The Twilight Saga has finally found its footing with
Eclipse, the third film of the blockbuster series. Selecting David Slade (
30 Days of Night,
Hard Candy) to direct was absolutely the right choice, and in Slade’s capable hands the series takes a darker turn in keeping with Stephenie Meyer’s book.
Slade, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg (Twilight, New Moon, and Dexter seasons 1 thru 4), and the returning cast of Twilight players really jell this time around. The actors are obviously comfortable and know their characters well, but with Eclipse a few of the minor characters from Twilight and New Moon are given their chance to spend a few minutes in the spotlight. And with the third film, the action is taken to a different, grittier and much more realistic level – or at least as realistic as the action in a PG-13 teen vampire film can get without a $200 million budget.