Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6064 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-04-16
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 100 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
While it owes much of its appeal and appearance to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Eragon can stand on its own as an enjoyable fantasy for younger viewers. Faithfully adapted from the bestselling novel by teenage author Christopher Paolini, this boy-and-his-dragon tale offers clean, fast-paced family entertainment without compromising the darker qualities of Paolini's novel (the first in what is known as the "Inheritance" trilogy). The plot centers on 17-year-old peasant farmboy Eragon (played by appealing newcomer Ed Speleers) who discovers a mysterious blue object that turns out to be an egg that eventually hatches to reveal Saphira, a blue-scaled dragon that quickly grows to full-size. According to prophecy, Eragon is destined to be a dragon-rider like those who once protected a benevolent kingdom, thus reviving an ancient conflict against the army of King Galbatorix (John Malkovich), a former dragon rider who turned to evil, now in alliance with a dark-magic "Shade" sorcerer named Durza (Robert Carlyle).

While the movie serves up familiar fantasy elements and offers little if anything new to fans of the genre (or anyone who's read the books of Anne McCaffrey and Ursula K. Le Guin), it's visually impressive (especially the dragon scenes, with Rachel Weisz providing the telepathic "voice" of Saphira) and full of timeless wisdom, much of it delivered by Eragon's heroic mentor Brom (Jeremy Irons), himself a former dragon rider with memories of past battles and hope for Eragon's future. Add a fair warrior-maiden named Arya (Sienna Guillory) and you've got all the ingredients for a worthwhile (if not particularly original) fantasy that points directly to a sequel. Whether that's a good or a bad thing is up to individual viewers to decide. --Jeff Shannon

Synopsis
Based on the first novel in Christopher Paolini’s popular INHERITANCE trilogy, ERAGON is a fantastical adventure in a vein similar to that of the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. A classic story of a quest driven by destiny and set in a land where elves, magicians, and humans live side by side, the battle between good and evil, innocence and cynicism, is taken up once again. John Malkovitch camps it up as the evil King Galbatorix, a former guardian of peace who long ago went over to the dark side. He now rules over a land from which dragons have all but disappeared, until humble farm boy Eragon (newcomer Edward Speelers) happens upon a mysterious blue object that turns out to be a dragon egg. Eragon befriends the charming dragon cub, Saphira (voiced with aplomb by Rachel Weisz), and becomes her rider, designating him as the principal warrior in the fight against evil. Jeremy Irons steals the show as the wise and mysterious old man who becomes Eragon’s mentor, guiding him through the tasks of saving a princess (Sienna Guillory) battling an evil sorcerer (Robert Carlyle, TRAINSPOTTING), and fending off hordes of the hideous Urgals. All of this will strike the seasoned fantasy viewer as familiar territory, but the formula is given life by veterans Malkovitch and Irons, as well as the young Speelers. The film was shot mostly in Hungary, whose breathtaking landscape combines to great effect with excellent cinematography. The special effects, created by LORD OF THE RINGS’ Digital Magic and STAR WARS’ Industrial Light and Magic, more than live up to the precedent set by those films, while the dragon is film’s true star.

Customer Reviews

Well I like it!
I bought this DVD in spite of the reviews and actually I like it! I've watched it many times and still like it. If you want to spend some time in a world of Dragons and their riders then buy it and make your own mind up. Maybe this film has been compared with the likes of the Lord of the Rings unfairly as I definately would NOT show any of those films to my young kids, but I would be able to let them watch this one without worry of them having nightmares. Watch it and make you own mind up...

OK, so it's not Lord of the Rings, but.....
Let's face it, no other fantasy film will *ever* match that trilogy. As another reviewer has said, Peter Jackson set the bench mark, and it will have to be some jaw-dropping film to top his achievements, but it's honestly not as dire as some reviewers have suggested. My eleven-year-old niece and nephew loved the baby dragon, and liked her even more when she grew up. Robert Carlyle was seriously disturbing, and if the battle scenes don't possess the hack and slash and gore of LOTR, well what can? Give it a try on a wet Sunday afternoon when the children are driving you mad

I blame Peter Jackson
I blame Peter Jackson for raising the bar so high with his masterpieces the Lord Of the Rings films, which I also have read the books and Love, before seeing the films.. This review that follows is based solely on the film as I have not read the book or books about Eragon.

I was not impressed with this film, it seemed to have the feel of Willow and the make up and props that reminded me of a BBC fantasy drama from the 80's. I know this might seem harsh, but sorry, that is what I thought as I watched it, not enjoying the experience and not really connecting with any of the characters. I thought the best two actors and their characters are King Galbatorix (John Malkovich). With his over the top edgy, verging on madness type pantomime baddie, oh yes it is! And the dark-magic "Shade" sorcerer named Durza (Robert Carlyle). It took a while without cheating and looking at the DVD cover, to guess who it was. This small niggle ended up being more entertaining then the film. Great performance Mr Carlyle! Watching this I felt that many of these actors were making up for missing out on not appearing in the Mr Jackson's classic. If I was them, I would have given this a miss and waited for the Hobbit to be made into a film or Terry Brooks The Sword of Shannara.

It had a deja vu [thankfully not the film] feel to it, meaning I have seen it all somewhere before. From a galaxy far far way, to films that are too numerous to mention, but will try. We know the basics. A boy orphaned, finds an object, unknown to him it has some history behind it. Don't want to ruin the story, it turns out to be a egg.

This boy lives with his cousin and uncle on a farm that is just surviving. The uncle is played without cycle clips by the actor from BBC's New Tricks, Alun Armstrong. I bet he cheeses off Dennis Waterman and James Bolam? Who are both accomplished actors, by getting parts in proper and hopefully blockbuster films like this and Van Helsing. Luck has it that his best bit in the film was as a dead body. The main story of the film starts.

Earlier the dragon has hatched and was trying to be cute and badly failing where the baby dragon in Harry Potter was Cute. It got no better when it grew, I was half expecting Sean Connery's voice to be heard. Instead it is a monotone voice of Rachel Wiesz. For some strange reason every time I hear her voice? I felt the urge to pluck my eyebrows, odd? The dragon's shape and design was almost as bad as the dragon in Never Ending Story, less fur though, bad still bad. My picture of the ideal dragon is , surprise surprise Dragon from Shrek. Superb. This dragon looked not right.

The movement of the dragon. The flying and such like was boring. The only time it worked for me was when they were at the cliff face and a rock falls over the edge and the camera looks over, 1/2 a thrill[hence 2 stars]. When it came to the bit when the dragon and Eragon leapt off . Yawn. Even the flying sequence in the rescuers down under is more convincing and exciting and thats done with crayons. IF you have been lucky enough to experience Shrek 3D ride at Universal, you will know what an exciting dragon flight is. Ok the shaking of the seats did help and water spray, but it was still good, dragon looked good and very exciting. Or take Happy Feet [what?] bear with me. An exciting chase or the experience of movement, in this case swimming. The Leopard seal, that turned the film from a kiddies cute film to a bloody hell that is a good film.... When Eragon was learning how to fly the dragon, it was almost the quidditch match in the first Harry potter film where his broom is possessed. And that wasn't very good even back then, see what I am getting at. This is an up todate film and I wanted more.

I know Jeremy Irons won an Oscar and was brilliant as Scar in The Lion King. So he is not just a good actor but also has a great voice. So what happened here, not convincing at all, even with that annoying gruff voice. It doesn't make you any harder. Then when he started a speech to Eargon, what he has seen in his life. I was transported to Blade Runner with Rutger Hauer doing the famous speech of battle cruisers whatever.

The evil assassins, seemed to be done on the cheap, never really having a proper view of them, either the darkness of night or shadows hide them. Scary? No just annoying. Then the main baddie troops they send to fight the goodies, no expense spared there, shaved heads, eyeshadow and bad teeth, I have see more scarier things on the terraces on Match of the Day.

I know you might be saying it's a kids film. But is it? Modern films that are for children also work on levels for grown ups, this had more cliches then film. Then what little film was left? Was a disappointment. I am happy that I didn't waste my time watching it at an expensive cinema, my daughter didn't fancy it. So I have it on DVD and if the urge is ever there to watch it again........