Night director David Slade at the helm, this second sequel benefits from better action set-pieces and a more taut and humorous script – with much more for the uninitiated to get their teeth into.
Having not read any of the books in fear of being lynched, I can only judge Eclipse in film terms, and therefore this is still only middling supernatural genre fare.
But with another step in the right direction this pleasingly overshadows the first two entries, and dare I say it kicking and screaming, comes recommended.

ESP RATING: 3/5

Gavin Miller