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Eragon - reviews

post #1 of 58
Thread Starter 
Couldn't find a thread for this so thought I would start one.

Got to see this tonight. I have no knowledge of the books other than it was written by a 15 year old boy. I hadn't even seen a trailer for this but the posters suggested some sort of Dragonheart crossed with LOTR.

Basically that's what you seem to get really along with the typical hero's journey of so many fantasy films. Someone mentioned to me that it is basically the same plot as Star Wars and there are definitely moments which are lifted straight from it. Obviously Star Wars was hardly original, but when you have a scene with a burning farmstead, a dead relative and a mentor consoling the hero telling him there was nothing you could have done if you had been there etc. well.... As such, It was pretty obvious what was going to happen (who was going to die, etc).

Nothing wrong with that if it is done well and film did have some good moments. However, the film rushes from one scene to another with little time to dwell on the characters or the world they are in. It is also extremely poorly edited in some places and some subplots which I guess would have been developed much better in the book, are barely given enough screentime to make them worthwhile (specifically a subplot concerning a mystery teenager who seems to be helping Eragon). Coming out of the film, I was pretty disappointed, partly because there were the makings of an enjoyable film in here. As it is, I'm sure younger children may well enjoy it, but this is no Lord of the Rings.

Some other points

1. The guy who played the lead character was pretty good really.
2. The special effects were by and large very well done, especially on the dragon.
3. Enjoyed seeing Robert Carlyle in this film as the main villain.
4. John Malkovich was in the film for all of about 1 minute.
5. The dragon talks!!! - sort of. Ok its a telepathy between the boy and the dragon but having a voice over for the dragon just doesn't work - even if it is Rachel Weisz Would have been much better for her not to talk at all and have Eragon translate when necessary (like Han and Chewbacca

Altogether I would give it out of , partly because there was potential here for a much better film.

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post #2 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Hmmmm....well I plan to see it this weekend. Too bad it didn't live up to the potential for you Simon.
post #3 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Ouch! 2 out of 5? I was planning on it too this weekend. Maybe I'll have to go back to the drawing board...
post #4 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

No offense, but Simon is only one bad review. It may be a bad movie, but I'm gonna have to see more than one bad review before I choose not to go see it.

I saw plenty of bad reviews on Superman Returns, X-Men III, and Mission Impossible 3, and I loved every one of them.

I also saw plenty of great reviews on Pirates of the Carribbean DMC and I hated it.

To each his own, and here's to hoping I disagree w/ Simon on this one
post #5 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Josh, I agree with you about not agreeing with Simon. I like fantasy films like this when they're done right. Chances are I'll see it anyway...unless I can find a special screening of a movie I REALLY REALLY wanna see this weekend.
post #6 of 58
Thread Starter 

Re: Eragon - reviews

Josh

I also like Mission Impossible III and Superman Returns and didn't particularly think Pirates of the Caribbean was that great. Not that keen on X Men III though.

Seriously though, I also like fantasy films when they are done right and I went into this with no expectations whatsoever as I knew virtually nothing about it. It's not as bad as Dungeons and Dragons (what film is ?) but I'd be surprised if it gets many good reviews. Im not trying to put you off seeing it but certainly dont go in expecting something of the level of LOTR or even the Chronicles Of Narnia.
post #7 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

One of the nice things is that I already have very low expectations. I hate getting really siked for a movie, and then having a let down. I recently had these movie going experiences with "The Prestige" and to some level "Casino Royale". Casino Royale was very entertaining, and I liked it more than the Prestige, but neither met my expectations based on the great reviews they were getting.

I'm guessing that if you polled all of the people on this forum, asking them for their greatest movie experience ever, 75% or more would say they went into the movie not knowing much about it.

You could be 100% dead on on this film Simon. I'm just hoping it can make for an enjoyable afternoon this weekend, and I am in no way expecting LotR. Probably more along the lines of Dragon Heart. After seeing your comments it looks as though our movie tastes are pretty similar. And of the three movies I listed (saying I loved) X-Men was probably more in the "liked" department, than "loved".

I'll give an update soon.

JC
post #8 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon Massey
Basically that's what you seem to get really along with the typical hero's journey of so many fantasy films. Someone mentioned to me that it is basically the same plot as Star Wars and there are definitely moments which are lifted straight from it. Obviously Star Wars was hardly original, but when you have a scene with a burning farmstead, a dead relative and a mentor consoling the hero telling him there was nothing you could have done if you had been there etc. well.... As such, It was pretty obvious what was going to happen (who was going to die, etc).


I read the first book over a year ago and recently started the second with the movie coming out .... I didn't notice the Star Wars similarities untill I read this post lmao..... the book also seemed to borrow some other folklore type story elements from other fantasy writers as well like Ursula K. Le Guin's Earth Sea series among others .... not to take anything away from Christopher Paolini but it's kinda like he read alot of other novels and then made a literary Mashup
post #9 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

I have to stay away from this. It seriously is Star Wars (The second book confirms this without a shadow of a doubt), with the names all being ripped from LOTR.

Also how can anyone see the trailers for this and actually believe it is well made? Outside a dragon that looks like a hawk more then anything, it looks completely lost and fake. I think the LOTR proved you could make armor that actually looks effective, and heroes that can actually get dirty.
post #10 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Elements of the LOTR trilogy Eragon has allegedly "borrowed" from:

Originally Posted by Sean Laughter
For further information, here's a list of various names from Eragon - and the names it liberally rips off:

Arya - Arwen, Arda
Ardwen - Arwen
Isenstar - Isengard
Mithrim - Mithrim or mithril
Eragon - Aragorn
Angrenost - Angrenost, the Sindarin name for Isengard
Morgothal - Morgoth
Elessari - Elessar
Furnost - Fornost
Hadarac Desert - Harad Desert
Melian - Melian
Vanir - Valinor
Eridor - Eriador
Imiladris - Imladris
Undin - Fundin/Udun
post #11 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

I was hoping this would be kind of like Krull or Dragonslayer. I'm a huge fan of those 80s flicks. I know it can be offputting when there is no originality. Last film I saw that borrowed nearly everything from other films was the japanese flick The Returner. And it still turned out to be quite fun. But I don't know about this one. Hopefully there will be more reviews and one that says "hey dude who loves Krull & Dragonslayer, go see this!!"
post #12 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Hey Simon,

How would you compare the film to The Chronicles of Narnia. It seems that Eragon is going for that same audience. The film is coming out almost a year to the same date as Narnia.

Personally, I thought Narnia was just an o.k. film, nothing to run home and scream about. It was nowhere as good as King Kong, but damn it if that movie didn't make some money at the box office. The fact that Narnia wasn't as long as Kong really paid off. I assume Eragon is in the same vein.

As far as fantasy films go, Im actually looking more forward to Pan's Labrynth than Eragon.
post #13 of 58
Thread Starter 

Re: Eragon - reviews

Corey

I enjoyed Narnia and would say that this film gave me a greater appreciation of Narnia - it could have been just as bad. That said I have read the Narnia books as a child and had a connection to them - have never read Eragon.

Eragon is worse than Narnia IMO.

Pan's Labyrinth is great though!!!
post #14 of 58
Thread Starter 

Re: Eragon - reviews

Quote:
(The second book confirms this without a shadow of a doubt), with the names all being ripped from LOTR.

Please don't say that Malkovich's character turns out to be Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
Eragon's father
??
post #15 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Quote:
Originally Posted by CoreyII
How would you compare the film to The Chronicles of Narnia. It seems that Eragon is going for that same audience. The film is coming out almost a year to the same date as Narnia.

I read an article not too long ago that made the point that Hollywood basically sees fantasy as a children's genre, which is probably why they grabbed the rights to Eragon, which is marketed much more to the "Harry Potter audience" than the mainstream fantasy audience that's buying up George RR Martin's novels. While I don't have any particular issue with Harry Potter or Narnia, I have admit that long-term it doesn't look very good for the genre on film.
post #16 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Quote:
Originally Posted by CoreyII
Personally, I thought Narnia was just an o.k. film, nothing to run home and scream about. It was nowhere as good as King Kong, but damn it if that movie didn't make some money at the box office.

Oh I disagree about Kong and Narnia, Corey. Kong might have had better technical aspects, but Narnia was a much more uplifting (and better told) story.
post #17 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Atkins
Oh I disagree about Kong and Narnia, Corey. Kong might have had better technical aspects, but Narnia was a much more uplifting (and better told) story.

I agree Chris
post #18 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Hummm...I'm now wanting to rent Narnia this weekend instead. I was hoping for another Neverending Story kind of experience with it and thought it might be worth a blind buy. But I don't have the money for that right now.

Pan sounds exciting. I'll have to check out the trailer when I get home.

Good thread!
post #19 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon Massey
Please don't say that Malkovich's character turns out to be Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
Eragon's father
??

No.

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
The kid just travels to a far off forest to train under a forgotten master. Might as well have named him Yoda.
post #20 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Simon's informative review killed any interest I may have had in this film. I hate talking dragons.
post #21 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Wow! The listing of those names really is a ripoff. Bigtime. ....still looking forward to seeing it though. But I can't get over how close those names are to LOTR. At least be subtle about the homage
post #22 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertR
Simon's informative review killed any interest I may have had in this film. I hate talking dragons.
Especially if they sound like James Bond. :p

I really want to give this a try too but I'm just not sure if it's worth the ticket price.
post #23 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Quote:
Originally Posted by Josh.C
I saw plenty of bad reviews on Superman Returns, X-Men III, and Mission Impossible 3, and I loved every one of them.

I also saw plenty of great reviews on Pirates of the Carribbean DMC and I hated it.

To each his own, and here's to hoping I disagree w/ Simon on this one

I'm mostly with you on those. Although, I did not hate POTCMC, but definitely did not like it as much as Black Pearl. It's biggest weakness was that Captain Barbossa was a much more interesting villian. Geoffrey Rush does a great job.

As to Eragon, wow, what a ripoff in the name department. Are there no creative talents whatsoever in the industry anymore, that they couldn't come up with original names on their own.

I am thinking of writing a sci-fi screenplay. The hero, a teen named Skuke Lywalker, who joins up with an old Deji Knight named Oci-Kan Wenobi to rescue a Princess named Reia Lorgana. They have to battle an evil empire whose forces are lead by the villianous Varth Dader.
post #24 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Atkins
Oh I disagree about Kong and Narnia, Corey. Kong might have had better technical aspects, but Narnia was a much more uplifting (and better told) story.

Disagree 100%
post #25 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Quote:
Originally Posted by Qui-Gon John
I am thinking of writing a sci-fi screenplay. The hero, a teen named Skuke Lywalker, who joins up with an old Deji Knight named Oci-Kan Wenobi to rescue a Princess named Reia Lorgana. They have to battle an evil empire whose forces are lead by the villianous Varth Dader.

Brilliant Idea John! I'm just upset that I didn't think of it first. If I could be so honored, I think I have a good name fitting for your film. How about "War Stars". If you don't like that maybe "space battles" or "balls of burning gas fighting each other".

Let me know, I just want a 2% cut. I have a feeling this one's gonna be BIG baby!
post #26 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Or how about "That's no moon!".
post #27 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

The dragon is kinda cool.
post #28 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Idon't know how much everyone around here cares about the site Ain't it Cool, but this review must be read.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/30975
post #29 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Quote:
Originally Posted by CoreyII
As far as fantasy films go, Im actually looking more forward to Pan's Labyrinth than Eragon.

Those two films should not be in the same sentence. I can't (and won't) speak for Eragon (directed by "ILM weather guy" Fangmeier), but Pan's Labyrinth is far, far, FAR beyond typical Hollywood fantasy (Krull, Dragonheart, Willow, etc). Eragon is designed to sell kid's meals and toys and a videogame. It looks woefully generic. Pan's Labyrinth is one of the best films of the past few years

That said, ripping off Star Wars is like being the clone of a clone in Multiplicity.
post #30 of 58

Re: Eragon - reviews

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck Mayer
That said, ripping off Star Wars is like being the clone of a clone in Multiplicity.

"I like Pizza Steve"

And Chuck, will you quit rubbing in the fact that you got a sneak peak at Pan's Labyrinth Where can I find this film????

JC
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