Eragon, Movie Commentary

First off if you have not read the book or seen the movie and are worried about spoilers do not read this commentary as it may give away plot points.


First and foremost, I imagine the immediate question on anyones mind who read the book is "Did they do a good job?". The answer is a most certain and heart wrenching NO. They didn't even get close IMHO. As a movie it stands well enough on its own as a swords, sorcerers, and of course Dragons epic. However, it uses the book only for its broadest outlines and characters. The imagery is fantastic but by and by its hollow. It is like a game with fabulous graphics and zero substance.

Disapointing in the extreme for those that loved the book such as myself. It had such potential for continuing Hollywood's recent string of surprising success with epic fantasy stories.

More details? Jeremy Irons is horribly under used, The kid that Plays Eragon does a fair job at what he was handed but the scripted Eragon was a shell of the book character, Malcovich was miscast not to mention was not supposed to be seen in this part of the story anyway. Durga is played fairly well by Robert Carlyle.

As an example of how they changed the story? The Werecat is gone (budget cut I imagine). Saphira magically grows in short order and names herself. There is almost no training relationship between Brom and Eragon, just a single 10 second long fight with sticks used to prove Eragon can't use a sword well (he then goes off pell mell like he is a master dealer in death). We see little of Murtaugh and have almost no time for him to establish himself before being revealed as a potentially dangerous character to the Hero.

All in all it was a typical Hollywood hatchet job to make a mindless piece of entertainment at all expense of telling a deep and engaging story.

Ahh well. Such is life.