Review

Review Date: 4-July-10
Spoiler Rating: Low
Juju Judgment: Juicy

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)

The third chapter in the Twilight series feels less languid than its predecessors, with enhanced action and more back story, both of which are welcome. This does not, however, diminish the fact that the "saga" is a drawn-out love triangle of no great originality whose popular appeal equates to a gulp of extreme boyfriend-flavored Kool-Aid. I don't know why it took me so long to accept this. I kept waiting for it to expand into a full-fledged fantasy with rich histories, meaningful battles, and memorable villains.

Eclipse drove the last nail into the coffin of these expectations. In so doing, it freed me to look for other things to appreciate in the dim glow of Twilight. Luckily, it provides such things. Here we have our trio of tortured teens who remain preternaturally calm under increased stress. This may seem ironic considering the audience hysteria they invoke, but we humans often admire qualities we do not personally possess. More than the first two films, Eclipse gives us reasons to like Bella the damsel (Kristen Stewart), Edward the vampire (Robert Pattinson), and Jacob the werewolf (Taylor Lautner) and to view them in a heroic light. As she is hunted once again by vicious bloodsuckers, Bella fights to control hormonal urges towards both boys, for different reasons, and tries to shape her future. Even without the actress' strange charisma one could sympathize with her position. It acquires a universal aspect during a high school graduation scene when she and her beaux are encouraged to make mistakes in order to become who they are meant to be. I don't know if he takes inspiration from this or not, but at long last Bella's true love Edward breaks out of a mope (which represents a huge improvement), forging a tenuous yet honorable alliance with his romantic rival and forcing a violent showdown with the vampiress who has haunted the series as a hyped-up red herring. As for Bella's also-ran suitor Jacob, while I join Edward in wishing he would put on a shirt (and get better hair), I cannot deny that he carries the mantle of noble sacrifice well. All three of these locker-fodder lovers and their clans behave in a high-minded manner without too much posturing. If millions adore them for it, more power to them.

I continue to assert, as in my review of New Moon, that all the fuss about Bella and Edward's impending marriage is ridiculous in the context of their story. When a girl has her heart set on becoming one of the undead, developing a thirst for blood, and keeping the same dude by her side every second for the literal remainder of eternity, being pelted with rice after cutting a fluffy cake seems the most insignificant of rituals. Then again, it is Edward who longs for a wedding due to his "old school" gentlemanly streak, and if he is making abstinence and commitment sexy as tokens of deep devotion, I suppose that is okay too. For its lack of depth and novelty Eclipse necessarily lands at the low end of the "Juicy" scale. Yet it is pleasant enough to watch if you do not expect too much, or if you have learned to expect the right things.

Copyright © 2010 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.