Review: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Ah high school - those were the days. Finding yourself. Getting lost in the feeling of first love. Having a vampire and a werewolf fight for your affection while they save you from another vampire who's trying to kill you. What, that wasn't your experience?

The teen angst and melodrama of the vampire-human romance at the heart of "The Twilight Saga" won't appeal to everyone. But given the $176 million it banked in its first week and the droves of screaming "Twihards" who flocked to cinemas in their Team Edward and Team Jacob attire, "Eclipse" is only making the Twi-fever grow stronger.

Sure the first two films were successful, but "Eclipse" is the first of the "Twilight" films that feels deserving of a blockbuster summer release.

In the franchise's third installment, supernatural drama is hitting Forks, Wash., full-force. A string of murders in Seattle has the media crying serial killer, but the Cullen clan knows the real culprits are an army of newborn vampires - those whose lust for blood is still so new that it can't be controlled. But why the army was created remains a mystery.

The personal lives of Bella (Kristen Stewart), Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Jacob (Taylor Lautner) aren't much prettier than the carnage and mayhem the newborn vamps have wreaked on Seattle. Bella is still set on becoming a vampire, but she's reluctant to meet Edward's condition that she marry him first. Jacob refuses to come to terms with Bella's choice, and his feelings for her only continue to grow stronger.

If Edward turns Bella, the Cullens' treaty with the werewolves is off, but if he doesn't, they'll have to face the wrath of the Volturi, the ruby-eyed, creepy vampire government who may have alterior motives of their own. And then there's still the matter of Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard), who wants Bella dead as vengeance for Edward killing her mate, James.

What's a girl to do with a charismatic vampire and a studly werewolf vying for her affections? Convince them to team up to take down Victoria and the vampire army for good, of course.

A few parts of "Eclipse" feel a little slow, but overall the film is a vast improvement from its predecessors. The visual effects are superior to the previous two installments, though the vampire makeup is still too pasty and gaunt, even for the undead.

"Twilight" and "New Moon" often relied a bit too much on romance and melodrama and not enough on plot. Bella and Edward are still swooning over each other and exchanging angsty glances - after all, it wouldn't be "Twilight" without that element. But "Eclipse" boasts a more defined plot and a lot more action, maybe even enough to keep the dragged-along boyfriends and husbands interested.

As with the previous two films, the script is the weakest element, although I don't completely blame screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg. Stephenie Meyer's sappy dialogue may read well enough on the page, but it just doesn't translate when spoken onscreen. It would breathe more life into the script if Rosenberg took a few liberties, but given the fervor of the "Twi-hards," hardcore fans would likely revolt if she changed too much.

"Eclipse" still isn't the best showcase of Stewart's, Pattinson's and Lautner's acting chops, but all three seem more comfortable in their roles this time around. The film also makes better use of the supporting players, who were barely present in "New Moon." We get a glimpse of Jasper's and Rosalie's backstories, which gives the underused Jackson Rathbone and Nikki Reed more to do. But as usual, Billy Burke as Bella's dad emerges as the movie's scene stealer.

Much of the film's success can be attributed to director David Slade. His experience with darker fare like "Hard Candy" and "30 Days of Night" gave "Eclipse" more of an edge, but he still never lost sight of the romance at the heart of the story.

If you liked the other "Twilight" movies, you'll like "Eclipse." If you hated the other movies, you'll probably hate "Eclipse" too. But if you're neither a Twi-hard nor a Twi-hater, odds are you'll find it's at least entertaining enough to be worthy of a summer blockbuster release. B-

Review: Remember Me

"Remember Me" is not for the pre-teen crowd that flock to see Robert Pattinson in the "Twilight" films, though Summit's marketing campaign wants you to think so. It's a darker, more mature look at love and family, albeit a fairly melodramatic one.

The film opens when young Ally witnesses her mother's murder in a subway mugging. The action then jumps ahead 10 years when Ally (Emilie de Ravin) is in college. Her rebellious classmate Tyler (Robert Pattinson) has also been affected by a personal tragedy - the suicide of his older brother.

One night Tyler gets involved in a fight outside a bar that results in an altercation between him and Ally's father (Chris Cooper). Tyler's roommate Aidan (Tate Ellington) sees Ally with her father one day and suggests that Tyler date Ally and dump her as a way to get back at her father. But of course, nothing goes according to plan, and Tyler really falls in love with Ally, her free spirit and enthusiasm for living in the moment reinvigorating him.

The romance between Tyler and Ally is just one aspect at the center of "Remember Me." Ally's relationship with her father and Tyler's relationship with his family play just as important of a role. After the death of Ally's mother, her father is fiercely protective and can't come to grips with her growing up and becoming independent, a battle that strains their relationship.

Tyler's father (Pierce Brosnan) is a workaholic who, while he has provided for the family monetarily, has been largely absent personally. Tyler's sister Caroline (Ruby Jerins) is a socially awkward budding artist who just wants their father to pay attention to her. Tyler's intense loyalty to his little sister drives him to become angrier and angrier at his father's neglect.

This movie doesn't feel like it's meant to be a blockbuster success, although I'm sure Summit wouldn't complain if Pattinson's new teen idol status earns it some extra dough. Instead, it feels like part thoughtful indie, part "Love Story" or Nicholas Sparks melodrama. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but overall "Remember Me" is an engaging film.

This isn't the movie for Pattinson to show audiences whether he has versatility and staying power beyond "Twilight" - his upcoming "Bel Ami" and "Water for Elephants" should be better suited to that - but it does show he has potential. It's nice to see him go beyond Edward Cullen, even if Tyler can be equally brooding at times.

He gives a good performance with the material he's given to work with, as does de Ravin, best known for her work on "Lost." They're both such likable leads that it's easy to care about their characters, and they both exude a certain charm that reels you into them. They definitely have a strong screen presence, and they have good chemistry as a couple.

The veteran supporting players are equally strong. Brosnan and Cooper shine in their scenes, Brosnan oblivious and narcissistic and Cooper powerful and pained.

But the real standout of the film is Jerins as Caroline, who glows with a maturity and wisdom beyond her years in every scene she's in. The slightest twitch of her face or lilt in her voice is enough to make you laugh or break your heart. She also brings out the best in Pattinson, who, while he does have good chemistry with de Ravin, shines the most in his scenes with Jerins.

The only performer who was a bit off was Ellington as Aidan, who was fun and goofy sometimes and a bit too obnoxious the rest of the time. He is so overzealous, saying every line and making every gesture with so much energy that he comes across like Tigger on speed.

Allen Coulter does well in the director's chair, but Will Fetters' script is the aspect of the film with the most weaknesses. If the somber tone and dialogue leading up to the film's climactic end were less drenched in melodrama, the movie may have been more effective overall.

But I do applaud Fetters for taking a huge risk in the film's last 10 minutes. It may or may not have worked depending on your view of the scene's execution, but it's refreshing that Fetters attempted to go there rather than playing it predictably safe.

Now I'm going to do something I don't usually do in reviews - I'm going to give away the ending. I don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen the film and doesn't want to know, but I don't feel like I can give a complete and honest review of this movie without addressing the ending, which most people have probably heard by now is controversial.

So, if you haven't seen "Remember Me" and you do not want to know the ending, stop reading now.

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The controversy surrounding the ending of "Remember Me" seems to have to do largely with the fact that it comes as a surprise, but to be fair, the film does present the audience with a timeline, albeit a subtle one.

The murder of Ally's mother takes place in 1991, then jumps ahead to "10 years later," which of course, if you do the math, is 2001. We know it's the end of the school year. Then we know it's the summer. Then Ally makes a point of mentioning it's Labor Day. But it doesn't really hit you where the film is headed until Caroline's teacher writes the date on the chalkboard: September 11, 2001.

Tyler has gone to see his father at work. He looks out the window while he waits for his father to arrive, and when the camera pans out, we see that his father's office is in the World Trade Center. You feel like you've been punched in the gut as dread starts to overwhelm you. You know exactly what is going to happen to Tyler.

We never see the plane hit the tower, just people running and ash descending on the city, falling on the faces of a stunned and horrified-looking Ally and Aidan. What many people thought was going to be a typical tragic romance ends with Tyler dying on 9/11.

Many critics and viewers alike have condemned the film because they feel it exploits a national tragedy. While I may not agree, I completely understand how people might feel that way. Fetters treads a fine line here, and it's debatable whether or not it works. Though Fetters does provide a subtle timeline, the ending comes largely as a surprise, so many people feel it was done purely for shock value, to force the audience to feel emotion in a film that may or may not have touched them until that moment.

Part of this debate could be a case of the "How soon is too soon?" question. When people go to the movies, for the most part, they probably don't want to be reminded about 9/11. Even though it was nearly a decade ago, it still feels like it was yesterday. But if the same story were told in the same way but was set in 1941 and Tyler died at Pearl Harbor, or in 1970 and he died at Kent State, I doubt people would be as offended by it.

Personally, "Remember Me" did not give me the vibe that Fetters wanted to use 9/11 for shock value. Yes, it does come as surprise, but isn't that exactly what happened that day? It completely blindsided everyone. When people woke up on Sept. 11, 2001, no one had any idea what was coming. The ending of "Remember Me" recreates that sense of shock, that sense of horror, that sense of overwhelming sadness.

And that's something that probably makes a lot of people uncomfortable. But should 9/11 really remain a subject untouchable to movies? Right after it happened, most New York-set TV shows didn't even mention it. They just wiped the Twin Towers from the skyline, choosing to move on and continue entertaining people. At that time, maybe that's what people needed. But is almost 10 years later too soon to address it at all?

"World Trade Center" and "United 93" chose to focus entirely on 9/11 from the beginning. "Remember Me" goes at it from a different, more personal angle. It tells the story of how it changed the lives of one small group of people. Like all the individuals affected by the tragedy in real life, Tyler is just living his life when this horrifying event cuts it short. Ally wakes up feeling happy only to have her boyfriend cruelly taken away much too young.

It was a risky move, but "Remember Me" dares to make audiences remember their grief. The whole point of the movie is to remind you not to take for granted the people you love, because you never know when you might lose them. This is a lesson the characters in the film learn the hard way, as Tyler's father loses a second child but in turn becomes more a part of his daughter's life than ever before.

There is no more relatable way to share this message than through 9/11, something everyone in the country was affected by. It brought the nation such a powerful sense of unity, one most people would probably agree we have lost since then. Could the ending of the film have been handled differently? Maybe. But it reminds us not to let all the people who lost their lives that day have died in vain. It reminds us to honor them by appreciating the people we still have in our lives.

However you feel about the ending of the film, whether you appreciate it or it angers you, it accomplishes what I believe Fetters set out to do. It makes you think about 9/11 again. It makes you talk about it. It makes you remember. B

Review: The Twilight Saga: New Moon

I have never seen a pop culture phenomenon as polarizing as "Twilight," and based on the reviews for the second installment in the series, "New Moon" is no exception. Personally, I enjoy the "Twilight" books. Yes, they're poorly written. Yes, they're extremely cheesy. But to me they are fun, escapist entertainment. That's what "New Moon" sets out to be, and director Chris Weitz's adaptation actually succeeds more than the book.

In "New Moon," human high school student Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) are just as in love as in the first installment. But when Edward's brother Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) almost attacks Bella, a guilt-ridden Edward fears being with him is too dangerous for Bella. Determined to keep her safe, Edward leaves town, where a broken-hearted Bella feels the sting of losing her first love.

Completely numb for months, Bella finally starts to heal when she grows closer to her friend Jacob (Taylor Lautner), who quickly makes it clear he's interested in more than just friendship with her. But just when Bella is getting used to supernatural beings not being in her life, Jacob discovers the legends that his Quileute tribe is descended from wolves are actually true (spoiler alert unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months) - Jacob is a werewolf, sworn to protect the tribe's land from vampires.

The change in Jacob sets in when Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre), one of the nomadic vampires from the first film, returns to Forks, Wash., in search of Bella, who she's determined to kill. Bella has to adjust to her friend's new-found identity, avoid crossing paths with Victoria and try to forget the Cullens, who re-enter her life in a dramatic way.

From a filmmaking standpoint, "New Moon" improves on "Twilight" in every way, largely thanks to Weitz's direction. Catherine Hardwicke's directing in the first film was uneven and the story very disjointed. The script borderlined on over-the-top cheesy even for "Twilight" fans, and the acting was wooden for the most part.

But with Weitz in the director's chair, the story is much more cohesive and the directing is solid. Gone are Hardwicke's unnecessary extra shots and the first film's odd blue tint. The book's trademark teen angst is still present, but screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg inserts enough extra humor to counterbalance it. The story moves at a slow and steady pace, but that's the way the books are set up.

Though the dialogue is still a bit cheesy, the actors seem much more comfortable in their roles this time around. The two standouts in the film are the hilarious Billy Burke, who plays Bella's dad Charlie and also stole the show in the first film, and the always wonderful Michael Sheen, who plays the creepy leader who enforces the vampire laws.

The special effects are also a huge step above those of the first film. While they're nowhere close to the quality of the effects of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," for example, they suit the film's needs. I was satisfied with the werewolf transformations, and the other effects look much less fake than in the first film.

Alexandre Desplat's score is a little odd at times but is solid overall, and the rest of the film's soundtrack is strong, featuring bands like Death Cab for Cutie, The Killers, OK Go and Muse.

In a nutshell, "Twilight" fans should find "New Moon" to be a huge improvement from the first film, while people who hate "Twilight" will probably hate this movie too. If you're one of the few people not on either extreme who was indifferent to the first film, I'd suggest giving "New Moon" a shot. Fans will be satisfied while the haters will continue to hate. B