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According to Terri Schwartz in Commentary:
Unless you've been living under a rock the past few months, you'll know that a teensy little film called "New Moon" came out this past weekend and made a blockbuster-worthy $140 million in the past three and a half days. But most of that insane opening weekend appeal can be attributed to a year's worth of Twilighter fanaticism and marketing, and only time will tell whether "New Moon" can sustain its box office hold beyond just fan interest. In fact, most critics knocked the movie because it stayed so close to the book and didn't deviate enough to let those not familiar with "Twilight" in.
Enter "Eclipse." The third installment of "The Twilight Saga" has already finished filming and is slated for a June 30, 2010 release. It is arguably the best in the series (arguable because it is my favorite, obviously), but it is also the book that propelled Stephenie Meyer's novels into the insane popularity they now have. That's right; it was only two years ago that not everyone and their mother knew about Bella and Edward. There are a number of different elements that allow "Eclipse" to reach beyond the vampire/human love story appeal, so read beyond the jump to figure out why you (read: boys) might too be interested in this movie. Needless to say, spoilers lie ahead.
More of a focus on the supernatural elements of vampires and werewolves
I'm sure Bram Stoker rolled over in his grave when sparkly, vegetarian vampires became the newest blood-sucking craze. Sure it took her two very long books to get to it, but in "Eclipse," Stephenie Meyer finally delves into the history of her creatures and how they fit into the world as we know it. Which leads us to…
Backstories
Much of "Eclipse"'s length comes from the amount of time Meyer spends on explaining the backstories of her various secondary characters. The reason why vampires and werewolves hate each other is finally revealed, as is the history of the Cullen family. When we talked to Jackson Rathbone, he told us that flashbacks of Jasper's younger vampire days during the Civil War will make it into the film, while he is explaining to Bella (Kristen Stewart) the nature of…
Victoria's newborn vampire army
That's right, these vampires go on mass vampire-creating sprees. Turns out, newborn vampires in Stephenie Meyer's world are significantly more powerful than your average vampire, but also a lot more unreliable. Jasper learned all about this during the Civil War, when the vampire who turned him used him to help create her own newborn army. This time -- meaning the present-day of "Eclipse" -- it's both the Cullens and the Quileute wolf pack who have to face them in…
The final battle
Sure there's the ballet studio scene at the end of "Twilight," and the made-for-film fight between Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Felix (Daniel Cudmore) at the end of "New Moon" (and I won't even get into the mess of an ending in "Breaking Dawn"), but at the end of "Eclipse" there is a no-holds-barred epic battle between the Cullens and their werewolf allies against Victoria (now played by Bryce Dallas Howard) and her army. Granted, in the novel Bella is far from the battle being protected from Victoria by Jacob (Taylor Lautner) and Edward, but we're sure that will be remedied in the film. It will cut back and forth nicely with...
The tent scene
Maybe the boys won't like this one so much, but the tent scene from the "Eclipse" chapter "Fire and Ice" is the ultimate showdown between Edward and Jacob. Bella and Edward's sappy love in "Twilight" and the sexual tension-filled friendship between Jacob and Bella in "New Moon" come together in a great moment that even the most anti-"Twilight" female could enjoy. And probably even some of the guys too. Don't worry, I tell anyone you secretly liked it.
