The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)

Director: David Slade
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Genre: Fantasy romance
Rating: **

The third film in the film series based on the novels by Stephenie Meyer, Eclipse will be enough to please the many teenage fans of the films (and Edward and Jacob), but will most likely do nothing to please those more sceptical and aware of the poor quality of the first two films.

In this installment, Bella (Stewart) is forced to choose between dead brooding vampire Edward (Pattinson), and "I'm hotter than you" werewolf Jacob (Lautner), whilst overcoming an attack from old red-head enemy Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard) and her army of newborn vampires.

Although this film is by far the best from the series so far, Stewart's acting simply refuses to improve, and we are still stuck with her universal facial expression that conveys boredness rather than anything else. Lautner's acting is no better, although it must be said that he does deliver his couple of comedic lines pretty well. In fact, it is evident that the only decent actor of the main three is Pattinson, seeming to easily portray Edward's pain and making the best scene of the movie work single-handedly - this scene is when he explains to Bella what he would have done if she had been alive when he was, and talking about courtship.

Acting aside, the script of the film has improved since the previous installment, although there were too many excruciating flashbacks, two of which were so terrible it was unbearable to watch. The only one worthwhile of being in the film was Rosalie's (Nikki Reed), and she as a character deserved more screen-time, as did the entire Cullen family. For example, Esme (Elizabeth Reaser) only had two lines in the entire film.

One of the faults in the entire of the film series, and even the book series, is that the characters are so young. For example, Jacob is meant to be sixteen, and he is already professing his undying love for Bella. Being sixteen, it is hard to believe he actually knows what love is, and it just gets annoying to hear his constant whining. This is similar with Bella (although being 18 she just about pulls it off. Or she would if she moved her eyebrows around a bit).

Speaking of constant whining though, it actually seems like the whole film is made of that, and mumbling. It does get tedious to be unable to hear what the characters are actually saying.

The painful screams of Riley (Xavier Samuel) must be commended.

Overall, a much better film than the others, but it still has a long way to go before it hits the bar of being anything more than an average film.

The Time Traveler's Wife

Title: The Time Traveler's Wife
Year: 2009
Director: Robert Schwentke
Starring: Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Ron Livingston
Genre: Fantasy romance
Certificate: 12
Rating: **** (good)

I would not say that The Time Traveler's Wife is a 'special' or 'different' film. It certainly is not. But what it is is something extremely enjoyable. The film has a good idea, based on what I am told is a wonderful book. However, along with all time-travel films, there are some things that are not explained well-enough. For example, why he travels, why he cannot control it and his daughter can (kind of), and how he knows when he is going to miss certain events and so travels from the future in order to make them (for example, his wedding).

Although their marriage does work out (well...he dies, but that does not exactly mean that the marriage did not work well), the film does follow the arguments that would be involved if you married a time traveler, for example, he is not always there when you need him, and carrying a baby to term is extremely difficult.

As usual, McAdams' performance is flawless, and so is the rest of the cast's. Quite a few scenes are well-done, including a beautiful moment that involves a hand print on a window, and the moment in which their daughter grows up, which is a kind of montage.

All in all, The Time Traveler's Wife is a good film. It's just not that good.