The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Dakota Fanning, Xavier Samuel, Peter Facinelli
Directed by: David Slade
Rating: 
Am I some kind of masochist or what? Despite having described Twilight sequel New Moon as 'tedious, overblown, self-indulgent nonsense that takes itself far too seriously', I still went back for more. Perhaps it's my inner goth girlie (you know, the one who models herself on Lydia in Beetlejuice) who can't resist teenage vampires in love. Or maybe it's just a really slow day at the cinema…
Either way, here I am, stuck back in the awkward love triangle between pouting heroine Bella Swan (Kirsten Stewart), glittery vampire heartthrob Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and hot-blooded werewolf hunk Jacob (Taylor Lautner). ('Does that guy own a shirt?' Edwards asks. Apparently not…)
But wait! Something's changed. Out (mostly) is the moping and brooding and in is something actually approximating action, as new born teen vampire hottie Riley (Xavier Samuel) sets about raising a vicious army of the undead, an army with one purpose: attacking the Cullens. Meanwhile, the old school, cape-wearing Volturi are still lurking round the edges of the action, still looking like schoolkids dressed up for Hallowe'en (as opposed to the Cullens, who look like emo aerobics instructors). And we finally get some insight into the past of the other vampire characters, who finally start to seem like people as opposed to pale-faced set dressing
Okay, so the Bella/Edward/Jacob relationship is still a little tedious (and the 'no sex before marriage' stuff frankly embarrassing), but a final vampire/werewolf/undead army clash at last provides the excitement I for one have been waiting on from the start, and bodes well for the future of the franchise. A verdict of 'not as crap as I thought it was going to be' is hardly a glowing recommendation, but if you've a soft spot for cuddly CGI wolves, supernatural battles and the kind of awkward teenage frisson that made the fourth Harry Potter film such fun, then Eclipse will keep your inner Lydia quiet until, ooh, at least next year, when Breaking Dawn comes out…