The Twilight Saga: Eclipse opens today, and hardcore fans of the vampire-teen-romance series everywhere are rubbing the sleep from their eyes this morning. The lines showed no signs of diminishing for this new film. Along with regulars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner, the film also sees the addition of Bryce Dallas Howard and Xavier Samuel. Howard, best known for her roles in The Village and Spider-Man 3, takes on the role of Victoria, the powerful vampire temptress who was portrayed by Rachelle Lefevre in the two earlier films. Samuel is an Australian actor still relatively unknown in America, taking on the role of Riley Biers, Victoria’s faithful servant and lover.Eclipse is the second film in the series to be directed by a manthis time David Slade, taking over from Chris Weitz. Who knows what is attracting these guys to the frothy melodrama and over-the-top action of this seriescould it be the millions of adoring fans? Whatever the reason, Slade at least has a solid pedigree. He directed the horror chamber piece Hard Candy, starring Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson, and then took his first shot at vampires with an adaptation of the comic book 30 Days of Night. Reviews of his new film have been mixed, but several critics agree that this is the strongest film in the series so far. Some recurring criticisms, however, include Roger Ebert’s dislike of the infamous “gazes” between main characters, and Steve Persall’s criticism that the storyline continues to go nowhere.Of course, these failings will hardly hurt the box office earnings of the film, with its eager fans ready for more of Taylor Lautner’s bare chest and Pattinson’s searching eyes. Others may want to wait for the DVD release, so they can watch guiltily in the comfort of their own homes.