Eragon may be the best movie about the love of a boy for his dragon ever. You know what I mean - it's stronger than the bond between a boy and his dog, or a girl and her pony. It's a mystical bond, telepathic but more. It's a bond beyond time, it's destiny. See, for instance, Anne McCaffery's Pern stories.
Myself, I don't really get it. Like, some people get all swoony about vampires, or pirates. It doesn't do much for me, but I like to see it done well.
Long ago, in a magical time, John Malkovich, the evil dragonrider, has defeated all other dragons and is cruelly oppressing the far away land of Analgeasia (sp?). However, someone has stolen one of his stones, and it is found by doughty farmboy Eragon. I should mention that the actor playing Eragon, Ed Speleers, looks remarkably like a young friend of ours (more from him later).
The stone turns out to be an egg, which hatches out a dragon. Jeremy Irons, playing the beggar who is More Than He Seems, appears to help him join the resistance movement and fight King Malkovich. Many adventures ensue.
Speleers does a good job as the strong, forthright Everyboy called by destiny to change the world. His dragon, Saphira (not to be confused with make-up company Sephora), is a touch on the cutesy side, with a cartoony face and a bit of a potbelly. She is voiced by Rachel Weisz, who gives her a somewhat motherly slant. For most critics, she is the best part of this movie. I would have liked more gravitas, more mystery, more menace, and maybe - a little sex.
For the accepted wisdom on this movie is: It is not good. Our friend, who looks like Eragon, is a bit of an expert on action and fantasy movies, although he prefers WWII movies. He said this about Eragon: It's pretty bad, but you have to watch it anyway - it has dragons.
In conclusion, I look forward to the sequels, Fragon and Gragon.
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