[Review] The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
| Rating: | ★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
However, the pacing of the events is too fast that it failed to give ample character development. Well, there were scenes wherein Jasper and Rosalie's past was shown. But the other vampires and werewolves had a low profile.
On the bright side, this movie remained true to the book as much as possible. Those who have read the book might have understood this movie, but for those who haven't, well, expect a lot of questions from your head. It is a fast paced movie. Almost all the events were summarized in less than 2 hours.
The rivalry between Edward and Jacob was clearly emphasized right from the start. It goes beyond vampires vs. werewolves thingy. They were fighting mostly for Bella. It's a love triangle, you get it.
What I appreciate from this movie is that they have shown parts of the villain's side. How Riley headed the newborn vampire army and his affair with their creator. One significant character was even shown there: Bree Tanner. She had more exposure in this movie than in the book version of Eclipse.
There were a lot of mushy scenes here. The kissing scenes lasted for like, 30 seconds. Even the first scene had a kiss. Uh! It's annoying to have a lot of that! And the PG-13 rating had something to do with that, too. Well, these events also happened in the book, so there's no room for complains.
The actors were okay. Some stood out, some didn't. Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan did pretty well in her character: the stubbornness and the bravery was there. Of course, Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen is one of the excellent actors here. He lacks the physical attributes of Edward, but he did well in bringing life to his character. He was good in giving an emotion typical of Edward: patience in times of anger, or self-control. The character of Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black, on the other hand, is not as perfect as it should be portrayed. Jacob's personality in the book is the noisy, happy-go-lucky type. Sorry but Taylor didn't deliver that. But he did an excellent job in portraying the physique of Jacob. Another highlight worth taking is the role of Jackson Rathbone as Jasper. Jasper had a lot of exposure in the book version, and in this movie too. It was attributed to his experience in fighting newborn vampires in his past. Well, Jackson Rathbone didn't seem natural in his acting. His exaggeration was evident in his deep voice, his facial expressions, and most of all, his eyes.
The special effects were a whole lot impressive now. The werewolves were true to life now and the vampire marble skin was literally real. It was cool when the vampires fight and stone marbles of flesh spread out! The human to werewolf phasing was smoother and the furs were cute. The vampires have convincing red or yellow eyes, too.
The fight scene between Edward and the villain was even better in the movie than in the book. Stunts and choreography were flawlessly done. It brought about the emotion of thrill and suspense. Even though this scene didn't stay true to the book, it was way better.
There was also the other fight scene: the Cullens vs. the newborn vampire army. However, this part wasn't as meticulously done compare to the fight scene of Edward. There was poor group choreography. A lot of the actors were just crowding each other. And it didn't give the emotion of thrill to the audience.
The sounds are a whole lot better now. Unlike in the previous movie, New Moon, you can't hear singing voices during the fight scenes anymore. The orchestral score was more appropriate now, though I could hear an off violin somewhere. However, the lines said in whispers were hard to understand. The sound effects? Well, this movie is a good improvement to the Twilight Saga. The wolf howls were close to real and the vampire snarls and growls added to the attitude.
Would I recommend you watching Eclipse? Definitely. But don't expect too much.
Ratings:
Plot: 3.5 stars
Special Effects: 4 stars
Sounds: 3.5 stars
Actors: 4 stars
Poster/Trailer: 3 stars
OVERALL: 3.5 stars
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