When I first heard about this movie and its title character, Eragon, I thought it was a cheap rip-off of The Lord of the Rings' Aragorn. However, when you see it in print, you get the sense that the idea for the name came from perhaps a typo of the word "Dragon." Further criticism has come from others saying that Eragon has ripped off Star Wars, Dune, Farseer, and others. In any case, it is a wonderful film, regardless of where the novel's author, Christopher Paolini, got his original ideas.
For that matter, it is worth mentioning a bit of the novel's background. Legend has it that it was written by a young boy. However, since he was only a mere boy, no publisher would take him seriously. Luckily, his parents believed in the boy and his book so much that they made a huge sacrifice by mortgaging their home in order to get the book published. In the end, this family triumphed when the book became a best seller, and they all lived happily ever after.
Or something like that.
Eragon, the film, and the book I would have to assume, at the core is really about one really awesome idea: dragons and their human riders. Westerns have romanticized the riding of a horse, while other stories, shows, and films have romanticized other forms of transportation such as motorcycles, race cars, and even flying carpets. But there is something pretty darn cool about riding a dragon. There have been other similar ideas from films such as Pete's Dragon and The Never-Ending Story, but Eragon brings a bit more excitement and the latest special effects.
Eragon (Edward Speleers), when we first meet him, is a teenage boy working on a farm and living with his uncle. The land is ruled by a tyrant king (John Malkovich) who has eradicated dragons and the dragon riders from existence within his land. However, when Eragon encounters a strange stone in the woods while hunting one day, he soon finds that dragons are real and that the tales are true. His blue stone is actually an egg which hatches Saphira, his own personal dragon that chose him to be her rider. How cool is that?
Eragon is a bit reluctant to take on this new responsibility, for the hopes and dreams of all who oppose the king lie in the return of a dragon rider. He has a mentor, Brom (Jeremy Irons), a former dragon rider himself who gives Eragon a few pushes in the right direction. With Eragon, we the audience learn some of the rules about dragons. First of all, they choose their rider and will not hatch until the right person holds their egg. Secondly, a dragon and its rider can hear each other's thoughts and can communicate from miles away. Thirdly, a dragon will seek to protect its rider at all costs, for if a dragon rider dies, so does the dragon.
Mixed into all of this is a bit of magic. Through Brom, Eragon learns tricks for enhanced vision, fireballs, etc. Eventually, Eragon accepts his destiny and enters into the struggle against King Galbatorix and the rescue of Princess Arya.
All in all, it is a fun ride. Especially when we get to ride alongside Eragon on his dragon, Sophira. As far as epic movies go, this one seems much smaller in scale...less characters, less warriors, less places, etc. However, in the end, it is about a boy and his dragon, and letting us experience what that might be like. I know that as I left the theater several people were remarking how they wish that they could have a dragon. I couldn't agree more!
I wish I had a dragon!
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