At the Movies

by Esther McCarthy

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VAMP IT UP

Twi-hard fans get reasons to cheer

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE (12A) starstarstar

THE STARS: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Dakota Fanning.

THE STORY: Bella is still determined to become a female vampire so she can spend eternity with her love Edward. Furious Jacob is not giving her up without a fight - but when they all face danger from a new breed of violent vampires, the love rivals must put their differences aside to save Bella from peril.

RIVALS: Jacob and EdwardROBERT PATTINSON has some serious competition in the teen hunk department.

The idol of screaming Twilight fans - they call themselves 'Twihards' - the world over, Pattinson is facing a new rival Twi-hard fans get
reasons to cheer on the screen as well as off it.

His nemesis Taylor Lautner, with the help of some wellhoned pecs and a feisty manner, is emerging as by far the strongest character in the series and it is his presence as Jacob that saves this movie.

The third instalment in the massively successful series, this film marks a step up from the woeful New Moon but still treads familiar
ground.

Fans who pitch themselves firmly in the 'Team Edward' or 'Team Jacob' camps will love every minute.

But for casual movie goers who are wondering what on earth all the fuss is about, there's little here to make you change your mind.

Still, under the helm of new director David Slade, this instalment goes someway towards being more of a blockbuster and less of an
extended pop video. You'll need to have seen the last two films to understand the Twilight world and lingo of this movie.

Vicious

Our moody heroine Bella is still hopelessly in love with Edward and determined to become a vamp so that she can spend her life with him, despite his reservations.

Werewolf Jacob - Bella's long-term friend - is enraged by her plans, which are complicated by the fact that he's in love with her and wants them to be together.

But the boys are forced to work as a team when it emerges that baddie vampire Victoria is out creating an army of newborns - vicious and violent vampires that have recently been converted from humans - in nearby Seattle.

Together, they are setting out to destroy Bella and the only way she can be saved is for the Cullen vampires and Jacob's band of werewolves to team together and fight them.

This does not impress The Volturi vampires, lead by Dakota Fanning's Jane, who are against Edward and Bella's union. The stage is set for the mama of all vampire/ werewolf battles.

It's in these climactic action scenes - packed with good-looking special effects and more of a sense of urgency - that the Twilight series finally feels like it's hitting its stride.

The addition of some humour is also an improvement from the morose atmosphere of the second film.

There's even a laugh raised when Edward deadpans of his barechested rival Jacob: 'does that guy own a shirt?'

There's still not enough going on here to entice those who don't get the appeal of Twilight's world, but at least the fans are finally getting the blockbuster they deserve.

THE VERDICT: A radical improvement in the series, particularly in the action scenes, Eclipse is nevertheless marred by some hammy dialogue and heavy melodrama. Still, it's watchable and well paced and easily the best of the three films.

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