Eragon
Ed Speelers, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich; Directed by Stephen Fangmeier
When an innocent and unsuspecting boy finds a mysterious blue stone while hunting, he has no idea that it will cause his world to be turned upside down and inside out. When the stone suddenly cracks one night, Eragon finally discovers that it is an egg, and not only that, but a dragon egg. He soon learns that he is destined to be a Dragon Rider - a warrior who is expected to lead the fight against the evil King Galbatorix to bring peace and freedom to the world. Helping him along is the grizzled old mentor-figure, Brom, who teaches him how to fight, ride, and conjure magic. As they make their way to the last rebel stronghold, the Varden, Eragon continually wrestles with thoughts and feelings of incompetence and low self-worth. He must quickly find his strength and courage, however, if he is to survive the terrible battles ahead.
This movie wanted to be good, and it tried really hard. I give it marks for that. But fans of the book or curious fantasy-lovers should not be expecting Lord of the Rings quality. The music swells way too high a few times, our emotional attachment to what’s going on in the scene nowhere near to what the composer thinks it should be. Some of the dialogue is lacking, and a few lines did have me cringing in my seat (“Let’s end this!”) And how many times do we need to hear the line; “The day of the Dragon Riders...has come again.”
Fortunately, the actors were able to (mostly) make up for the faulty writing. Jeremy Irons brings tremendous validation and weight to the story as Brom. Newcomer Ed Speelers has a first-rate go at the part, possessing true vulnerability and an earnest good-heart that makes the character ultimately endearing. Sienna Guillory plays Arya, the beautiful elvish princess taken captive by Galbatorix’s cronies, and she manages to avoid any melodrama that might have otherwise overtaken a lesser actress. Her scenes with Speelers are arresting. Excellent chemistry is to praise for this, and it evokes the delight of finding a small treasure, as good chemistry is a sorrowfully rare thing to find in a Hollywood film.
The only casting disappointment was British singer Joss Stone, who makes a regrettably forgettable appearance as the fortune-teller, Angela. Being a fan of the books going into the film, I was surprised to find myself pleased by most every other actor chosen to fill the roles of these characters. The visual and special effects work were also astounding. The dragon Saphira (voiced by the great Rachel Weisz) was brought to life and made completely believable. The roller coaster-like sequences where Eragon flies on Saphira can only be experienced to the greatest effect in the full glory of a movie theatre. Production design wasn’t the best. Villages and towns brought to mind episodes of Xena: Warrior Princess, and the red hue of the evil King’s throne room was screaming “This guy is bad! This guy is bad!”
This film was a bit cheesy, but I tend to like cheese. Especially if it’s heartfelt. I love a good fantasy story, and I’m a dead sucker for an epic, but apart from the talent and effects the rest of the film was a little less than par. Good for a Saturday night, but not perhaps enough to pay full price at a theatre for. That said, the story itself is still worth giving a chance, and I was still thinking about it a few days after I had seen it. Yes there is Star Wars theft, and yes there is Lord of the Rings theft. But after all, there is nothing new under the sun anyway, right? This is Fantasy-Lite. Not the most original film, but still one that managed to inspire and entertain. It did its job, and it was enough to gain my support.
Story = B
Originality = C
Acting = B+
Enjoyability = A-
Visuals = A
Overall = B
|
