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The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: PG-13: intense action/violence, scenes of sensuality; 2:04; $ $ $ ½ (Out of $5)

Unless you’ve been in a cave for the last few years — or even weeks — you know it’s Twilight time again. That means “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” has arrived in theaters and, happy to report, it is easily the most entertaining of the first three films based on Stephenie Meyer’s wildly popular vampire-in-love novels.

 

Melissa Rosenberg’s screenplay starts with an intense attack on a young man in Seattle. Then, there’s the renewal of deep affection between smalltown-Washington teen Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and equally smitten vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson).

Before it climaxes with some bloody and nicely choreographed battle sequences, “Eclipse” certainly . . . well, indeed eclipses its more tame and occasionally sleep-inducing predecessors.

 Of course, this one will induce some real swoons, too, for infatuated fans of both Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, back to lay claim to Bella’s hand as close Native American friend-turned-werewolf Jacob Black. Ed and Jake’s extended face time in this third episode is mostly a hoot, filled with tight jaws, minimal threats and silly but effective one-liners.

That said, here’s a vote for Team Edward in the acting department. Pattinson plays his yearning Romeo believably, but Lautner never seems very comfortable in his skin, which filmmakers force him to show off constantly as Jacob roams shirtless in the woods.

Bella, meanwhile, not only must deal with the love triangle she so “innocently” instigated, but also the real possibility that she’ll be done in by the army of newbie vamps cleverly assembled by the sinister Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard). For the uninitiated, red-headed vamp Vic blames Bella for the death of her own boyfriend in the original “Twilight” installment and now seeks big-time revenge.

Somehow, someway, however, the comforting if bloodsucking relatives of Edward’s Cullen clan and Jacob’s fierce-toothed Wolf Pack manage to ignore Bella’s bratty brooding and still find it in their bleeding hearts and tortured souls to protect her. Before they can engage the approaching ruthless brigade from aforementioned Seattle, the evil Jane (Dakota Fanning) shows up, too, with a few other members of the ruling Volturi Guard, apparently just to oversee the proceedings.

Cheers to playful Brit director David Slade (“Hard Candy,” “30 Days of Night”) for including some nifty character flashbacks, taking it all so seriously for fans of the books, and sprinkling in an array of ironic moments for the rest of us.

Read more by John M. Urbancich at http://jmuvies.blogspot.com/

 

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by John Urbancich