Editorial
Front Page - Friday, July 9, 2010
Commentary: Film series begins approach to dark side of the moon
Erica Tuggle
Michelle Brown and Hannah Turner show their support for “Team Edward” during the midnight movie premier of the third in the series, Eclipse. Some fans began lining up at 9 p.m. at the Carmike Wynnsong off Gunbarrel Road to see the film that unfolds the difficult decisions of adolescence, made all the more complex when your boyfriend is a vampire and your best friend is a werewolf.
- Erica Tuggle
“Eclipse,” the third installment of the “Twilight” series, swooped into theaters with a similar frenzy that the previous midnight premieres have elicited. High hopes for the movie to wash away the disappointment of the previous films brought out the usual fans and curious viewers in droves.
For their effort, including staying up to almost 3 a.m. to watch the two-hour saga, there seemed to be reward as many leaving the theater were all atwitter about what the film’s plot unfolding will bring for the final installment of the series, broken into two parts, the first of which will come out on November 18, 2011.
Before the movie, Tammy Gibson and her daughters, Aidan and Abigail Valentine, said they were excited about seeing the movies, but couldn’t quite say what their favorite part about “Twilight” was apart from Edward’s often remarked upon good looks. The daughters were rooting for Team Jacob, Bella’s werewolf friends, and their mother was rooting for Team Edward, and the Cullen Vampire clan.
Premiere-goer Mike Cardi-nal had a homemade shirt with “Team Jacob” across it and several “Twilight” buttons. He says he’s for Jacob because, simply, “He’s the man.”
Whichever team you find yourself on (or like Bella, proclaim yourself Switzerland in the whole matter) “Eclipse” can be added to the summer must-see film list. The most applause worthy effort is that No. 1: If you like the book, you will probably like the movie, because the material is the same, and No. 2: they listened to fan criticism of the previous films and improved.
The lack of acting skill of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in these films are just one of those things you have to deal with in seeing any “Twilight” film, but with “Eclipse,” fans were given what they longed for: the opportunity to identify with characters and personalities. In this regard, Taylor Lautner shines as the witty “wish-we-were more than friends” werewolf pal, Jacob. Throughout “Eclipse,” he throws out puns as he saunters shirtless through most of his scenes, making himself a likable character in his angst when Bella rejects him time and time again.
In “Eclipse,” we also get to identify with Bella for the first time as we see her struggle as she realizes her choices will always leave someone she cares for feeling alienated or hurt. We can see the difficult choices of adolescent love she seems trapped by with the added burden of being the object of desire for a werewolf and more than one vampire.
Edward unfortunately is a character too perfect in his monotony that I’ve become bored with his actions. His dialogue is like a skipping record, with two main hang-ups, of protecting Bella from all the naughty vampires who want her out of the picture and to professing his undying love for her, whether human or not.
The film is not without its hiccups, either. Even for a romantic film, the scenes between Edward and Bella together are gooey, too frequent and increasingly more awkward as the film wears on. It’s nothing you would be anxious to sit and watch with your parents, but may reach that point when the next film dawns. Also, the vampires still sparkle, and no Dracula fan is happy about that.
For the most part though, “Eclipse” is a winner. While the rivalry of Team Edward and Team Jacob still sputters at the movie’s conclusion, our fictional heroes are finding some common ground. The fight scenes between vampires and werewolves are shiver worthy, even with the minimal gore. It also offers an interesting interpretation on what it takes to kill a vampire.
The characters’ emotions are more developed in this film so that we begin to see how difficult the decision to become a vampire, thus leaving her family and friends, will be for Bella. For Bella, the fictitious problems of evading a vengeful vampire and her ferocious newborn army mix well with the real problems of marriage decisions, abstinence and how to let a boy know you are just not that into him.
Also, the elimination of Bree Tanner, for whom a novella was recently released on her brief “second-life,” is a shocking and sobering moment, even for those who saw it coming. This also gives us the clenching proof we needed that the Volturi are not playing around with their threats, and Bella’s time as a human is going to be short whether she goes over to the dark side or not.
Even for those who have read the series to the end, the last film will be of interest for the interpretation of some pretty heavy material
for the teen genre. Until then, other anticipated midnight
premieres involving a certain “boy who lived” will keep the excitement high.
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