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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Latest (or not) New Moon and Eclipse movie news

Alright, some official news about New Moon movie.

After weeks of speculation, it's now confirmed that Dakota Fanning will be portraying Jane in New Moon movie.

New Moon is set to be released in theaters in 20th November 2009 with Eclipse in 10th June 2010 in USA.

Solomon Trimble who acted as Sam in Twilight movie won't be returning for the sequels.

First of all, Dakota Fanning has experience. She had starred in many movies. Since my wish for New Moon is that Taylor Lautner remain on as Jacob, and it had been fulfilled, I'm quite alright with other news. Unless...

However, Fanning does seems a little old for the role of Jane. Jane was described as a young girl who looks like an angel. Fanning is a little too "teenager" for Jane. Oh well.

I'm also wondering how on Earth can Summit afford her pay-check. She is classified under high-listed actresses, I think. She worked under big names before. I hope Summit don't burst their budget by recruiting big stars. They can instead focus on providing "special" special-effects and CGI.

Next, why is Eclipse been set to release in such an early date? About 6 months after the production of New Moon? It was also said that Chirst Weitz won't be directing Eclipse.

I can wait, tons of true fans can wait. I would rather take quality over quantity. Stop churning out movies like they don't matter at all. Don't they know that mass-production is the worst thing ever?

If Summit thinks that the twilight fan-base is a gold mine, they are right, of course. One day, they will get too greedy and get buried inside. But, they can rest assured that won't happen anytime.

The fan-base is getting too large and I don't think it can be called a fan base anymore. It's more like, "twilight is cool now so I'm a fan" OR "Robert Pattinson is hot so I'm a fan of twilight". Sheesh.

Eclipse is my favourite book. I love the plot and characters best there. With Twilight movie being a disappointment, I'm worried about New Moon movie and naturally, Eclipse movie.

The stunts and special effects gets harder and harder with every book. If the budget remains small, then nothing will go well.

The change in directors irks me. Why must it keep changing and changing? But, it can be good news, IF, the director proves to be inadequate in the directing. Whether the change proves to be a good thing or not remains to be seen. But I hope Christ Weitz will be a better director than Hardwicke.

It was said that a director's job is to direct and makes sure everything runs smoothly while a scriptwriter's job is to provide the script for the actors to act out.

If the scriptwriter did a bad job in transferring the plot from the book onto paper, the director and actors can't be blamed for the crappy movie.

Which, in my opinion, was the root of the problem for Twilight movie. The bad script, together with the "unique" way of directing, weird and OOC acting of the actors made the whole movie a bad adaptation of the beloved book.

Once bitten, twice shy. That's a good saying indeed.

I know there's no use of reminiscing the past. But I can't help to feel reluctant to trust Summit again.

I seem to be losing the faith in the movie franchise. I can't help it. I think I'd rather read the books again and again.

That being said, I would still watch the movies and buy the DVDs. Let's just treat them as memorials.

I'm still looking forward to New Moon movie. I'm looking forward to seeing Lautner and the whole story-line. I want to see if Christ Weitz does a good job and whether the scriptwriter deserves another chance.

One last thing, as stated above, Solomon Trimble won't be returning, which is kind of sad. He is a dedicated actor who is really good to his fans. He even went to research and study the language of Quileute. He's also the only person with native blood acting as a native American which makes him "real".

This means that the role of Sam will be taken up by yet another actor. I can't believe the decisions Summit comes up with most of the times.

Changes in directors are still OK, but, changes in actors in the middle of movies is a very bad move.

Yes, some people said he's only a minor character and in Twilight movie, he's got only 1 line. But consistency is the key to making successful movie sequels.

For goodness sake, don't go around saying that people won't notice, the truth is, if they can complain about details not being included, they can recognised the change in actors.

It seems like acting is not about devotion and passion anymore. Money is the most important thing on Earth.