Now Showing: Eclipse

Eclipse
Genre: Action/Horror
Director: Alexandre Aja
Writer: Clive Steinbeck
Cast: Jai Courtney, Fan Bingbing, Donnie Yen, Daniel Wu, Michael Rooker, Lili Simmons

Plot: For many centuries, the Kōng biānfú (vampires who have vowed never to drink human blood) have lived among the villages of China. 800 years ago, a young human warlord named Fang (Daniel Wu) fell in love with one of the Kōng biānfú, a woman named Ling (Fan Bingbing). Fang wanted Ling for his own, so he killed her husband and son. In her pain and rage, Ling attacked and bit Fang during a New Year solar eclipse, turning him into a vampire.

From Fang's bloodline have come many Xuèxīng biānfú (vampires who drink human blood and kill for pleasure). Only Ling can end the Xuèxīng biānfú's nightly attacks on humans. Doing so, however, will end the entire bloodline and turn every vampire, Kōng biānfú  as well as Xuèxīng biānfú, into mere mortals again. Since the coming New Year festival will feature the first solar eclipse in 800 years, Ling intends to kill herself by exposing herself to the sun's rays at the end of the eclipse and thus wipe out all the vampires in China.

Michael (Jai Courtney) and Jenna (Lili Simmons) are vacationing in Shanghai, China, during that year's New Year festival. Michael takes Jenna to see a kung fu match. However, Jenna does not enjoy the event and goes back to their hotel alone.

On the way, Jenna gets lost in a market place, and a man offers to show her the way to her hotel. He leads her on a short cut down a deserted alley, then turns into the vampire Fang, drinking her blood and carrying her off on a motorcycle. Michael tries to follow, but he is stopped by another vampire intent on killing him. Just as the vampire is about to succeed, a  man, Lau (Donnie Yen), appears and chops off the vampire's head. Michael begs for his help finding Jenna, but he warns Michael to leave China immediately and threatens to kill Michael if he follows him. Michael stealthily follows Lau home to Àn Yuè House.

When the police refuse to consider Jenna missing until 48 hours have passed, Michael goes back to Àn Yuè House, only to find everyone asleep. While snooping through the house, Michael is attacked by Ling. Michael gets away from her by jumping out a window. As Michael lands on the ground below, he is stopped by vampire slayer Hannibal (Michael Rooker) who insists on testing Michael's blood to see if he is infected. When Michael comes up clean, he begs Hannibal to help him find Jenna but, like Lau, Hannibal warns him to leave Thailand. Jenna is as good as dead, Hannibal says. If she resists, the Xuèxīng biānfú will bleed her dry; if not, they'll turn her, and then Hannibal will slay her (he gets $10,000 for every vampire he kills).

Michael won't accept it and returns again to Àn Yuè House. While there, he sees a photo of Fang in front of a building in the market place. Figuring that Fang might have taken Jenna there, he snoops around. He finds Jenna being held in a cell with skeletons, carcasses, and other humans in various stages of having their blood drained. Jenna and Michael escape, but are attacked outside by two Xuèxīng biānfú on a motorcycle. One drives off with Jenna while the other stays to kill Michael. Just as Fang and the rest of the Xuèxīng biānfú arrive, Ling appears. Michael grabs a motorcycle, and with Ling riding behind him they succeed in outrunning the Xuèxīng biānfú.

Jenna must decide whether to allow Fang to turn her or to keep on drinking from her. Michael has to decide whether or not to join the Kōng biānfú  in hopes of winning the battle with the Xuèxīng biānfú and helping Ling to kill herself so that all vampires (including him) will be turned back into mortals. The alternative, if Ling is not successful, is that Michael will remain a vampire until the next New Year eclipse rolls around in 800 years and Ling can try again. Michael's decision is made doubly hard because he is attracted to Ling. Jenna decides to continue resisting, and Michael decides to become a Kōng biānfú.

The day of the eclipse is upon them. Since Ling's embrace of the sun must take place in the same spot where the curse began 800 years ago, the Kōng biānfú  have made a deal with Hannibal. Hannibal and his slayers will line the buildings and walls that overlook the site, which looks like an archeological dig, in order to kill any Xuèxīng biānfú who try to stop Ling. Michael, Lau, and the rest of the Kōng biānfú  will help Ling get to the required spot. The eclipse starts at 3:00, and they will have 17 minutes to do the job.

The Xuèxīng biānfú arrive on their motorcycles. In the battle that follows, Michael and Fang fall through a weak spot into a pit where they continue fighting. Time is running out, and Lau realizes that the slayers have double-crossed them. The slayers open fire, shooting everyone, both Kōng biānfú  and Xuèxīng biānfú. Only Michael and Fang remain protected in their hole. Michael manages to impale Fang, but when he surfaces from the pit, Michael finds only bodies. He shouts for Ling, but there is no answer. Hannibal walks up, gloating over how much he will get for all the vampire heads and those in the future. If Ling ends the curse, he explains, there's no more vampires, and he's in the vampire hunting business.

Michael locates Ling as Hannibal turns his crossbow on her. Michael offers to shoot Ling so that she does not have to suffer. Hannibal hands his bow to Michael. Michael aims at Ling but suddenly swings his aim to Hannibal. Forcing Hannibal to carry Ling to the designated spot, Michael gives her one last kiss before the sun reappears. She explodes, taking Hannibal with her. Michael hurries back to the Xuèxīng biānfú's base and rescues Jenna.