Rejoice, Kristen Stewart fans, Eclipse has come to theaters, and I am happy to report that not only is Kristen as abundant as ever, but the film actually carries itself quite nicely. For those of you who been living under a rock the past couple years, Eclipse is the third film in the Twilight Saga, which tells the story of Bella Swan, an ordinary human madly in love with sexy vegetarian vampire Edward Cullen. Edward falls just as hard for Bella, and the two live in perfect forbidden bliss, save for the myriad vampires constantly trying to kill Bella. In the first film, one such vamp, James, nearly succeeds, that is, until Edward swoops in and tears him limb from limb.
Now, in Eclipse, James’ former lover, Victoria, has finally put her long-term plan to vengefully murder Bella into motion by creating a bloodthirsty army of newborn vamps whose only mission is to destroy her and the Cullen family once and for all. However, it’s not the plot most people love Twilight for -- it’s the super-sexy superstars who make vampires, werewolves, and ordinary humans anything but ordinary.
I’m a bit biased as Kristen Stewart is my favorite actress, and she does not disappoint. Unfortunately, drooping downer Bella does with her constant complaining and remarkable ability to never seem pleased by anything. Luckily, she has Edward, who surpasses her in unhappy intensity. Robert Pattinson emanates the perfect amount of torn confusion and depression that Edward deals with daily. It never fails to disappoint me that Movie Edward lacks all the humor and pleasantness of Book Edward, but by now it seems unusual for him to crack a smile or tell a joke.
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Somehow, however, Kristen and Rob create the perfect sexual tension, and the near-sex scene actually has a gripping realism. Of course, there’s that pesky Jacob -- a very spirited Taylor Lautner -- Bella’s BFF, who is having a beyond difficult time handling her relationship with Edward. Jacob becomes very vocal and physical in his quest to make Bella choose him over Edward, but Bella denies him. While I don’t count myself as part of either Team Jacob or Edward, I must say Jacob, with his liveliness and ability to not sulk 24/7 does seem like a much more enjoyable mate. It’s Bella that seems wrong for him. She is far too good at having whispery, subtle conversations with Edward to give them up for a life of fun and joy.
While probably 40 percent of Eclipse is made up of these quiet convos, there is still much to enjoy. It’s busier than ever: The Forks crew is graduating from high school, Bella and Edward take a serious step in their relationship, and the saga’s one and only action scene occurs with an adrenaline rush that made me wish it would last a little longer. I especially enjoyed the flashback stories of Rosalie and Jasper Cullen, two characters that had barely more than a paragraph combined in the first two movies.
Nikki Reed’s Rosalie and Ashley Greene’s Alice are far too gorgeous to be ignored, so it’s nice to see the Cullens in all their pale, Abercrombie model glory getting some long overdue screen time. Dakota Fierceness Fanning once again owns her role as pint-size Volturi vamp and certified sadist Jane, although it’s a shame she and Kristen hardly share any screen time. Those two definitely had far more sexual tension in the Runaways than anyone in Twilight. Bryce Dallas Howard makes a captivatingly beautiful Victoria who’s actually somewhat sympathetic (that could have just been me being captivated, however). There is also some very enjoyable Edward/Jacob clashes that almost always seem on the verge of ending in a kiss. Too bad there are no same-sex relationships in Twilight. I’d definitely join Team Jessica- an Anna Kendrick/Kristen hook up is long overdue.
The Twilight series in general is overly dramatic, clichéd, and annoyingly predictable. However, the movies manage to stick remarkably well to the novels and at the same time make for good, clean entertainment, as well as a wonderful opportunity to duck into a theater for a couple hours and watch Kristen Stewart exist. It’s a shame that Jacob remains mostly shirtless, while Bella seems to be world’s biggest fan of layering. Luckily, Welcome to the Riley’s, an indie film starring Kristen as a deeply disturbed stripper, should be out within the year and Kristen, in all her K-Stew glory, will be much more prominently featured. Until then, Eclipse is a satisfying piece of the Twilight journey, and Breaking Dawn’s two uncomfortably odd parts will surely follow in close succession. Rob’s got great hair and Taylor’s abs are impressive, but Kristen Stewart has my heart, and deserves yours as well!
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