I can’t help but wince at the sight of Jeremy Irons and dragons. Personally, I love good fantasy, regardless of form but Dungeons and Dragons has to be one of the most repulsive movies I’ve ever seen. Even stupid sequels like Merlin’s Apprentice score higher than D&D.
Most of the criticism has been centered around D&D plot. It’s a common problem when (board) games turn to movies. Eragon has been out in book form, so at least the creators of the film has a substantial plot the base the movie on.
Here’s the plot (more or less):
Eragon takes place in a land called Alagaësia, which is ruled by the despotic king, Galbatorix (John Malkovich). Galbatorix, in his madness, crippled the order of the Riders, and for years, many believed that dragons were extinct.
Eragon is an orphan who lives with his uncle until one day he finds a dragon egg. Galbatorix minions are sent for the egg but the boy manages to escape, so they kill his uncle. Eragon, through his bond with Saphira (his dragon), becomes a Dragon Rider, and seeks to exact revenge on the Ra’zac, Galbatorix’s lieutenant. He begins a journey with Brom (Jeremy Irons), an elderly storyteller from his village, and learns swordfighting, magic, and dragonriding.
Eventually Brom is slayed, so Eragon and Saphira travel to Varden, a hidden rebel alliance. The final confrontation comes when the Varden, the elves and the dwarfs ally together behind Eragon in order to face an army of Urgals, let by a shade. Naturally, they win the battle.
I think by now you get the idea. There are elements from Star Wars (Jedi training by an old master), LotR and other fantasy/sci-fi works. These elements has served the author well because they’ve created a heated debate between critics and readers. The movie will hopefully strike a similar cord with audiences.
And there off… let the LOTR rip-offs begin!
Cinema really does move in cycles doesn’t it.
Great blog. I too work for a no-budget filmmaker (obviously).
He just finished a short feature, shot entirely handheld on the HVX.
Check it out – we can trade secrets…
http://modernmanthefilm.blogspot.com
Hi Modernman,
I love the whole secrets trading scheme
Though I actually prefer to post here those few secrets I know …
Ummmm, I thought this was supposed to be a review…not an opinion of what they movie looks like it will contain.
It’s a review of the book with an opinion on the movie based on what I’ve seen so far. Sorry to disappoint. I’ll update it come Dec 15th when the movie is released.
Movies move in cycles? this was a book so i don’t see how that applys… Anywho this was an awsome book but i hope they don’t butcher it by making D&D cheesey.
Just from trailers and on-line information so far, this looks remarkably like another filmmaker’s effort to “trilogize” a fantasy. This is one that I’ll go see no matter how it is reviewed or compared to LotR, or to D&D. I would not be surprised if those not so much in the know would think that Eragon was picking up Aragorn’s kingly rule after Return of the King simply because of the phonetic similarity between the two names.
the eragon movie was good apart from the screenwriters. everything was perfet except the storyline which is most important.everything important sucked eggs.i hate stephen fangmeier and pity all those people that did the work for a doomed movie. the book is infinetly better and cp is an idiot for selling the rights.
The Book was good. I re-read the book just so i know the whats what when the movie came out. a refreasher. But the Movie….I have a bad taste in my mouth over it. I wonder if the Writer knew they was going to butcher the movie so badly. I do truely hope that they just stop and dont make any more movies from thei trilogy. The books are good and if the movie cant be writen as well then it shouldnt be done. SHAME on the movie poeple for destroying a what could have been a LOTR or a Harry type movies,,you know GOOD!!! $8 not very well wasted dollors…next time i think i will just shoot myself in the foot..
Sarah says: Maria, I agree with you. But i dont think Stephen Fangmeire read Eragon before he made the movie, being the ediot that he is. Like; by killing the Ra’zac he took out half of “Eldest”, and hes going 2 make “Eldest” into a movie too! I dont know about you but im going to see “Eldest” to see what he did to it, i dont even think hes going 2 kidnap Katrina, Roran’s fiancee. Christopher Paolini, you have my sympathy if u saw Eragon.
philip says:same stuff as what my sister said, but in the movie eragon the ra’zac were created by magic. so i think galbatorix will just make some more in eldest, as for eragons scar the directer will have to think of somthing…
Alright,eragon is an awesome book. I don’t see how people say it sis a rip off of lotr. No where in eragon is there a one all powerful ring! There whole plot in eragon is to bring back the freakin dragon riders nothing more nothing less.
yes in a way it is like the original star wars but hey come on give eragon a break.
Eragon and Eldest, The books, are great books, except for it having a story plot from Harry Potter if you think about it. Boy who has lost all those who are dear to him, not knowing what he is until someone for that “World” tells him, and him fighting an evil till its Relinquish. However, even after some flaws in the books, the movie was atrocious. It looked like a monkey was directing. The special effects were pretty great but still, it tampered with a good book
There was 1 other mistake in the movie. Before Brom, (Jeremy Irons), was attacked by the ra’zac he didn’t have Eragon’s, (Ed Speelers), horse. When he was running from them, he had both horses.