Eragon: The movie: Sad portrayal of a sellout.

[benxtaron]

Not even up to heart to do a review, but I saw the movie, and if you are an Eragon fan, I beg of you, don't see this movie. Not only does it butcher the book, taking out all the heart, spirit, and soul of the books, but it is a slap in the face to any fan out there. Chrisopher Paoloni, if I ever see you walking past me in the street, I will punch you in the face. You are a sellout, a fake, a betrayer and disgrace to anyone who considers themselves a writer. You have brought shame to writers such as me everywhere as you let these arrogant, pompous retards in Hollywood take a series that I have come to know and love, and dare I say rape it of its purity. As harsh as that sounds, its true. I don't know if I will read the third book, but I do know I won't enjoy it as much as I would have if I had never seen this movie.

[matt]

I heard the books aren't great shakes, and the movie is a hundred times worse.

[Mexican Coke]

Aww. That's too bad...but I never read the books. Thank God I started reading HP BEFORE the movie versions came out...

I was wondering where 'Bobthereview' had gone off to.

[DharmaPB&J]

Awwww I loved the books!! I was hoping it would be at least a decent movie I probably will not even see it just as I stopped seeing HP in theaters...it just makes me angry

[dharmashark]

Wow... Guess I can scratch that off my To Do list.

[katmarie24]

I loved the books!! They are definatley worth the read, even if you don:t plan on watching the movie. I haven:t seen it yet, but I do plan to. Bad, or good. And I will come back after I:ve watched it.

Really, people. Don:t let one persons opinion change your mind if you were planning on seeing it. I:ve seen the previews, it looks decent. I:m not knocking your review, I just would rather people make up their own minds instead of just reading one review and deciding not to give it a chance.

kat

[benxtaron]

I loved the books too, kat, and if I sounded like I was forcing my opinion on everyone, I am sorry. I just didn't want people to get really depressed if they see this movie and have the same reaction as me.

[FrodoFreak87]

I've never read the books, but I want to .
I was wondering about the movie, the commercials didn't look all that great.

that's too bad though.

[katmarie24]

it:s okay. I didn't think you were forcing your opinion on them, it:s just when people hear strong opinions like that they tend to take a side without thinking or deciding for themselves. It　wasen:t meant as an insult. :-)

[benxtaron]

Ok, thanks. I have been a huge fan of the series, but after seeing the movie, it just really hurt. I am a writer myself, and I am very adamant that if I was ever asked by a producer to make a movie out of my book, I would let them know that I had to write the screenplay or oversee the writing, otherwise I won't sell my rights. Hollywood makes a mockery of books by changing a lot of things when they make the movie, and I refuse to let that happen to my book, and it seemed that CP cares more for the money than his own fans. But maybe there's more that I don't know.

[katmarie24]

I just found the review that Roger Ebert did on the movie. It looks like he was dissapointed as well. It seems as though even without reading the books, he thought it SHOULD have been a much better movie to live up to it's following. Well, I'll probably still see it (since the ticket prices are so low in the U.S.!! I'm going home for christmas! Movie tickets here are about $18 each, so yeah, $8 seems like a bargain!!) but I'm going to keep my expectations pretty low, so hopefully I'll be pleasently surprise. we'll see!

OH! please excuse me! This review was written by a staff reporter from the Chicago Sun Times (the paper Roger Ebert writes for) but he didn't actually write THIS review:

SPOILER: Click to show

I have not read the best-selling novel on which the film "Eragon" is based. Nor have I read its best-selling sequel, Eldest. (The final installment of the trilogy is currently being penned by the still very young author Christopher Paolini, who was a mere 17-years-old when Eragon was published in 2003). I don't subscribe to the "rule" that one must read the book to fully appreciate the movie.
But I am told by fans of the books that they are truly marvelous tales for young readers, especially grade-schoolers and tweens, and adults with an affinity for this genre. I'm all for reading books, for getting kids' heads out from in front of a gaming console and into a world where imagination is not preconceived by computer programmers. (Alas, the video game version of "Eragon" has been out for a month.)

"Eragon" is a film that could have and should have been so much more (ironically an observation that characters throughout the film make about the young hero of our story as well). While it is a visually exciting fantasy-adventure -- shot digitally to allow for maximum dragon power -- most of the effects, backdrops and battle scenes have all been seen before on much grander scales in much grander films, including the "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "Star Wars." Interestingly, "Eragon" director Stefen Fangmeier "borrows" freely from all three properties.

The story is a familiar tale, set many thousands of years ago, in a mystical land far, far away, where peace and tranquility reign until a betrayer sets in motion the destruction of a race and the extinction of flying dragons. An evil king now reigns, aided by his evil sidekick sorcerer. It's a dark and dreary world until one day, a poor, young farm boy named Eragon (newcomer Ed Speleers) happens upon a mysterious egg-like blue stone while hunting in the forest. The stone will change his life forever.

Hmmm.
Hot on his heels is the aforementioned evil sorcerer (called a "Shade") named Durza (Robert Carlyle), who must use armies of thugs to retrieve the precious blue stone for wicked King Galbatorix (a sneering John Malkovich). Why a poweful sorcerer such as Durza cannot simply wave his hands and retrieve the stone is beyond me.

Back on the farm, the stone "hatches" and out pops an adorable winged dragon named Saphira (voice by Rachel Weisz). It is their destiny to become Truly One, the term used to describe the perfect match between Dragon Rider and winged beast. They communicate by reading each other's thoughts. He can see the world through her eyes, literally. She will learn to breathe fire as he becomes a mighty warrior. He will learn to do magic for the good of mankind, as all Dragon Riders eventually do.

Eragon also meets up with a mysterious (is there any other kind?) swordsman named Brom (Jeremy Irons, fresh from the wardrobe department of "Kingdom of Heaven"). It is Brom who reveals Eragon's true destiny to the handsome young lad. With his now fully grown dragon, Eragon must save the remnants of the Vardens, the peace-loving folk who, tah-DAH! were not totally exterminated by the king. Their remnant colony location was secret (again, why Durza can't magically divine this is beyond me) until Eragon unfortunately leads the armies of Durza to their stone mountain fortress.

The battle sequences that ensue are an homage to the digitally enhanced spectacles of "Lord of the Rings," but here they don't quite achieve that film's level of terrifying excitement or incomparable scale. Galbatorix's massive army is quickly defeated by a boy and his dragon and not much else.

The beautiful Sienna Guillory provides the love interest for Eragon, as the fiercely independent Arya, the sword-wielding warrior elf from Alagaesia. She and Eragon share nary a kiss, but their loving glances speak volumes. Their story ends with the perfect "sequel tease" -- Eragon may have won the battle (and the girl) but not the war.

Tales of flying dragons and sword-wielding heroes are grand indeed, especially when the child in each of us can find a world of enchantment therein. "Eragon" could have, and should have been such a tale.


ERAGON (PG)
Critic's rating:
Eragon: Edward Speleers
Brom: Jeremy Irons
Arya: Sienna Guillory
Durza: Robert Carlyle
King Galbatorix: John Malkovich

Twentieth Century Fox presents a film directed by Stefen Fangmeier. Written by Peter Buchman, Lawrence Konner, Mark D. Rosenthal and Jesse Wigutow. Based on the novel by Christopher Paolini. Running time: 100 minutes. Rated PG (for fantasy violence, intense battle sequences and some frightening images). Opening today at local theaters.

[PogsKlinc]

I thought the movie looked lousy. I do want to read the books though.

[Zooma]

I knew it. I said from when the teaser trailer came out that it would be ban.

And guess what, Zooma was right. But hey, it could of been worse, it could of been another crappy Battle Royale remake.

[dharmashark]

Saw it last night, curious to see how bad it was... It was okay... It did have a huge LotR feel to it, but I guess that's to be expected, because that happens when I read the books too.
I thought it was a bit rushed, like, everything happened too early. For example, they introduce us to Rorin so abruptly, and two minutes later he leaves home, and we're supposed to be crying our eyes out? It just didn't work.

SPOILER: Click to show

When Brom died, I was like, "What? Already?"

Oh well, I guess that's better than having it drag on forever. As usual, the book trumps the movie. But if nothing else, Eragon did have a really cute baby Saphira. ;D

Not to mention Murtagh... ;D

[DharmaPB&J]

dharmashark said:

Not to mention Murtagh... ;D

;D ;D