It’s official: ‘Eclipse’ is not only the third movie installment in the ‘Twilight Saga,’ it’s also the best. It’s fast, intense, dramatic and manages not to take itself too seriously (at one point Edward quips–to Jacob: “Do you ever wear a shirt?”). The special effects with the werewolves and the fighting–vampire on vampire and vampire on werewolf–are amazing. The producers have mastered making the scenes when vampires are running through the woods–the Cullens chasing Victoria for example–thrilling.
Why my fellow Idol Chatter blogger Ellen Leventry doesn’t agree, claiming in her review post, ‘Eclipse’: A So-So Phase of the ‘Twilight Saga,’ not only that ‘Eclipse,’ “didn’t eclipse the original “Twilight” or “New Moon,”” but that, “in fact the series almost took a step back from the well-paced, chemistry-filled Chris Weitz-directed “New Moon”,”–rather mystifies me.
A step back? What?! During the film, at one point I was literally thinking to myself how far beyond ‘New Moon’ the movies have gotten. The acting–of all the characters, even Robert Pattinson–improved dramatically this time around. Sure there are plenty of angsty moments and gazes between Edward and Bella and Jacob and Bella and Jacob and Edward, and sure it’s melodramatic like the first two films, but there was never a dull moment. This movie was practically all action and when there wasn’t action there was romance.

I agree with New York Times critic, A.O. Scott’s assessment that ‘Eclipse’–though it stays squarely on the side of chastity–it also “raises the level of romantic intensity considerably, and also nudges Bella’s heretofore somewhat abstract longings decisively in the direction of physical lust.” The Bella and Edward scenes from beginning to end are pretty fantastic. My favorites were in the flowery meadow, but they were all rather riveting.
Add to these the Bella and Jacob love scenes and you have an action-packed romance. How great is that? Though I have to say, despite all the Edward and Bella goodness, I still think that when it comes to the movie versions of “Twilight,” I might be Team Jacob. For the books, I’m Team Edward all the way.