We see the prehistory of the present day and cut to Eragon (Ed Speleers) before he realizes his destiny, hunting; he comes across the standard virgin (Sienna Guillory) and a unique stone. Eragon meets the standard characters as his soon-to-be mentor Brom (a dirty-faced Jeremy Irons). Soon, circumstance will force this farmer’s nephew, Eragon, to blossom into the prototype hero. A dragon joins him, Saphira (voice of Rachel Weisz), who imprints on coming out.
Will he rise above his fears and save the princes?
I cannot help but feel that the characters are just walking through their parts. Of course, if you are young and impressionable and have not seen this standard story before, it may not be noticed. I used to watch “The Cisco Kid” and was impressed as a child.
Naturally, there is nothing one can say to the reader of books except that, many times, as with this example, the transition to the big screen will lose a lot of the story. However, the screenwriter did not have to tell his own story, even if it was needed to keep up the momentum. The movie does look like a pilot, so maybe more will come in a sequel or a TV show.
See the story much better executed as “Star Wars” (1977), the farmer’s nephew must become a hero after his uncle was burned to a crisp. Only the mentors are Obi-Wan and Saphira, our dragon is two robots and a Chewbacca.
This film can be fun, but there is nothing exceptional. Reading Joseph Campbell ahead of time can add a richer dimension to the story.
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