The Montclair Movie Maven Reviews ... Eclipse!!!

Our Montclair Movie Maven took in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse ... and her verdict? Twilight's Eclipse is a Bloody Good Time.

As pure escapist entertainment goes, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is probably the best two hours you're going to get this holiday weekend. This movie, the most recent offering in Stephanie Meyers' Hot Vampires series, is visually dramatic, steamy, preposterous fun. It also has moments that are, unexpectedly, hilarious. 

If you don't believe me, here's a quote from the movie: "Look Bella, I'm sorry about the kiss, your broken hand, everything . . . I blame it on the whole inner animal thing. But it was just me being an ass." 

It's worth the price of admission to watch actors trying to deliver lines like these with a straight face.

Eclipse tells the story of Bella, an angst-driven teen in love with Edward, who happens to be a mesmerizingly handsome Vampire. In fact, she's seriously considering letting him turn her into a Vampire too - as soon as high school graduation is over. Meanwhile, a huge gang war is brewing among the creepy night-creatures, which calls for the warrior skills of human werewolf Jacob. Jake's intense black eyes and 8-pack abs make it hard for Bella to concentrate on Edward (who pouts at one point, "Do you even own a shirt?") The end of the movie feels like a computer game as gritty urban vampire violence escalates into fullscale warfare, with wolves and superhumans jettisoning one another through the air. By the time the human/creature love triangle claws its way to the end of the movie, the stage is set for the next murky, hormone-driven Twilight story.

Movie Maven's Best Movie Moments: A strikingly attractive cast and the special effects in a decapitation scene. Also, the sex-talk scene between Bella and her dad feels poignant and authentic. Though the audience giggled intermittently through the film, it was all in good fun. These actors must be commended for breathing life and sincerity into dialogue that, at times, is truly inane.

The PG-13 rating: Fair. This movie is about danger, sexual tension, and psychological torment, not graphic sex and gore. 

At the Bellevue Theater on Saturday night, here's what some other Montclair movie-goers thought:

Judy: "My favorite part was the 'hotter than you' line."  (As Jacob and Edward bickered over Bella, one of them said, "She may need her toes someday and let's face it, I'm hotter than you.")

Melissa:  "The sex scene was awkward. It didn't feel like two teenagers groping each other."

Paolo (my 12 year-old son, who was dragged along to the movie): "It's based on a rush of teenage hormonals. They off-put movie violence with melodrama, such as Jacob going into the fight, coupled with his inability to wear a shirt."

Kathryn Coleman: "It was better than the previous Twilight movie.  It was romantic and fun.  My favorite part was getting to pretend I was twelve again."

Gabby Ambrosio (age 18):  "I thought it was really great, sort of an eye-candy thing.  It's a guilty pleasure. My favorite part was being part of the excitement – people screaming when the actors took off their shirts."

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is playing this holiday weekend at the Bellevue Theater at 1:15, 4:15, 7:15 and 10:15.