The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (June 30, 2010): PG-13
Distributor: Summit Entertainment
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #1 with $83,637,242
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $295,842,444
Gross Revenue: $676,442,444
Budget: $68 million
Director: David Slade
As I said in the “Short and Sweet” review, given the Twilight series’ status as a successfully established franchise and the enormously dedicated fan-base, aggressive marketing really was not necessary, but that did not stop Summit Entertainment. Beyond a first-look peak in the recently released New Moon DVD/Blu-ray and guest appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and the 2010 MTV Movie Awards (where New Moon took nearly every awards), Summit Entertainment actually hosted screenings of the first two Twilight films to coincide with the lunar eclipse on June 26. Nordstrom even released a fashion collection based on the film while Burger King promoted a contest highlighting the “Team Edward” vs. “Team Jacob” aspect of the film, so Eclipse was going to be hard to top at the box-office.
Despite my natural aversion to the Twilight series, given the magnitude of the film, I knew I had to see Eclipse. So, I did my research and went and rented the first two entries of the series. On a side note, thank God for Red Box, because there was no way in hell I was going to spend more than $1 to see these movies or foul up my Netflix list. Either way, I was ready to see Eclipse as a moviegoer who had never read the books but was familiar with the basic storyline.
For those completely unfamiliar with the series storyline, except for overhearing the screaming fanatics ready to kill each other over whether they support a sparkly vampire or a perpetually-shirtless werewolf, the Twilight saga revolves around Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), a moody seventeen-year-old who is caught up in a love triangle between vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Vampires and werewolves are natural enemies; so needless to say, there is some significant tension between to the two male leads. In Eclipse, Bella is struggling with her recent decision to become a vampire (so that she may be with Edward forever) and her feelings for Jacob. But the larger issue involves an emerging vampire army led by the series antagonist Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard); the army is targeting Bella because she was indirectly responsible for the death of Victoria’s lover in the first Twilight film. So now it is up to the combined forces of Edward’s family of vampires and Jacob’s tribe of werewolves to battle this threat and protect Bella.
At its core, the Twilight series is a love story that was made for female fans, and that fact is painfully obvious throughout the film. I am so glad I waited a week to see this and didn’t have to endure hundreds of female fans screaming their heads off every time one character proclaims their love for another or one of the werewolves takes their shirt off.... trust me, if that was the case I would have gone deaf within the first hour. Still, I was prepared to endure quite a bit of all the drama that would come from a fantasy romance series. But no amount of tolerance forgives the series protagonist, Bella Swan. Though I can admit that Eclipse is the strongest entry of the Twilight series (I’ll explain why soon), Bella’s character has consistently been the weakest link within each film. I can’t decide if Kristen Stewart is a horrible actress or if she’s just doing what she can with a crappy character, but her presence in this film is just as irritating as ever. Bella is so indecisive and moody that it’s hard to believe she’d have so many characters fighting over her…you almost want to tell her to take an anti-depressant, get her shit together, and move on. The way she treats her dad makes her even more unlikable, but it’s hard to sympathize with a guy that is so helpless that he has no clue that both a vampire and werewolf are chasing his nearly-emo daughter. It’s sad to think that the Twilight films could be better if they just got a better and more likable leading character.
Despite the high level of romantic drama that will have many male moviegoers rolling their eyes, there are a few elements of the Twilight series that I have enjoyed in the past, and those elements, are shifted into overdrive in Eclipse. I am a big fan of vampire and werewolf mythology, and though there are a few weak elements to this mythos within the series (vampires do not sparkle in sunlight, they suffer a fiery death), there’s enough in the film to boost a cool factor. Though Edward can be pretty insufferable at times, I actually enjoy the Cullen family (Ashley Greene is pretty hot as Alice Cullen) and all their different back-stories, and Eclipse highlights more character elements of the family than in past entries(Rosalie’s back-story was awesome). The evil vampires within the film also pay respect to the mythos with their demeanor and brutal behavior (Dakota Fanning is just plain scary as elder vampire Jane). And though the constantly-shirtless werewolves can be a little ridiculous, there’s still something cool about being able to morph into a big, badass wolf. The climactic battle between the werewolves and vampires is surprisingly brutal and entertaining, and it’s sure to provide some level of enjoyment to the male audience. And as much as it pains me to say, the scenes between Edward and Jacob (when they aren’t complaining about Bella) are actually pretty humorous, and Pattinson and Lautner actually make a pretty convincing team. So, despite my inherent prejudice, I was pleased with the more enjoyable elements of Eclipse.
From a box-office perspective, Eclipse made $68.5 million dollars its opening day…that is the biggest Wednesday premiere in cinema history and the second biggest opening day of all time (no surprise…number one was New Moon). As pissed as I am that vampires beat Batman, I have to give credit where credit is due…Twilight can draw an audience. With a gross revenue just under $300 million in under a week, Eclipse is well on its way to being crowned king of the summer box-office, sorry Iron Man 2.
Yes, I know many of you were expecting a far more negative review from me, but like I said in the “Short and Sweet” excerpt, Eclipse blended just enough fantasy and action to broaden the film’s appeal. The first Twilight was just awful, and though New Moon tried to bring some more action to the table, Eclipse is the first of the series to execute such an idea successfully. Is it the best movie of the summer?...hardly. Would I have waited in line for hours to see it?…hell no. Eclipse is like the Holy Grail for female fans, but for the rest of us, things could have been far worse. If you’re not a fan, don’t rush to see it, but don’t freak out if you are dragged to it either.
Overall Recommendation: Medium
