Eragon
By Mal Simons, Blockbuster.co.uk
A film in the tradition of Star Wars, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings; Eragon, the final big blockbuster of 2006 explodes into the cinema. For anyone shuddering at the thought of another ‘dragon movie’ following the diabolical Dungeons and Dragons and Reign of Fire, you needn’t worry as Eragon is the first good ‘dragon film’ in years and a good blockbuster to boot.
The film is based on the first part of a phenomenally successful trilogy written by Christopher Paolini, a young writer from Montana. Paolini wrote Eragon as a teenager and his book has gone on to win multiple fantasy awards and sold millions of copies worldwide.
Set in the mythical world of Alagaesia, the film tells the story of Eragon (Edward Speleers), a simple farm boy abandoned at birth by his mother and raised by his loving uncle. Eragon lives and works on his Uncle’s farm and he is raised as a valued son. When he discovers a dragon’s egg in the forest however, his life is changed forever.
This egg has been stolen from the evil King Galbatorix (
John Malkovich), by the beautiful elfin princess Ayra (
Sienna Guillory) who transports the egg to Eragon as she is captured and tortured by the King’s Sorcerer henchman Durza (
Robert Carlyle). The egg soon hatches and a dragon named Saphira emerges and bonds with Eragon – scarring the boy with a dragon mark and unleashing a wave of magical energy that Galbatorix and anyone who have merged with dragons can feel.
Fearing the boy’s potential and the power of this new dragon, Galbatorix orders Durza to kill the boy and his beast before they become a threat. Sending dark warriors out to carry out this task, Durza’s men find and kill the boy’s uncle however fail to find the boy before he is saved by wise sage Brom (Jeremy Irons) – an expert in all things dragon, magic and fighting related.
With Brom leading away from the evil forces and towards the mountains; Eragon learns of the dragon riders and how they protected the people of Alagaesia until they were betrayed by King Galbatorix, who was one of their own. Since then, Galbatorix has used his forces to brutally put down any resistance to his rule. Eragon and Saphira have to save Princess Ayra from the clutches of Durza and then find the Varden, the freedom fighters living in the mountains before the rebellion is crushed and all hope for Alagaesia is lost.
Newcomer Ed Speleers puts in a remarkable performance as Eragon in his first professional acting role. Speaking of the role, the young star sees parallels between his experiences making Eragon and his character’s journey. “I was on a new adventure, just like Eragon was,” he explains. “I had a well structured life, doing regular things, and then I was suddenly thrown into this incredible world, starring in a movie. It’s been a great time for me to find myself, meet new people, and have new experiences.”
Director Stefen Fangmeier agrees, talking of the moment he saw his young lead – “Ed came in, and we just looked at each other and said, ‘that’s Eragon, that’s the guy from the book,’ I got a strong sense of Ed’s sparkle, of his life. It’s the kind of thing where you know he’s destined to become a movie star.”
As Eragon, Speleers is supported in his role with some of the greatest on-screen talent to be appear on screen together in the form of the legendary John Malkovich,
Jeremy Irons, Robert Carlyle and
Djimon Hounsou. Carlyle is especially brilliant as the twistedly evil Durza – to the point that you will be forgiven for not recognising him. “Robert wore a long wig, contact lenses and full-flowing outfit. I didn’t need to get into character to react opposite Robert as Durza,” laughs Speleers. “He was Durza!”
The actress most overlooked in this film is the dragon herself – Saphura; a character that feels so real and looks so lifelike when seen on screen. Using a unique mix of CGI feathers and scales and voiced by the wonderful
Rachel Weisz (
The Mummy), the filmmakers have managed to create more than an empty CGI character but a central player in the film. And she breaths fire too… which is really cool.
The Verdict:
A great mix bringing together elements of Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Harry Potter with a fast moving story – this film is an action-packed spectacle of a movie that needs to be seen to be believed. This film does for dragons what
Jurassic Park did for dinosaurs. Add this to your list now!