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- Review count2
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- First reviewJune 30, 2010
- Last reviewJune 30, 2010
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Norrington516's Reviews
Overall rating
5
/
5
A most excellent adaptation
PostedJune 30, 2010
Norrington516
from Los Angeles, CA
No filmic adaptation of a literary work will ever really 'get' the book exactly, simply because movies and books are different media. It is not a movie's job to cram every little detail from the book into the movie. Rather its job is to bring the literary experience to vivid, larger-than-life reality, to take you into the situation through aural and visual stimuli. Sometimes, especially in the case of Eclipse, it's better not to have read the book, or to have taken a break from it to 'cleanse the palate' so to speak, so you can appreciate the film on its own terms, rather than holding it up to the microscope of literary scrutiny.
I've read the entire series - now including the new Bree Tanner book - but I purposefully did not read the book immediately before watching the movie so I could let the movie entertain me on its own terms. And it did not disappoint. The movies seem to be finding their footing directorially and this one is, I believe, the strongest directorial effort in the series. All the major points that the movie needed to hit were not only hit but developed and smoothly integrated into the narrative. The movie actually integrates little bits from Stephanie Meyer's Bree Tanner novella which help to flesh out the characters in the vampire army better. The interplay between the major characters is heightened as Jacob makes a desperate play for Bella's affections while Edward must balance his love for Bella and desire to protect her with his jealous hatred and innate animosity toward Jacob.
The historical flashbacks were tastefully handled, never belaboring the points but providing enough detail for non-readers of the series to get what they need to know. The violence in the movie is mostly hinted at, which makes this pretty safe for younger viewers. This is one of the best adaptations of Stephanie Meyer's work that I've seen and I would heartily recommend it to anyone. Only, let it stand on its own before you compare it to the books.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
A small town epic writ large
PostedJune 30, 2010
Norrington516
from Los Angeles, CA
I was a very reluctant fan of the series. My fiancee and I even broke up because of it once so it's deliciously ironic that I found myself with her in a superbly furnished and professionally run movie theater watching the three films finished thus far. While certain epic movies do not easily lend themselves to continuous viewing (mainly due to their individual lengths), the first two-three films of the Twilight saga can be viewed and enjoyed without dozing off. My fiancee and I were really frustrated that we might have to watch Eclipse without seeing at least New Moon first but this was solved by the double-screening. Watching the first two movies again really helped me appreciate the character arcs better as well as the acting of the different actors in the films. It also helps Twilight (the first movie) come into its own as, directorially and financially, it was the weakest of the series. Of course... my fiancee thinks that it's the weakest in the series because there aren't any shirtless Jacobs in it...
I highly recommend viewing the series in sequence this way. It makes the small town epic come to vivid life in a whole new way.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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