Medusa Wrote:I can't wait until this comes out! I just finished the book a couple of days ago and it was awesome!

saynomore Wrote:Optimistic critics are saying this movie trilogy may surpass the numbers amassed by LOTR. You'll excuse me if I'm on the pessimistic side. Although I will be seeing this movie. Trailers look great.

AC

P.S. Pass LOTR. Guffaw!

AsMoral Wrote:Official Review of Eragon:

I must explain first that I am NOT a fan of the book. Reading the novel was a task in itself. It required patience and forgiveness. Patience to read through endless run on sentences, overuse of the comma, and incessant adjectives (sometimes less is more). Forgiveness for the poor writing and rehashing of the many great novels that came before.

"The white smoke drifted from the chimney, defiant of the wilderness around it."

A few dangling participles litter the story which makes many of the sentences unintentionally funny.

But, the story is enjoyable, so in the long run I can almost look past this freshman effort's many flaws.

The movie on the other hand...how can I begin to describe such an epic? Let me try to put it this way. In the theater, a few rows away was a family, the eldest daughter was in a wheel chair and was afflicted with a developmental disability that stranded her in her own world where she was oblivious to anything going on around her. About a half hour into the film I began praying to God to allow me to switch places with her. No Freaky Friday blessing was bestowed upon me and as a result I had to endure the entire 104 minute runtime.

The plot of the story: In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy happens upon a dragon's egg -- a discovery that leads him on a predestined journey where he realized he's the one person who can defend his home against an evil king.

The evil King Galbatorix, portrayed in his few fleeting scenes by John Malkovich, is a walking cliché. He mutters over the top statements like, "As long as I am King, disloyalty will be punishable by death. ." His most profound statement, and I am paraphrasing here..."Someone stole my egg, without my egg I am not happy."

Malkovich's sole purpose in the film was to sit on his throne and bark orders and gesture menacingly.

Durza, portrayed by Robert Carlyle in Linda Blair's exorcist makeup, was just as pathetic. "I will find the boy and kill him before he becomes a man." Obviously if you kill a boy he won't become a man...redundancy is not terrifying. (Actually, in this context it is, but it doesn't make a character any scarier.)

The film is directed by first timer Stefan Fangmeier. For what he had to work with he performed decently. Apparently the script was so bad that a seasoned director didn't want anything to do with it lest they be dubbed the next Uwe Bolle. (House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark, BloodRayne.)

Surprisingly, for such a big budget and highly regarded cast, Eragon is based on an authors' (Christopher Paolini) first work, starring Edward Speleers in his first role, and directed by a first timer. This should not be an excuse, but I am giving any future views an easy scapegoat. (3 to be exact, Merry Christmas.)

The development of the story is...well non-existent. The movie is really one long montage where characters learn things rapid-fire just in time to use their newly acquired skill. Magic is briefly explained seconds before Eragon needs to use it.

Jeremy Iron's, an actor I have long enjoyed, played Brom rather well but again was a victim of the material he was handed. He meets Eragon, throws out some rogue advice, reveals some pertinent information just in time to exit the picture in an absurd sentimental moment.

The viewer is not given any time to develop a bond with the characters, they are two-dimensional cookie cutter personalities that have been portrayed in better films with more fleshing out. The film suffers horribly from any semblance of writing talent and as a result the suffering is passed on to the viewer like a baton in a race.

The saving grace was the digital effects. Saphira is gorgeous to look at, a royal blue beast who goes from "pup" to full fledged dragon in a day or two. They grow up so fast.

The interaction between the rider and his dragon is painful. It's as though they don't really care and speak to each other in only one or two word bursts. "Stay here.", "Fly up there.", "Come here." It's cold at best and there is no special or magical bond. It is like Jackie Paper grew up ten minutes into the film.

There is simply nothing likeable about Eragon. I take that back, the closing credits rolling, that was a magical moment!

Auskar Wrote:I'm not a fan of fantasy in general. Dragons seem like they are too big to fly. The Lord of the Rings didn't do anything for me. I'll wait until it comes out on cable.