The ‘buzz’ was high for the third installment, ‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’, and the moviegoer base turned out in full force for the more than 4,000 US theaters who presented the midnight Tuesday viewing, with an estimated box office of $30 million, surpassing the second installment ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’ with its record in 2009 of $26.3 million.
As the next chapter unfolds, Bella (Kristen Stewart) once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle experiences mysterious killings. Further complications for Bella and Edward, along with his ‘family of vampires’ is the new generation of Volturi Vampires with the sole purpose of eliminating the Cullen family and Bella. In the midst of it all, Bella is edging toward having to choose between her love for Edward (Robert Pattinson) and her friendship with Jacob (Taylor Lautner). The decision she makes has the potential to divide the uneasy alliance between vampires and werewolves, with both sides needing the other to survive the treat that could be the downfall of them all.
Admittedly, I was pretty much ‘middle of the road’ on the first two installments. I had the feeling of watching ‘90210’ about teenage angst with vampires and werewolves thrown in for good measure. And no, I haven’t read any of the books, so I had no base to draw on. This third chapter peaked my interest. Frequently throughout ‘Eclipse’ it had the feel of one of my favorite movie franchises, the ‘Underworld’ films starring Kate Beckinsale, as this story wove in back-story on both the vampires and werewolf’s history.
And, Dakota Fanning was my main interest in this next installment. Throughout the years since interviewing her for ‘Dreamer’ (2005) she has undertaken a diverse range of characters and in “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’, her role of the mysterious vampire leader brought that essence of depth to the saga with the implication that more lay ahead for the next installment in the Twilight Saga. The door was certainly left open by the ending, with the future of the Bella, Edward, Jacob and those who are drawn together by fate, love, and destiny…
‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’ starring Xavier Samuel, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Bryce Dallas Howard, Justin Chon, Anna Kendrick, Michael Welch, Christian Serratos, Jackson Rathbone, Ashley Greene, and Dakota Fanning.
Directed by David Slade. Written by Melissa Rosenberg. Summit Entertainment release. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some sensuality. Runtime: 124 minutes.
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Comments
Nicely done, Stan. I've read the books and this is where the story defintely gets more interesting! Dakota Fanning is an amazing actress.
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