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The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Our rating: Your rating: 1 2 3 4 Your Comments: see all MPAA rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of action and violence, and some sensuality) Genre: Action, Romance Theater release: June 30, 2010 by Summit Entertainment Directed by: David Slade Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes Cast: Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan), Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen), Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black) Related: Talk About It/Family Corner

It goes without saying that fans of Stephenie Meyers' wildly successful Twilight book series will devour this movie the same as they did the first two, Twilight and New Moon. But with The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, those who get dragged to the theater by "Twihards" looking for their fix of shirtless werewolves and dreamy vampires may end up finding something to stick around for. While Twilight and New Moon were primarily concerned with the romance that engulfs Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), the 108-year-old vampire, and Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), the clumsy 18-year-old girl who also happens to be best friends with werewolf and vampire-enemy Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), Eclipse does a much better job of balancing the teenage angst with some action.

From the opening scene, Eclipse sets itself apart from its predecessors: The film opens on a vampire attack that does not kill its victim but transforms him into a vampire; similar attacks occur throughout the first third as the numbers of newly formed bloodsuckers grow. Fans of the books will understand that evil vampire Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard, replacing Rachelle Lefevre in the role) is forming a rival group of newborn vampires—whom, we learn, are at their most powerful (and most uncontrollable) in the first three months of their new life. She intends to use her dangerous army of newborns to kill Bella, thus exacting her revenge on Edward, who destroyed her lover James in the first movie.

Outnumbered and outpowered, the Cullen clan must join forces with Jacob and his werewolf pack in order to protect Bella and destroy the bloodthirsty brethren who, by recklessly feeding on the people of Seattle, have drawn the attention of the Volturi (the ruling class of vampires who have made it their mission to control outside knowledge of their kind). While in town, Jane (Dakota Fanning) and the rest of the Volturi take advantage of the opportunity to see if the Cullens have made good on their word to transform Bella, an outsider with too much knowledge, into a vampire.

Robert Pattinson as Edward, Kristen Stewart as Bella

Bella would love to join the Cullens in the ranks of the undead, but Edward stands firmly against the idea, believing it would be a mistake to leave behind not only her family and normal life, but her very soul. It is the one point on which both he and Jacob, his rival for Bella's heart, agree. Trying to maintain relationships with both her boyfriend and her best friend, Bella must bounce back and forth between the two, whose respective tribes have an agreement that precludes them from lingering in each other's territory. Most of the film's conversations—between Edward and Bella, Jacob and Bella, and Edward and Jacob—revolve around the choices she must make: Will she go to college? Will she become a vampire forever? Will she marry Edward? Will she even choose Edward? Jacob, realizing that he may lose Bella forever, spends every moment desperately trying to prove to her that she does have feelings for him, even if she won't admit them to herself. He promises her a better, fuller life, one where she wouldn't have to give up her humanity or the people she loves. As Bella realizes that every choice—even the right one—has difficult consequences, she must learn to stop trying to please other people and discover who she truly is and what she really wants.

Taylor Lautner as Jacob

This entry into the series significantly improves on its predecessors on many counts. Gone are the professions of total, self-absorbing, undying (or is it undead?) love that bogged down the first two films. Stewart, Pattinson, and Lautner all show improved depth with their characters in what is the meatiest material of the four books, and many of the minor characters—particularly Billy Burke as Bella's father Charlie, and Anna Kendrick as Bella's friend Jessica—make the most of their limited screen time. New director David Slade (30 Days of Night, Hard Candy) does a much better job of balancing the teen angst with real suspense and action, steadily building the dual plots (the love triangle and the vampire threats) to their climax in the big battle scene. The special effects were still pretty cheesy—Edward still glitters, the lumbering werewolves still don't look quite right, and in battle the vampires' limbs break off like icicles—but the battle scenes had a real pop and edge.

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