Eragon

Three stars (out of five)

Watching this movie made me very glad that I had gambled on getting surround sound all those years ago. Right from the get go when dragons were flying around setting stuff, and each other, on fire, I got the message in my head, "Enjoy the ride." There was a substantial plot of a young boy, arrogant teen, who is thinking that he's got life figured out and knows where he's going, and then gets the wake up call of the wild, and discovers that he is the fabled hero that will overthrow the brutal John Malcovich. He leaves behind his home and kind stepfather, which were torn to pieces by assasins looking to cut the movie short by killing off the main character 20 minutes into the film.

I wish that I hadn't heard that it was a Star Wars rip off, because throughout the movie, I was searching for similarities and they were not that hard to find. You could almost hear Frank Oz when Jeremy Irons chastizes Eragon for leaving to pick up some chick that appeared to him in a dream. Turns out it's a trap and he has to fight a soceror to escape. He gets some help from his friends, and more importantly his dragon, and they run away to face off again. Round two has more people, more action, and the craziest showdown between Eragon and creepy sorceror guy. I was fully entralled by the arial battle, and I was even more pleased with how they handled the ending. I knew there is another book to the work the movie is based on, yet I found myself questioning whether Eragon would have to find himself another dragon. Jeremy Irons didn't, but he went out with a bang, and that was pretty cool. If I had a dragon entomb me in glass, I'd rest easy.

If it wasn't for the DTS surround sound that was rumbling throughout the movie, I don't think I would as happy about it. Okay story, Jeremy Irons, and a really cool dragon makes for some good entertainment. We might even buy the DVD just for the dragon. :)

Caitlin: Ditto the dragon!