The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Blu-ray Movie Review

Bonnie Tyler's favorite film in the series earns top-notch A/V specs and a fine array of extra content.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 25, 2010

Better you really be dead than one of them.

Its not always easy to remember that there's actually a real, serious series of novels and, now, three corresponding films behind Twilight mania. Images of a shirtless Taylor Lautner, a lovingly gazing Robert Pattinson, and chants of "go team Edward!" and "team Jacob all the way!" have proliferated everything and everything Twilight, effectively reducing Author Stephenie Meyer's series of novels to what seems like mere afterthoughts in the wake of the full-steam-ahead love-fest with the movies' hunky stars. Book stores, video outlets, clothiers, and all sorts of businesses have become havens for Twilight related tie-ins, from coffee cups to half-naked posters of the stars, from T-shirts to fly-by-night picture books packed with photos of Lautner and Pattinson from every conceivable angle. Even the Teen/Young Adult section of the bookstore has been overrun by Twilight clones; it seems half the space is dedicated to Vampire novels with dark covers, alluring fonts, and dreamlike titles, all promising something along the lines of Meyers' best-selling line of books. With all the hype surrounding the movie stars and all the millions of copies of the novels sold, it's understandably easy to become jaded and cynical when it comes to the filmed adaptations of Twilight, but truth be told the movies aren't the bile many make them out to be. Sure, the acting might be south of average, the plots dragged out, and general fatigue with the whole thing overwhelming the audiences' better judgment, but at least give the movies credit for being well-made and telling a decent story. No doubt the films could use some help, but all of the three Twilight pictures to date -- Eclipse included -- are far from bottom-dwellers, even if a general annoyance with the cast and all of the hoopla surrounding the series has rightfully dulled all but the most hardcore fans, of which there are still many, on the series.

There's no resisting the sparkle.

The small town of Forks is safe for now, but trouble is brewing. Nearby Seattle is home to an ever-increasing series of violent attacks, and it's assumed by Forks' Vampire community that Newborns -- newly-changed Vampires with a voracious thirst and a strength greater than that of the average Vampire -- are to blame. Meanwhile, Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart) are still in love and nervously await the Volturi's next move after that powerful coven promised Bella's untimely death should she not be soon converted into one of the blood-sucking undead. Worse, the Vampire Victoria still has a score to settle with Edward, further endangering the tender Bella. As if her life weren't already stressful enough, Bella finds herself caught in a dangerous love triangle; she loves both the Vampire Edward and the Werewolf Jacob (Taylor Lautner), but the recent high school graduate knows she must choose, and choose quickly. As Bella decides her destiny, Edward, Jacob, the Vampires, and the Werewolves form an uneasy but necessary alliance to thwart the pending attack by Victoria and her army of Newborns, a battle that promises great bloodshed in the lands around the serene northwestern town of Forks, all the while the mysteriously powerful Volturi await the proper time to once again inject themselves into the internal affairs of love and violence in Forks, Washington.

Underneath the hype and hoopla of Twilight lies a very interesting premise derived from the Edward-Bella/Vampire-human relationship. They're in love, but Edward doesn't want Bella to sacrifice her humanity while Bella doesn't want to grow any older and risk losing a plausible relationship with her forever-young boyfriend. That a civil war between Vampires and an uneasy alliance between Vampires and Werewolves could conceivably stem from an otherwise innocent romance seems dubious at best, but wars have begun for far more ridiculous reasons and, insofar as pure drama is concerned, Eclipse has it in spades, at least when it's not playing as melodramatic, machismo, or monotonous. Sure, the movie's far too bloated with manly posturing that's overly dramatic and oozing with faux testosterone, overlong debates about what is and is not right for Bella between Edward and Jacob, and various flashback sequences that establish character lore but hardly add much to the movie. Trim away these excesses, though, and there's a good story and a better-than-average movie to be found. Unfortunately, most viewers aren't into the editing business, and a movie like Twilight: Eclipse must be accepted or rejected by the entirety of what's on-screen, and it's those extra, laborious stretches that reduce the movie from "good" to merely "passable." Still, there are some genuinely dramatic moments here when the combination of Meyers' source material, Director David Slade's (30 Days of Night) eye for visual storytelling, and Howard Shore's (The Lord of the Rings) fantastic score all come together for brief moments of harmony that sees the movie about as tense and exciting as can be expected of a film of this sort, with "moments" being the key word. At its best, Twilight: Eclipse delivers a few fleeting moments of cinematic triumph that are unfortunately drowned out by the tedium of the whole package. When it's on, it's great, but but when it's not, it's hard to imagine anyone but the most vocal and dedicated Twilight fans hanging onto every word and shot.

From a technical perspective, Eclipse is about as invisibly good as they come, meaning that the production is appropriately slick and well-crafted for a movie of this scope, caliber, and budget, but it breaks no new ground along the way. Audiences can enjoy the picture without being sucked out of it for faults on the other end of the camera. The acting is another story, of course -- it's mostly hit-or-miss but decidedly competent and mostly convincing but never at all extraordinary in most scenes -- but from the back of the camera where sits the director and cinematographer and well beyond into the special effects department, colorists, and the like, Eclipse enjoys the fruits of a big-budgeted Hollywood film. The only fault on the technical end lies with the editing; as alluded to above, Eclipse is far too choppy, disjointed, and overweight, and every dramatic or action-packed plus is met with an overlong minus of a sequence. Of note is that Eclipse returns to the washed out blue and gray coloring of the first film, rightfully eschewing the more natural and slightly golden tinting of New Moon. Indeed, one of the original Twilight's best attributes was Director Catherine Hardwicke's chilly and bleak tone-setting façade that was the perfect visual compliment to the frigidity of the undead characters and the uncertainty of a dangerously brewing romance; Director David Slade smartly recaptures that tone in Eclipse, and the bleak appearance accentuates both the violence and emotional turmoil of the story while highlighting the ghastly pale appearance of the Vampires. Even better, the special effects are seamless; whether the unique crystalline deaths of Vampires or the amazingly realistic fur seen on the Werewolves, Eclipse is home to well-nigh perfect, albeit generally minimal, special effects. With a little bit of humor (three cheers for the joke that pokes fun at Taylor Lautner's many shirtless appearances), a fair bit of heart, some action, and ever-developing characters, Eclipse proves itself to be a better movie than the series is given credit for.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Summit Entertainment might not be releasing all that much on Blu-ray these days, but the studio's discs are almost always top-notch nonetheless. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is no exception; this 1080p transfer delivers a beautiful film-like image, supported not only by the strong detailing but a good-looking layer of natural film grain that does spike in a few places but helps the transfer immensely in terms of solidifying it is as a true replication of the cinematic experience. As for the details, they're nothing less than gorgeous, with the transfer immediately and through the course of the entire film displaying clothes, skin textures, and other assorted objects with a level of detail that's seen only in the best transfers. As noted in the body of the film review above, Eclipse goes full-throttle towards a chilly and metallic blue and gray color palette; there are sprinkles of brighter colors throughout, of course -- all of which are beautifully rendered -- but the predominant shading looks great, too, and best of all, it doesn't cost the transfer in the fine details department. Flesh tones look a bit ghostly, even when considering non-Vampiric characters, and while blacks are most always inky and honest, they fall apart in a few later scenes -- notably during an intimate moment between Edward and Bella in chapter 12 -- resulting in a soupy, impenetrable blotch of darkness that drowns out everything in its path. These complaints are relatively minor, and with no evidence of noise reduction, banding, aliasing, or any other eyesores, the transfer far more often than not comes awfully close to perfection. Indeed, the way this transfer so effortlessly recreates a true cinematic texture is nothing short of amazing; while other Blu-ray discs can and do look as good, and some of them just a little bit better, Summit's Blu-ray release of Eclipse still manages to deliver one jaw-dropping shot after another. Love Twilight or hate it, Eclipse is almost worth watching for the transfer alone.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse features a wonderful DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This full-bodied and always crisp and satisfying presentation begins with an effectively clichéd dark and stormy night where rain falls and splashes around the soundstage while thunder booms and echos off in the background, practically immersing the listener into the stormy Seattle night and setting a hefty sonic tone for the remainder of the track. As the track moves along, listeners will appreciate the way that music swells and gravitates towards a wonderfully cinematic, big-screen texture that delivers seamless clarity and spacing across the front and with just the right amount of subtle back-channel support. Additionally, the surround speakers also carry seamless environmental sound effects, whether the gently rolling waters of a beachside scene in chapter two or the sonic strength of the Werewolves rumbling through the soundstage later in the film. Bass is potent but never overwhelming of the track's other elements. Summit's lossless DTS track is perfectly balanced and always satisfying, rounded out by crisp and center-focused dialogue that's the final piece in this scrumptious sonic puzzle.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse debuts on Blu-ray with a quality assortment of extras. First up are two audio commentary tracks, the first with Actors Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, and the second featuring Author Stephenie Meyer and Producer Wyck Godfrey. The actors' track lacks in substance -- despite a few interesting tidbits -- with the track primarily built around inconsequential insights and recollections from the set, all the while hindered by some stretches of silence. The Stephenie Meyer track is a nice addition, and instances where novelists comment on the films based on their books are far too rare. This track is a bit more meaty and worthwhile; many of the comments are technical in nature, while also offering deeper insights into the story and its themes, making this the more traditionally-structured and worthwhile commentary of the two. Next up is The Making of 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse' 6-Part Documentary. Available as either a picture-in-picture supplement or a full-screen standalone extra (1080p, 1:28:00), this massive piece contains the following segments: Introducing David Slade; Pre-Production: Setting the Stage; The Heart of 'Eclipse'; The Dark Side of 'Eclipse'; Lights, Camera, Action; and Post-Production: Leaps in Technology. This well-made documentary looks at a broad array of topics, including the work history and style of the director, the actors' physical preparation for their roles, set construction, prop design, the story's themes and plot, the exploration of the backgrounds of the secondary characters, the Victoria plot line, the work of the cast both new and returning, various technical choices that are meant to enhance the look and feel of the film, visual effects creation, and plenty more. Also included are a number of interviews with cast and crew, including Author Stephenie Meyer. Fans should be thrilled with the quality of this all-inclusive supplement. Next up is a collection of eight deleted/extended scenes (1080p, 12:33) with optional director commentary, a photo gallery (1080p), and the music videos "Neutron Star Collision" by Muse (480p, 4:18) and "Eclipse (All Yours)" by Metric (480p, 4:20). Finally, Jump To... allows viewers to instantly access some of their favorite scenes from the movie, categorized under various headings including Edward, Jacob, The Love Triangle, The Cullens, The Wolfpack, The Humans, Victroria's Army, and Action Sequences. On the flip side of this BD-59 disc is a DVD copy of the film.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

By the time The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn two-fer has come and gone in theaters and home video, there will probably be some hot new property that will effectively eliminate all traces of Twilight from the social consciousness and take the reigns as new king of the bestsellers-turned-blockbusters; Harry Potter's hanging on thanks to the ongoing movie releases, but there's little doubt that that series, too, will diminish greatly in stature once the wizard has waved his wand goodbye to theatergoers, the Blu-ray reviews are in, and the discs are lining the shelves of collectors around the world. What does that all mean to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse? The answer is simple. Even if this film and the whole of the series have become overrun with Edward and Jacob mania, it'll soon fade away into the ethers of cinema lore, replaced by another can't miss oh-so-hot series and the corresponding good-looking actors who will grace the covers of tabloids and adorn the walls of high school girls everywhere, leaving that Taylor Lautner poster or that tell-all Robert Pattinson book collecting dust or returning to the Earth in some landfill. It's hard to imagine a series that's become as polarizing as Twilight due almost exclusively to mass overexposure of its stars; no doubt a fatigue with the constant bombardment of "Edward!" and "Jacob!" has obscured most everything surrounding the Twilight universe, but look beyond the actors and there's a decent movie that's certainly not as lean and ripped as its actors but is nevertheless attractive and well-made in its own right. Eclipse won't be accepting any Oscars this season, but it's a good, hearty sequel that stands up better than most "part threes" out there. Love it, hate it, or accept it at face value, Twilight -- subjectively speaking -- is a good series and a (so far) decent collection of movies that get a bad rap because of mass overexposure and limitless hype. Don't worry, calm down, and by all means avoid it if it's really that annoying, but many might be surprised that there's actually a fair movie in Eclipse that's more than two hours of a shirtless Taylor Lautner and a hunky Robert Pattinson gazing out towards a googly-eyed audience. Summit Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Eclipse is sure to dazzle, even if the movie leaves viewers in the figurative dark. Summit's 1080p transfer is handsomely filmic and the lossless soundtrack is its equal. A strong assortment of extras round out a quality Blu-ray release. Recommended to fans, as if there were all that many fence-sitters to begin with.