1. Rosalie's backstory
Eclipse's seventh chapter, in which Rosalie's backstory is detailed, is probably my favorite of the entire series. It's as dark as Stephenie Meyer ever gets, delving into the brutal circumstances that led to Rosalie being changed into a vampire after she was attacked by her fiance. Watching Eclipse director David Slade's first film, Hard Candy, left me hopeful for a well-crafted portrayal of the revenge Rosalie takes against her attackers post-vampire transformation. (I'm also hoping for at least a brief shot of Rosalie saving Emmett from his fatal bear attack.) This particular backstory gives needed depth to a character who previously came across as a one-note bitch, and is a fundamental part of the Breaking Dawn plot progression.
2. Edward and Jacob's Big Emo Talk About Their Feelings (a.k.a. Chapter 22 - "Fire and Ice")
In Eclipse, the rivalry that has heretofore only been hinted at in narrowed-eye glares comes to a head, and somewhat fabulously so. Trapped together in a tent on a snowy night and under the impression that Bella's asleep, Edward and Jacob hash out their emotions in a conversation that somehow manages to be mutually self-aggrandizing and whiny, each lamenting what the other can do for Bella that they cannot while simultaneously laying out the chief arguments for their eponymous teams. All that, plus Edward's mind reading allows for some creepy oblique references to Jacob's masturbatory fantasies regarding Ms. Swan. It is ridiculous and awesome, and New Moon gave me faith that Taylor Lautner and Rob Pattinson will give it their all.
3. Jasper's backstory
Another stretch of storytelling that adds needed depth to a character who mostly resides in the background of Twilight and New Moon. Jackson Rathbone's been mostly hovering intensely in the first two films in a manner that unfortunately comes across more funny than serious, and Eclipse should offer an opportunity for the filmmakers to give Jasper, his decently sized sub-fanbase, and his portrayer their due. Jasper's origin story showcases a decidedly bloodier and more violent side of vampire life, which may serve to address some of the criticisms of those who find the Cullens too goody-two-shoes. It also culminates in one of the series' most unabashedly cinematic (and, in my opinion, most swooningly romantic) moments when Jasper and Alice meet in a Philadelphia diner in the 1940s.
4. The Clearwaters
Eclipse serves as the formal introduction for two of my favorite characters of the series, Seth and Leah Clearwater. The new additions to the wolfpack may be Meyer's most dynamic characters - Leah's unapologetic anger calls New Moon's wolfpack-as-brotherhood into question, while Seth's happy-go-lucky attitude provides a welcome counterpoint to what can often seem like unceasing misery. Breaking Dawn is really the Clearwaters' showcase, but both characters have the potential to be scene-stealing roles for their actors beginning with Eclipse.
5. The second proposal
Chris Weitz and Melissa Rosenberg provided a great setup here by making Edward's initial proposal New Moon's cliffhanger ending. (When I saw it at the midnight show, some girl stage-whispered "Yes!" after he asked Bella to marry him. I'm not sure whether this was a case of getting too involved in the narrative, or just an expression of joy at the proposal's inclusion in the film - some fans feel very strongly about that sort of thing - but it was delightful regardless.) The first half of Eclipse features an extended argument between Edward (pro) and Bella (con) regarding whether or not they'll get married, which A) includes a line that I fervently hope made it into the screenplay, in which Bella expresses her disinclination to be "like some small-town hick who got knocked up by her boyfriend" and B) drags on way too long and becomes seriously irritating. It's almost worth it, though, for the scenes leading up to the second (and final) proposal, in which Bella essentially tries to seduce Edward into giving it up while she's still human. If Kristen Stewart taps into her god-given endearing awkwardness, it should be a moment so vicariously embarrassing that members of the audience will watch through their fingers like they're at a horror movie.
6. The newborn battle
Unquestionably the place where the film can benefit from being a visual medium and getting outside of Bella's head. Done well, the massive clash of Cullens and wolves versus Victoria's army of newborn vampires could make Eclipse the series' best film.
7. Alice's sleepover
The circumstances surrounding Alice's sleepover are troubling, to say the least - Edward bribes his sister to keep Bella under house arrest while he's out of town, without informing Bella of any of this beforehand - but I'm charmed by Alice's fascination with the trappings of humanity.
8. The soundtrack
While New Moon didn't have the same moments of perfect union of image and song that Twilight did - namely, "Supermassive Black Hole" and vampire baseball and "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" and prom - but the soundtrack still worked well and evoked a sense of dreamy melancholy. I will give credit to New Moon's scenes with "Monsters" (Edward's slo-mo introduction into the film), "Possibility" (Bella's lost months), "Shooting the Moon" (Bella and Jacob's growing friendship montage) and "Hearing Damage" (the wolves chase Victoria). It's just that none had quite the same kismet feel of the scenes from the first movie. However, music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas continues to do a great job fitting songs to the films, and there doesn't seem to be any reason to think Eclipse should be different.
9. The humor
New Moon shared a distinguishing quality with screenwriter Rosenberg's credited episodes of shows like The O.C. and Dexter - a wry sense of humor that is well-served by increased familiarity with the actors she's writing for. Though New Moon is a fairly morose story, it still felt wittier and lighter than its predecessor. (The hilarious sendup of male-dominated blockbuster culture in the heard-but-not-seen Face Punch is just one example.) The increased presence of the Cullens and the wolfpack in Eclipse should offer more opportunities for the kinds of lighter character-driven moments that made New Moon as solid as it was.
10. The setup for Breaking Dawn
BD still hasn't been formally announced, but it's almost certainly coming, if for no other reason than the fact that the major actors have to know that if there is no Breaking Dawn film, they will likely have to answer questions about it in every single interview they have from now until they die. One of the interesting things about reading BD was the illumination of various Eclipse plot points as laying groundwork for later developments. Eclipse features a chain of events that begins with Bella punching Jacob in the face and ends with her insisting on getting laid while still human, which in turn sets the parameters for the conception of her improbable monster baby in BD. Additionally, the aforementioned dive into Rosalie's backstory gives Bella the necessary set of information to know that Rosalie is the person to ask for help keeping her improbable monster baby against all rationality and medical advice. Meyer also presents the first detailed explanation of the wolves' imprinting, as told by Jacob, in what is clearly a not-entirely-successful attempt to make the whole thing seem less creepy. If Eclipse flows well and introduces these plot points with a degree of subtlety, it should leave the masses clamoring to see BD on the big screen.
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