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Review #354 of 365
Movie Review of Eragon (2006) [PG] 104 minutes
WIP™ Scale: (1st viewing $9.50 + 2nd viewing $10.50) / 2 = $10
Where Viewed: United Artists Denver Pavilions Stadium 15, Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 1 January 2007
Time: 8:00 p.m.
Film's Official Website
DVD Release Date: unscheduled
Directed by: Stefen Fangmeier (debut)
Screenplay by: Peter Buchman (Jurassic Park III) based on the novel by Christopher Paolini
Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Edward Speleers (debut) • Jeremy Irons (Casanova) • Sienna Guillory (Rabbit Fever) • Robert Carlyle (Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School) • John Malkovich (Art School Confidential) • Garrett Hedlund (Four Brothers) • Alun Armstrong ("New Tricks") • Christopher Egan ("Everwood") • Gary Lewis (Goal!) • Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond) • Rachel Weisz (The Fountain)
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Note: This is a spoiler review for Eragon. If you do not want to read a spoiler review, click here.
Dear Readers, remember, I still have not read Christopher Paolini's original novel, Eragon so I leave it up to you to judge the faithfulness to the book. I can say that I did enjoy the movie a bit more the second time than the first, mostly because I was prepared for the truly awful performances of John Malkovich and Robert Carlyle this time around. I also, tried very, very hard not to think about Edward Speleers as a potential new lead for Westlife and picture him instead as a farm boy like Clark Kent who must undergo a radical transformation as he becomes a hero for his people. It's difficult to say if it's easier to stomach this film if one presupposes a cheesiness factor or just the opposite. My first viewing, perhaps I tried to take it too seriously, and I ended up nearly loathing the film. The second time through, parts of it sort of grew on me.
What does work in the film?
Saphira the Dragon--This time, I tried to really just focus on how cool she was was. Actually, she is a marvel of new CGI animation. In all previous dragon movies, the dragon lacked this depth of realism. Here, she is such an important component of the film, and the animators really got her right—perhaps her teeth are too wickedly sharp for her personality, and Rachel Weisz was not right for her voice—more on that later, but I enjoyed the chemistry between her and Eragon much more this time. Some of her dialogue was horrendous but no worse than any in the rest of the film. Her flights of fancy and aerial acrobatics with Eragon aboard were quite thrilling. So, I give some props to the Saphira animation team.
Jeremy Irons as Brom—I was a bit hard on him last time stating that he sleepwalked the role. Truthfully, his talents vastly exceed the demands of the role, and that might have been a nicer way of putting things. Still, he's the lone member of the cast who seems to have noticed the lines are incredibly dull or all too often awkwardly phrased so he sensibly speaks them with certain disdain. The effect amplifies the deep pain in his soul for it is he who is responsible for slaying the last of the dragon riders (and his dragon along with him) out of revenge for the death of his own dragon. He also serves as the film's narrator with pride.
What really doesn't work?
The Preposterous Dialogue—It may sound like I'm belaboring the point to keeping hammering on the dialogue; but, honestly, this is some of the worst dialogue ever written. To call it atrocious would be an understatement. Unlike Mr. Irons, however, John Malkovich who plays the wicked, traitor, King Galbatorix—wouldn't that be a better name for a villain in a futuristic, evil robot movie?--and Robert Carlyle who plays his powerful shade sorcerer Durza, these two brilliant actors seem to think their lines are fine, their characters are fine, and everything is just all fine. They utter these clumsy, repetitive, non-sense lines with fervor. Maybe it's because they watched the dailies of two other fine actors Gary Lewis best known for his role as Billy Elliot's father and Djimon Hounsou who appears opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond, and figured nothing they could do would possibly top the horrendous deliveries of Lewis and Hounsou as King Hrothgar and Ajihad respectively.
The Awful Casting—never have more roles been miscast in a single movie. As mentioned, with the exception of Jeremy Irons, there's not another major role that is played by the right person. My guess is that the casting directors Priscilla John and Mindy Marin typed actors into Google® and then used their trusty Magic 8-Ball® to guide them in their decision making process. "Magic 8-Ball® should we cast John Malkovich as the evil Galbatorix?" Shake, shake, shake. "Yes, Definitely". "How about Burt Reynolds as Durza?" "My sources say no." So, it's easy to criticize, and it's possible many other actors were offered the parts who would have been better; but, after reading the screenplay, they politely declined. Even so, here is whom I would have tried to get for the leads:
Eragon—Garrett Hedlund: How odd to have the proper hero in your grasp, and cast an unknown actor instead. Hedlund has the powerful, regal look, the physical strength, and the résumé to show he's ready to take on a leading role.
Galbatorix—Alan Rickman: He's been professor Snape long enough. Time to play a really evil villain. And Alan Rickman would have been able to use the same approach as Irons with the sapp dialogue, something Mr. Malkovich was unable to do.
Saphira—Uma Thurman: It's not that Rachel Weisz isn't good enough, it's just that she sounds too motherly. Saphira needed to sound like Uma Thurman does in Kill Bill Vol. I and II. She's not Eragon's mom, she's his kick butt, fire-breathing dragon!
Durza—David Bowie: After his outstanding performance as Nickola Tesla in The Prestige, I think it's time to bring Mr. Bowie back to the screen in increasingly clever roles. He would have been amazing as Durza. If not Bowie, my second choice would have been another recent Harry Potter star, Gary Oldman. Both of these guys look good playing bad. Robert Carlyle is just too sweet at heart to play Durza.
Arya—Liv Tyler: Of course this was Liv Tyler's role. Did you not see Lord of the Rings?
In conclusion, while I didn't dislike the film as much the second time around—which is a good thing—most of the glaring problems still stung.
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Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
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Other Projects Featuring Eragon (2006)
Cast Members
Edward Speleers
• Jeremy Irons • Sienna GuilloryRobert Carlyle
• John Malkovich • Garrett HedlundAlun Armstrong
• Christopher Egan • Gary LewisDjimon Hounsou
• Rachel WeiszDirector
Stefen Fangmeier
Screenwriter
Peter Buchman
| Book | CD Soundtrack | DVD |
| PS2 | VHS | Related Books |
| Eragon Mousepad | Eragon Coffee Mugs |
| Eragon Baseball Cap | Eragon Memorabilia Set |
Eragon (2006) Review-lite [150-word cap]
Since the brilliant Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and last year's wondrous Chronicles of Narnia, the fantasy genre has seen a rebirth as source material for Hollywood films. Hence the adaptation of Book 1 of Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Trilogy, Eragon. One of the most highly anticipated films of the year by sci-fi/fantasy film fans, it may prove to be the most disappointing of all time. Enduring plot continuity issues that only elves can make sense of, wildly mis-cast leading roles with the worst being the better-a-boy-band member than hero Edward Speleers in the lead role of Eragon, and some of the worst dialogue ever spoken outside of a Middle Earth SNL spoof sketch, the film takes a dragon-sized nose dive fewer than 15 minutes down a bottomless cavern from which it never recovers. This is such a terribly sad outcome for a film with so much wonderful promise.
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