Twilight Eclipse

I can get into a good vampire movie, especially one that's got kick-ass action and special effects. And who doesn't dig an absorbing love triangle. And a bit of undying love certainly has its place, too. Yet despite liking these components, which Twilight Eclipse supposedly has, I was less than thrilled with the latest Twilight installment.

Always fair and balanced, I'll mention what I liked about it before getting to what I couldn't stand. Bella (Kristen Stewart) looked really pretty, her father the sheriff had some of the best lines and I really liked the wolves which were really well done. But that's about it. There was so much wrong with it, here are three of the many missteps of the film:

1. Come a little closer
Director David Slade certainly had a certain look/feel he was going for. And it meant being zoomed in on unending close ups. Whether of angst, evil or teenage yet eternal love, the cameras were so close in on the actors faces, I felt rather uncomfortable, like I was witnessing a tad too much intimacy. And being forced into such a position, you can't help but examine every detail of the actor's looks. And perhaps it's because of the close ups that number 2 became such an issue...

2. Wiggin' out
If you are a producer in Hollywood and you are looking for a hair/make up team for your next movie, immediately eliminate anyone who worked on this movie. Too harsh? Sue me. The wigs were abysmal. And there were so many of them! Most of the vampire and many of the humans...all wigged out. And you could tell! Bella had several wigs with different shades. Hey, what happened to continuity? Very disappointing. Combined with bad hair, some of the vampire make up was, frankly, odd looking. Can you say "caked on powder"?

3. Too much build up is a bad thing
I've read all the books and the movies do follow the books very closely (otherwise TwiHard rioting might occur). In the book, the suspense and build up for the big vampire showdown was done so very well. The movie achieved some success in building up the viewer for the big fight between Victoria and her newborns against the Cullens and wolves. But where the movie completely and utterly failed is in the actual fight scene. Blink and you might've missed it. For all the momentum, the fight scene probably lasted a whole 60 seconds. I thought, "is that it?" And what we did get to see, was lame! Only part that was well done were the shots of the wolves. If it weren't for the wolves, I'd struggle to find any redeeming features of Eclipse.

 Is this all you've got?

I think...too many close ups of bad hair/make up detracted from any possible quality drama. Plus, Twilight Eclipse's action completely let us and itself down. I'd say wait for it on DVD but even then you wouldn't be missing anything.