Flash movie review: Eragon
My parents got me a copy of Eragon for Easter, and after reading some scathing reviews, I feared a major disappointment.
Fortunately, the movie wasn't a complete disaster. The plot was thin and predictable, but I think the book is to blame for that, not the film producers. The special effects were certainly top notch (props go to the flame and magic effects used in the final battle scene), and I thought some of the flight scenes were particularly breathtaking. Unfortunately, the movie seemed to breeze through the action a bit too quickly for my tastes and there was little room for character development (by the end, I only really cared about Eragon and Saphira, whereas the rest of the cast seemed like almost total strangers in the strict sense of watching the film). I think the movie would have been better suited to a longer showing time--somewhere around 2.5-3 hours--so things could have developed gradually. Then again, the shallow plot might not have been able to support that.
Altogether, a good one-time flick. I probably won't be watching it again unless a sequel is made and I need a refresher, though (and a sequel is likely, as the end of the film almost screams it).
Score: 6.5/10
For a somewhat different perspective, check out popsyndicate's review.
Comments
He's a month younger than me, Chris. LOL. I just found him online, he was born in 1983; apparently he wrote the book (and its sequels) when he was young, and apparently their just being published now.
But what your saying is exactly right.
Ah...to comment on an SHU blog again! it brings me great joy
Posted by: Lou Gagliardi | April 11, 2007 10:06 PM
Well, in truth, the book was written for a target audience that is much younger than I am, so it's no surprise that I find it shallow. It's hard for me to find much fulfillment in a book like Eragon after reading more mature, more original works intended for people my age. The book isn't a bad match for kids who are Paolini's age, because readers at that level don't typically have very high expectations. They're satisfied to read the same story they've read a thousand times before; they're usually not concerned with depth or originality.
Considering his age, it wasn't a bad first venture. But I feel sorry for him, because I doubt his writing career will ever pick up like that again. His books' popularity is linked to the fact that he wrote them while he was so young. But as he grows older, he'll need more than that to be recognized as a great writer, and for now he just doesn't have the skills necessary. That's not to say he couldn't improve dramatically by the time he's in his twenties or thirties, but he has a long way to go before he reaches that point.
Posted by: ChrisU | April 9, 2007 4:48 PM
Can you truly blame a book that a 14 year old wrote?
Posted by: Lou Gagliardi | April 9, 2007 3:25 PM
Just as I suspected. Thank you for saving me the time of watching this film. I thought it would be interesting to see if the movie would be better than the book, but your review has convinced me to not even bother. ;c)
Posted by: moira | April 9, 2007 11:03 AM