The third installment of the Twilight saga, eclipse, is set to hit theaters June 30, 2010.  Stemming from the wildly successful book by Stephanie Meyer, eclipse continues the torturous teen romance between the mortal and mostly sullen, Bella (Kristen Stewart) and the hot pale vampire with intense eyes and sparkling skin, Edward (Robert Pattinson).  Jacob (Taylor Lautner), a werewolf and friend to Bella, who pines for her desperately, also appears.  The newest saga  includes appearances by Bryce Dallas Howard and the all grown up Dakota Fanning, who sports a hood and burning red eyes throughout this teen angst vampire tale.

The franchise, which began with the release of Twilight the novel in 2005, has raked in many millions in book sales, movie sales and merchandise that seems to take on every form including cardboard cut-outs of Edward and Jacob.  The books and movies fall into the categories of young adult, fantasy, romance and a touch of horror. While expected to ignite a firestorm amongst teenage girls, the movies and books have crossed many boundaries and draw in fans from all walks of life.

The vampire aspect of the series uniquely captures and personifies teenage angst perfectly.  The themes of isolation, issues of acceptance and choices that could affect the characters’ entire futures all play out elegantly and realistically, despite the vampire/werewolf component.  This delicate balance between the real world problems of young adults and the mysterious underworld of vampires and werewolves makes eclipse and the previous Twilight movies appealing across several genres.

The setting  also plays a role in the mass appeal and sure success of eclipse.  With scenes depicting the dark, fog-laden forest and the hot and steamy peaks of pines reaching through the backdrop, themes of isolation are even more personified.

This installment of the Twilight saga picks up where New Moon left off.  Bella’s graduation is fast approaching and she must make important decisions about her future, as any teen must at that point.  She also re-evaluates her relationship with both Edward and Jacob, keeping Team Jacob and Team Edward supporters on their toes yet again.

Bella, a self proclaimed “danger magnet” is again the source of blood thirsty vampire vengeance.  An alarming amount of unexplained killings intrigues and concerns the resident vampire clan and werewolf pack.  Victoria, vampire nemesis of the past installments, has created a vampire army of sorts who are hell bent on destroying the mortal Bella.  One scene artfully and frighteningly shows the soldier vampires ascending from the water and slowly branching out into the forest to complete their mission of revenge.

As the date nears for release, the fans are reaching a fever pitch.  Newcomers to the series and those who have been under a rock the last few years and have no idea of the premise of the books will find the film to be a worthwhile way to spend a summer evening.  The scenery, slow motion, electric and haunting soundtrack and subtle sexual undertones of longing and lust will please any crowd.