“Eclipse” (movie) review
by V.E. on July 23rd, 2010
filed under entertainment, recap/review
Okay, so Eclipse (wiki) is easily better than the book. Easily. I’d even go so far as to say that it’s the best Twilight movie so far. I didn’t even finish reading the third book in the Twilight series because it was so boring I literally fell asleep trying (which is why I never wrote a review of the book). But watching the movie makes me want to try rereading it because (spoilers:) I want to know if, near the end, Bella actually asks Jacob to kiss her—after she’s already engaged to someone else, no less—which he does. I mean, she does in the movie, of course, but I know movies are often only “based on” novels, which implies that the screenwriter/director, etc., have some artistic license. (I’m only half looking forward to Breaking Dawn because [1] I haven’t read the book, and [2] it’s still Twilight, but [3] maybe blood this time? Please?)
The movie cut out almost entirely any plot based on Bella’s human (ie: not vampire or werewolf) friends, to which I had two reactions. The first was: “Well, that stuff was kinda unnecessarily to further the plot, so…” and the second was: “What the hell? 
Isn’t Bella supposed to be ‘normal’? I mean, what about all her regular friends?” Something which, to the movie’s credit, Bella’s father echoed during one of their talks.
Throughout the movie, Edward and Jacob go toe to toe more than once, and each time Bella has to break them up before somebody throws a punch (which, actually, would’ve been fun to watch). Finally, Jacob and Edward have a talk and Jake says, “You have to consider that I might be better for her [Bella] than you are.” This might just be my personal experience talking (all right, it is my experience talking), but I kept wondering why Bella was forced to choose between them. I kept thinking, “Why can’t you guys just get along?” I mean, I guess, I’m essentially asking the characters why they seem unable to share, but I realize that polyamory is sort of not-on-the-radar for most people. (Though it’d be an interesting nod to Mormon polygamy, I have to admit.)
Something that irritated me was that there is no blood in this movie. Seriously. I mean, how is that possible in a vampire movie, right? Well, it’s not so much a “vampire” movie as it is a “love is eternal” movie. Even during the fight scenes, there is no blood. The vampires who are downed break apart like ice. That is, if you tear a guy’s arm off, it’ll break off like pieces of ice and what’s left looks like shards of quartz sticking out of his shoulder. It’s the weirdest effect relating to vampires ever (shining-like-diamonds-in-the-sun notwithstanding).
I have a sneaking suspicion that the unnamed newborn girl who surrendered to the Cullens during the fight (but was killed off by the Volturi anyway) was Bree Tanner, but I have no evidence to back this up other than what Wikipedia tells me, as I didn’t finish the book and I’ve never read The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.
Like New Moon, Eclipse managed to pass The Bechdel Test. Another review mentions that Eclipse has “the most feminist perspective” of all the Twilight movies so far, but I want to point out that that doesn’t mean the perspective is by default a feminist one. It’s not.
Oh, and PS: Forks High School is home of the Spartans. No joke. I find that hilariously funny. (Alice says, “I’m throwing a graduation party!” and Jasper responds, “Yeah, because how many times will we graduate high school?”)
Worst scene: Graduation… it was totally cliched and lame.
Best scene: the talk between Edward and Jacob in the tent during the storm.
Worst character: it’s a toss up; Edward or Bella.
Best character: Jasper Hale.
Most underdeveloped character: The Volturi representatives.
Most annoying character: Rosalie, again. (I didn’t like her in the first movie, either.)
