Eclipse movie review

This is the review from a fan, more so of the books than the movies. I've put categories for each aspect of the movie this time for better references.
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Cinematography:
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Kudos David Slade and the crew! Eclipse was pretty impressive!
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I love the addition of beautiful scenery and backdrops such as the snow-tipped mountain ranges and fields. The meadow is the prettiest so far. I’m so glad there is no more ugly blue-tint and too warm tones like that in New Moon. The colour tones used are just right. David Slade put his eye for beauty in good use.-
Extremely cool action scenes in the training and fighting parts! It looks really surreal, fighting between something not quite humans.-
Romance scenes are hotter now, making me feel a bit uncomfortable, most definitely the bedroom scene. It could have gone better though, prolong it a little like that in the book. Tent scene and the fighting scenes stick closest to the book and I love those!
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To quote the words from a fan in Twilightlexicon ”the newborns died as described in the book” which is quite disturbing actually. All those pings of crystal shattering and wrenching of limbs and faces, woah, I love how they stuck close to it.
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Acting:
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Acting certainly had step up a notch. Robert Pattinson still looks like he is grimacing when he smiles, perhaps it’s the contracts?
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Xavier Samuel’s acting is very notable as Riley. The way he moves and delivers his lines, it’s very professional. Kristen Steward and Robert Pattinson’s acting are better, at least they show the right emotions when talking.-
Dakota Fanning is truly very deliciously evil as Jane. I just love her lines, especially her “decisions, decisions” and “The Volturi don’t give second chances” quotes.
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The Cullens have more screen time which is great, especially Jackson Rathbone, who talks and acts more than the 2 previous movies put together.-
I think that Taylor Lautner’s acting is not as bad as some people said it was. For me, the jealously, hatred and sarcasm Jacob has is presented on screen. I don’t think he sounds so wooden either.
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Billy Burke is hilarious as Charlie, in the sex talk scene and graduation scene. He provides comic relief and did well in the portrayal Bella's father.
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All those agony felt by the newborns and Jacob is truly heart-wrenching. Those screams, wow, they raise goosebumps for me. I truly can feel Jacob’s pain in some scenes.
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Make-up:-
Wigs are generally better this time round for everyone. Refresh my memory, but did Rosalie have bone-straight hair? I hated the way Esme’s and Rosalie’s hair are piled up on their heads during the training and fighting scenes.-
Make-up looks more natural, more so on some than others. Pattinson’s face still looks slathered on with too much white-powder. Xavier Samuel’s on the other hand, looks very natural on him. Perhaps it has to do with lighting.
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Plotline:
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Eclipse is the best so far in following the plotline of the book. Twilight is the worst, even though I have said it so many times before. If New Moon is 10 times better Twilight, then Eclipse is 25 times better.-
Although some scenes are mashed together and others cut out, I don’t feel like I’m missing something. The movie is well-paced although scenes are switched around. The second half of the movie sticks closer to the book than the first half, which is acceptable to me.
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Soundtrack/score:
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Nice accompanying music along with the scenes. The songs used matches the feel and overall tone of the movie.
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I love Jacob's score by Howard Shore. The genius who did the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. It's just too bad I didn't know which scene it is.-
Bad points:
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The opening scene was great though the ending wasn’t as nice. It should have ended when Jacob ran away as a wolf, leaving behind his life. That would have been a better ending and a nicer way to lead the story to Breaking Dawn.-
Jasper’s back story is too water-downed. I would have like to see Alice and him meeting at the diner, and delivering their lines in the loving manner.
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Some great quotes are cut off, like Rosalie’s “If we have any happy ending, we would have been lying under gravestones by now” and Jacob’s “I can’t fight with an Eclipse. “ The movie could have more details to it and could have been longer.
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Bella shouldn’t have leave with Jacob in one of the scenes, it just goes against the grain of the book. As much as she loves Jacob, she wouldn’t do that kind of thing in that kind of circumstance.
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The “I’m Switzerland” line could be better delivered than what is shown. It would have been better if Bella have said that “I don’t who is a werewolf or a vampire. From now, I am Bella, you are Jacob and he is Edward. If Angela is a witch, she can join the party too”.
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Good points:
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I like the backstory of Riley and the meeting with Renee at Florida. I am glad they included the graduation party and Bella hitting Jacob and the bracelet. It’s all this small details that make Eclipse works.
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I like the legends Billy told at the campfire scene. It was more than nicely done. The chase at the beginning was awesome, with all the snarling from the wolves and vampires chasing Victoria.
Rosalie’s backstory could have last a tad longer but it still good.
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More quotes directly from the book this time round which pleases me very much.-
Overall feel:-
All in all, it was a satisfying movie session because it stayed close to the book. Everything is much better than before, partly because Eclipse is the beginning of an end. Things are tied up while others break down and most fans agreed that Eclipse is their favourite book.
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Eclipse is without a doubt a movie made for the fans. In the words of Producer Wyck Godfrey “You people count. You people matter. The fans matter. Did you like it?”-
The movie is made as though audience are expected to understand the backstories behind it, the way some scenes and dialogue links back to the books. Which is great, in my opinion.
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It is no doubt the best of the three produced so far and it doesn’t help that Eclipse is my favourite book. I have high expectations for it despite knowing that it was a stupid thing to do. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed. I learnt my lesson the last time that comparing the book too much with the movie adaption is going to give me heartaches.
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So, that’s two ticks now. It made Twilight the movie seems like a bad memory. I get it that it was a first try and a film either make it or break it. Sequels, on the other hand, can too make or break the success. In the case where book sequels are concerned, generally, it just keeps getting better and better.
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If I have the chance, I would want to watch it again and again. Too bad for me, money don’t grow on trees and I feel guilty for going even for a second time. Like they said, the first time is for the overall feel of the film. The subsequent rounds are to savour the movie bit by bit, analysing the scenes if one wants or just enjoy a second helping with an open-mind.
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I am buying the movie companion guide though. It is just too good to be missed.
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Though I get it how some people, who aren't readers or fans, will not get the story at all. Indeed, if I am a non-reader, I would feel like I'm missing a lot of things.
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But, all I can say is, as a reader and a fan, I am heartened to know that a movie was made with fans in mind. They can't possibly review all the details again, this was an unnecessary thing to do. It makes fans feel special and it is certainly too bad for non-fans and non-readers.
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The Twilight saga movies are just like any book-to-movie adaptions. The main audiences are expected to understand the back stories and relate back to the movie in question.
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In the words of a fan "Do they think that by going just for the last part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy will allow them to understand everything? Or going for only the Deathly Hallows showing?"
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Another issue. I don't get it how some fans are disappointed by the movie. I thought it was quite magnificent, but to each his own, I guess. People have different expectations and hopes. Like how I don't understand why there are fans who like Twilight the movie.
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As long as the box office around the world continue to ring in money, we should feel proud. Money matters, you know it does. Continue breaking records! I'm in awe over the millions of dollars earn in just the first 2 days of the showing. It may fall short of what New Moon had, but it was still very, very cool.
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Rumour: Tom for Riley?

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Tom Felton for Riley in Eclipse? It's a rumour for now.

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He's the one who made me fell in love for Draco and pitied him for the choices he had to make. I remembered the times when HP still ruled in my heart, my obsession is all about him. Who needs Harry Potter when you have Draco Malfoy?

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Some people don't want him to be that role because they say he don't look like the character, or that he's Draco, or that he isn't innocent enough.

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People seems to forget that Draco is a character, NOT a real person. It doesn't matter if Felton spend so many years playing the role of Draco Malfoy, because it doesn't make him less capable of acting in another role, in another beloved book series. He's an experienced actor, have faith.

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About looks. Who in the Twilight universe or other movie franchise looks like their characters? Well, unless they have plastic surgery. Make-up, the wonderfruit!

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Take Daniel Radcliffe for example, people see him as Harry Potter, and he’s stuck with that. That's why he wants to break out by taking up roles which is so different from the character he played.

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The same goes for Robert Pattinson. He’ll be always Edward now in people's hearts. Not mine though. He'll remain as Pattinson.

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I’m a fan of Felton, and would love to see him in Eclipse. But, for the sake of the hard-core HP fans and him, I hope this remains a rumour.

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Those HP fans who hate Twilight’s guts will pull their hair off if they know that yet another HP star went to the “dark side”. First Robert Pattinson, then Jamie Campbell, now Tom Felton!?

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I’ve read their extreme comments, I know how bad it can get. It’ll be another battle between HP and Twilight universe.

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I wonder how the extremists feel about this, no doubt they will rally against it. Will Felton get less love from the HP side because of this?

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I'm not insusceptible against the blurring of lines between an actor and a character despite what I wrote.

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I don't think I'm contradicting myself. What I'm trying to say is, people's perspectives are wrong. They see things too much. Once a bad guy, always a bad guy? I don't think so. Widen up. They are actors.

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It is an inevitable scenario because of the success of the movie franchises and books series.

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New Moon 1st trailer out!

Ahhhhh! New Moon 1st trailer is out! Check this out!

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It's looking good, what with the birthday party, leaving scene, Laurent coming back, and the wolf form. Edward is gone, as in, lost in the movies.

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He can only stay in my heart and the books now. Robert Pattinson has taken over him. What the ****! The more I see the movie "Edward", the more I want to puke. How I hate those long sideburns...

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OMJ! Taylor is looking really fit! All those muscles... The special effects is more refined now. But, it still looks fake and really unnatural at some scenes. Like the one where "Edward" pushed "Jasper" and he flew into the piano.

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Kristen Steward's expression looks ho-hum to me. She's always wearing the same set of emotions, even though her character should be upset, angry, scared, or zombie-like.

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While the size of the wolf is great, the effects is bad.

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Well, well, it looks promising for the moment. I remain sceptical for now as a great trailer does not equal to a great movie. Chris Weitz, twilight fans are counting on you to make this into the sequel which can make us proud.

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The sequel is going to be so much better than Twilight the movie and that's a fact. Because, no matter how AU (alternate universe) New Moon becomes, it can't beat Twilight's spot from it's position in the cringe-worthy movies in 2008.

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I'm ashamed to say that I'm a twilight movie fan. For sure, my feelings for it remains on the bad side.

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Thoughts

It's been chilly lately. It's really windy too.

If only there's snow...

I can't wait for Chinese New Year! But, before that, there are many obstacles to pass.

Projects need to be handled up soon. Still on track, I think.

March huh? Can't wait for the Twilight DVD to come to Singapore! I'm going to buy it straight away, as a collectible. The chances are, I won't be watching it too often.
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To be truthful, I can hardly stand Robert Pattinson's face. Guess I belong in the small minority of fans who don't like him.

But, my tolerance for him has grown since the second time I watched Twilight.

About another thing, I'm Team Edward and Team Taylor. I'm aware that there are 5 teams now: Team Edward, Team Jacob, Team Switzerland, Team Taylor and Team Robert.

I was on Team Edward at 1st. But along came Taylor Lautner who plays Jacob. I guess I can be considered Team Switzerland now. I still leaning towards Edward though.

But I'm definitely Team Taylor. I don't like Pattinson. Period. So, on screen I'll be supporting Taylor while on the books, it's Edward and all the other characters.

*Speaking of characters here*
Given a choice, I will choose Edward over Jacob. Not because he's rich and good-looking. But because his personality suits mine better. I'm not a fun person to be with, not an extrovert, etc. Jacob will probably be bored to tears. But having the above criteria do helps, albeit a little. Not to mention, Edward is sensitive and a thinker, which is like me.

Also, I like "old-fashioned". I think my taste of music will clashed with his though. Come to think of it, I've not met a person who shares the same taste of music as mine, which is "oldies", 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s music hits.

However, there's a saying that says 'people with the same personalities will clashed with each other.' Maybe I need someone to balance me out. 'Like a personal sun to chase away the clouds.'

With either of them, if I'm the imprinted or "soul mate", then I guess nothing else really matters.

Yeah, I'm putting this entry on the thread on twilightlexiconblog.com.

New Year: 2009

A very Happy New Year to everyone!

Watched Ellen Degeneres show at 4.30 pm yesterday. Robert Pattinson was interviewed, so I thought I should watch it. I accepted that he's part of the Twilight phenomenal now, although I still don't like him as Edward.

Anyway, his real voice is quite great actually. So, I don't know why he speaks so funnily during the movie. I heard that it's because he tried to change his British accent to American.

Went to airport at night. After my father reached, we went to Tosto to have drinks. Reached home just in time for the countdown, and to see the fireworks over the distance at Marina.

Wishing 2009 to be great~

PS: 1st post for year 2009! I just realised it when I saw the archive. Woohoo!