| Fang-tastic threequel brings flailing franchise back from the dead Mark Beirne, MovieFix Relax, nervous Twi-hards: it's good. Very good.   After director Chris Weitz put a stake through the heart of the Twilight franchise with the embarrassingly awkwardNew Moon, new helmer David Slade (30 Days of Night,Hard Candy) manages against the odds to breathe new life into the franchise. Eclipse is better on just about every level than its predecessor: the action is more suspenseful and properly executed; the special effects are improved; the story flows comfortably; and most importantly, the performances are stronger. Robert Pattinson was so god-awful in New Moon that it's a miracle he delivers the goods in the third instalment as Edward Cullen. Gone is his constipated expression — instead he has fun with the role, see-sawing between serious Casanova and playful James Dean. Kristen Stewart is once again impressive as Bella, the human girl in a relationship with a 100-year-old vampire, while Taylor Lautner gives both a solid performance and the one thing the hordes of screaming Twi-hards want: bulging biceps. Eclipse opens with the chilling murder of Riley (Australian actor Xavier Samuel) in Seattle. It seems a serial killer is on the loose, picking off innocents and turning them into blood-suckers. As an army of the undead builds, their mission becomes clear: they want Bella, forcing rival vampire and werewolf clans to unite in a deadly battle for supremacy. It's all very ridiculous — as is Bella's ongoing love triangle with Edward and Jacob, played to excess — but Slade clearly knows his limitations. There are more than a few tongue-in-cheek moments to lighten the affair (at one point, Edward sights a shirtless Jacob and muses: "Doesn't he own a shirt?"). Eclipse toys with the theme of immortality quite effectively. Bella discovers it's not an entirely romantic notion — even the vampires themselves warn her against it. In the film's best scene, Rosalie (Nikki Reed) recalls the shocking, saddening events that led to her transformation. The movie has pacing issues: early scenes that re-establish the central love triangle are too long and repetitive. But the second hour rockets along, building to an action-packed climax that allows Slade to showcase his deft hand at horror. The Twilight sequels haven't been able to capture Catherine Hardwicke's beautiful, indie-feel original. ButEclipse is a step in the right direction for this evolving franchise, and it will be interesting to see what the next director, Bill Condon (Dreamgirls), brings to the table inBreaking Dawn. Moviefix |
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