Eragon (movie)

From Inheriwiki, the ever-growing Inheritance database

Eragon is a 2006 motion picture loosely based upon Eragon, the first book of the Inheritance cycle.

Eragon was directed by Stefen Fangmeier, who has worked on such critically-acclaimed films as The Bourne Identity, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, and Galaxy Quest. Eragon combines a number of recognizable actors, such as Jeremy Irons and Djimon Hounsou, with relative unknowns.

Christopher Paolini originally asked for a small role in the film; according to rumor, he was supposed to be a Varden soldier who is beheaded during the Battle under Farthen Dûr. The timing of his European book tour created a conflict, however, and he was unable to fulfill his wish.

The release of the movie was accompanied by the release of a video-game. The movie was released to DVD and Blu-ray March 20th 2007.

Contents 1 Trailer 1.1 Trailer from YouTube 2 Posters 3 Rating 4 Reception 4.1 Fans 5 Criticisms of the film 5.1 The Critics Rave about Eragon! 6 The Author 7 Differences between the book and movie 8 Cast 8.1 Leading roles 8.2 Hungarian hired actors 9 Crew 10 Notes 11 External links

[edit] Trailer

The official trailer for the film was originally rumored to have been attached to X-Men: The Last Stand, released on May 26, 2006; later, however, execs announced that the release date for the trailer would be pushed back, due to unfinished special effects work. After multiple delays, the trailer was finally released September 15, 2006 with Gridiron Gang, a film by Columbia Pictures. The trailer can be viewed online at Moviefone. An international trailer was also released and can be viewed at [1]

An unofficial trailer was accidentally leaked on the internet late in 2005.

Several other trailers have been released. A complete list can be found at Shur'tugal.

[edit] Trailer from YouTube

[edit] Posters

A total of eleven Eragon posters have been released to date. They are below, in chronological order.

First Eragon poster released. The second Eragon poster. A congratulations one-sheet to Christopher Paolini. The fourth Eragon poster. It features a revamp of the second poster. The first poster with a shot of the cast. The sixth Eragon poster. It features a shot of the cast, as well as Saphira. The seventh Eragon poster, bearing a resemblance to the cover of the book, Also showing Saphira's first close-up. The eighth Eragon poster released, featuring Eragon, Brom, Arya, Durza, Galbatorix, and Saphira. The ninth poster. Shows the characters around Zar'roc. The 'Riders Wanted' poster. The eleventh poster, featuring Eragon standing infront of Saphira with Zar'roc.

[edit] Rating

Eragon was rated PG (for "fantasy violence, intense battle sequences, and some frightening images") by the MPAA. ^[1] It was also rated PG by it's British equivalent, the BBFC. The Australian OFLC rated it an M, the OFLC version of a PG-13.

[edit] Reception

[edit] Fans

Many fans have expressed anger at both the movie and Stefen Fangmeier for cutting out too many important characters, places, and events. (Some fans have even started signing petitions to remake the film.)

Most fans of the novel have pointed out that nearly none of the characters in the film fit their descriptions at all in the book (except possibly Nasuada).

A lot have blamed the film for making some changes that will hinder the possible production of a sequel. For example, Roran leaves Palancar Valley just because he doesn't want to be drafted into the army, rather than to earn money to start his own family with Katrina (who did not appear in the film). They also made Brom hunt down and kill the Ra'zac, who are crucial to Eldest. Also, They made Arya the princess of Ellesméra, but not an elf. Elves inhabiting Ellesméra are crucial to Eldest. In addition, Jeod, Helen, Orik, Elva, and Solembum, who did not appear in the movie, feature prominently in the next books. Arguably the largest continuity problem for a sequel is the fact that Eragon's back is not scarred by Durza in the film (Eragon's scar is a major obstacle and plot point through most of Eldest).

Many people also say that it would be very difficult for those who have not read the book to follow the plotline. Although this may not be entirely true, a lot was cut from the book which would make it less of a complete story than the book. It was also not cut very well - fans could point out exactly what was missing.

Some fans, however, have praised the film for staying true to the spirit of the book. The part of the film that took most of the berating was the running time.

[edit] Criticisms of the film

Most critical reviews have bashed the film; Eragon got a "Tomatometer" rating of only 16%^[2] and a Metacritic rating of 39%^[3], and listed as the 10th worst film of 2006.

According to rottentomatoes.com, the critical consensus is "Eragon presents nothing new to the "hero’s journey" story archetype. In movie terms, this movie looks and sounds like Lord of the Rings and plays out like a bad Star Wars rip-off."^[4]

The film did, however, get some good or lukewarm reviews. Claudia Puig of USA Today called it a "moderately diverting escapism that will appeal to fans of the fantasy genre"^[5]. Tribune film critic Michael Philipps gave it two and a half out of four stars ^[6] and called it "cheesy, but sincere cheese" and heavily praised Jeremy Irons in his role as Brom.

Michael A. Smith of crazedfanboy.com gave it three out of four stars, saying the film "is a fun film that is certain to join the ranks of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings in the world of fantasy films."^[7]

[edit] The Critics Rave about Eragon!

"Stefen Fangmeier establishes himself as the Uwe Boll of family-friendly fantasy." —John Beifuss, Commercial Appeal

"Why has 20th Century Fox released this embarrassment—whose quality would be dubious for a direct-to-video release—into theaters?" —James Berardinelli, ReelViews

"More than a Star Wars rip-off... The only thing missing here is a Chewbacca." —Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures

"The film's few moments of hilarity are no less welcome for being completely unintended..." —Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

"Fears that Fangmeier's debut would be the sequel to Dragonheart nobody wanted prove unwarranted. It's the sequel to BloodRayne that nobody wanted." —Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central

"For those who love the "fantasy" genre known as sword and sorcery—and I count myself in their number—sitting through the movie version of Eragon will suck the will to live right out of you."

"George Lucas should sue their sorry plagiarist a--es..." —James O'Ehley, Sci-Fi Movie Page

"If you took all the dragon-centered movies ever made, and counted the good ones on your fingers, I bet you'd still have enough fingers left over to flip off Eragon as you walked laughing from the theater." —Eric D. Snider, EricDSnider.com

"Laughably bad, mind-bogglingly derivative, and easily one of the worst movies of the year." —Pete Vonder Haar, Film Threat

"Poor Paolini. This a**-sucker of a film must have brainwashed him into thinking that it made the slightest of justice to his wonderful story. Special thanks to Rachel Welsh. Out of a convulted mess that comes close to becoming Aaron Seltzer's "Fantasy Movie", her voicework stands in recognition. It'd be better off in any Disney video sequel than this, though" -Gallie McGollum, Web Dork´s Star Film Critic

[edit] The Author

Christopher Paolini has stated that he enjoyed the film^[8]. However, he may only be trying to be polite.

[edit] Differences between the book and movie

There are many differences between the book and the film, in which many fans of the books have complained about (one fan in a cinema cried because of it). Some of these are summarized in the following table:

Book	Movie
Eragon Shadeslayer has brown hair and brown eyes.	Eragon has blond hair and blue eyes.
Eragon is fifteen at the start of the story.	Eragon is seventeen at the start of the story.
The gedwëy ignasia mark is oval-shaped and silver.	The gedwëy ignasia is in the shape of an 'e.'
Zar'roc has a gold pommel with a ruby in it, and the handle is wrapped in silver wire. Morzan's insignia is on the blade and sheath	Zar'roc has a silver pommel with a sapphire in it, and the handle is wrapped in leather. Morzan's insignia is not on the blade or sheath.
The story takes place in the middle of winter	The story takes place in the middle of spring.
Saphira breathes fire only at the climax of the final battle, and uses it to distract Durza so Eragon can kill him. Her fire is blue to match her scales[2].	Saphira starts to breath fire right before the battle begins, and uses it to kill many enemies during the battle. Her fire is orange.
Saphira's scales are intense blue[3], and she has bat-like wings with membranes and scales.	Saphira is a rather dull grayish blue, and has feathers.
Saphira grows to full size over a period of months.	Saphira grows to full size instantaneously the moment she enters the air.
Saphira has been lying in her egg for about a hundred years.	After growing to full size, Saphira tells Eragon she has "waited a thousand years to hear his thoughts".
Brom has a full white beard, silver hair, and a carved staff and pipe.	Brom has a short gray beard, gray hair, and no carved staff or pipe.
Uncle Garrow's name is mentioned repeatedly.	Uncle Garrow's name is never mentioned.
Brom tells everyone the full story of the Riders' downfall and Galbatorix. No soldiers overhear him.	Brom briefly alludes to the events of the Riders' downfall. A soldier overhears him and almost arrests him.
Eragon asks Brom questions in order to learn more about dragons. Brom answers willingly.	Eragon breaks into Brom's house and begins reading his books in order to learn more about dragons, then questions Brom. Brom refuses to answer.
Brom gives Zar'roc to Eragon immediately and uses his own shortsword.	Brom continues to use Zar'roc until he is about to die, whereupon he gives it to Eragon.
Brom and Eragon travel to Therinsford, Yazuac, Daret, Teirm, and Dras-Leona before Brom dies.	Eragon and Brom travel to Daret, and no where else, before Brom dies. All the events of the other cities happen in Daret.
Eragon and Brom meet with and get help from Jeod, Brom's merchant friend.	Jeod does not appear in the movie.
Brom does not reveal he is a Dragon Rider until he is about to die. Eragon does not guess his identity.	Eragon guesses Brom's identity long before Brom dies.
Durza the Shade is tall and slim, with very pale skin, crimson hair, maroon eyes, sharp teeth, and ordinary fingernails.	Durza is not particularly slim or pale. He has crimson hair, white eyes, ordinary teeth, and sharp fingernails.
Murtagh agrees to accompany Eragon to the Varden, but strongly refuses to enter. He has little knowledge of the Beor Mountains.	Murtagh agrees to accompany Eragon to the Varden and enter optimistically. He has a thorough knowledge of the Beor Mountains.
Durza's primary weapon is a sword that carries a long scratch from his duel with Ajihad.	Durza's primary weapon is magic. He carries a sword, but does not use it.
Ajihad tells Eragon about Durza's name, and Angela tells him about what Shades are. He does not know either of these things beforehand.	Brom tells Eragon about Durza's name and what Shades are. Durza is a name seemingly known to all.
Arya has raven dark hair, green eyes, and pointed ears. She is taller than most men, including Eragon.	Arya has reddish-gold hair, blue eyes, and human ears. She is slightly shorter than Eragon.
Arya wears dark-colored clothing, especially black leather.	Arya wears light colored clothing. Even her armor is lightly colored.
Arya has a cold, stiff, no-nonsense personality, especially towards Eragon Bromsson. She treats him coldly, almost demeaningly, and shows no romantic affection.	Arya acts warmly towards Eragon. She even appears to be attracted to him romantically, as she tells him they "might meet each other again soon."
In the beginning, the egg has already been stolen (by Brom and Jeod) and in the Varden's possession for fifteen years. Arya is riding peacefully before she is attacked.	The egg has only recently been stolen (it doesn't say by whom). Arya is riding frantically before she is attacked.
Arya is poisoned with a drug and a potent poison, both of organic origins.	Arya is poisoned by a magical venom created by Durza. No drug is employed to suppress her magic.
Murtagh has a horse, dagger, sword, bow, and horn.	Murtagh has only a bow.
Eragon dreams of Arya several times, but never communicates with her. In the dream, she is always in a cell.	Eragon dreams of Arya once, and talks to her during it. In the dream, she is in a forest.
Arya does not reveal that she is a princess until the next book, Eldest. It is stated then that only a very few people knew of her identity, and they kept it secret on her request.	Arya reveals to Eragon that she is a princess.
Galbatorix makes no appearance, and is only mentioned. He knows that the 'stone' is a dragon egg.	Galbatorix makes several minor appearances. He refers to Saphira's egg as just a 'stone'.
Galbatorix does not know the location of the elf and dwarf cities.	Galbatorix possesses a map that shows the exact location of every city of the elves and dwarves.
Murtagh's hair is brown.	Murtagh's hair is black.
Galbatorix wants Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira to join him so he can rebuild the Dragon Riders.	Galbatorix desperately wants Eragon killed so Saphira will die.
Murtagh's scar is on his back, and vertical. It is white and silvery, like scar tissue.	Murtagh's scar is on his side, and horizontal. It is red and rough, like a scab.
Angela is a cheerful older woman with dark curls of hair. She talks in the first person, meets with Eragon Bromsson twice, and tries to prove that toads are really frogs. She is not just a fortune-teller, but also a witch. She lives in Teirm and has the werecat Solembum as her companion.	Angela is young, blond, and ornately-garbed. She talks in the third person, meets with Eragon once, and has no interest in frogs or toads. She is not a witch, but a mere fortune-teller. She lives in Daret, and has no pets or companions.
Ajihad has a beard, and his head is shaved bald.	Ajihad has a beard, and long black hair.
Ajihad recognizes Murtagh as Morzan's son because they have the same voice.	Ajihad recognizes Murtagh as Morzan's son because they look the same.
Nasuada and Hrothgar are referred to by name.	Nasuada and Hrothgar are not referred to by name.
Hrothgar, King of the Dwarves, is four feet tall with white hair and a long white beard.	Hrothgar is the size of an ordinary human, with light brown hair and beard.
Brom buys the horses Snowfire and Cadoc in Therinsford. Snowfire is white.	Brom has the horses Snowfire and Cadoc, who are not mentioned by name, before leaving Carvahall. Snowfire is black.
The Ra'zac are tall, hunched, twisted, insectile creatures with beaks and black eyes as large as a fist. They carry swords and Seithr Oil, and wear hoods and cloaks to cover their "twisted hideous bodies."(a bit like the Nazgûl—Ringwraiths from the Lord of the Rings.) They are organic creatures hatched from eggs, who joined Galbatorix after they were born.	The Ra'zac are artificial creatures summoned from insects and dirt, apparently created under Durza's command. They are covered in rags and resembled a mummy or the reanimated corpse of a dead ninja. They carry daggers and no Seithr Oil.
The Ra'zac were not killed until Brisingr, by Roran and Eragon Shadeslayer.	The Ra'zac were killed before the movie ended, by Brom and Eragon.
The Ra'zac completely destroyed Eragon's house and severely injured Garrow. Eragon takes Uncle Garrow back to Carvahall and stays at Horst's house for a while before leaving. Garrow is buried afterwards.	The Ra'zac do not completely destroy the house, and kill Garrow before Eragon returns home to find him, when he is already dead. Eragon leaves immediately, and Garrow is cremated (burnt up) by Brom.
Sloan tells the Ra'zac about Eragon willingly, and is allowed to leave their presence.	The Ra'zac torture Sloan into telling them about Eragon, and seem to kill him.
Sloan is lean and scrawny (a lot like actor Donald Pleasence), with a sallow complexion and black eyes. He refuses to take the 'stone' because he hates the Spine and will have nothing to do with it. He insists Eragon leave his shop, but cannot convince him to go. Horst and Katrina intervene, they criticize Sloan for his grumpy behavior, and Horst pays Sloan money to give Eragon meat.	Sloan is large, without sallow skin or black eyes. He refuses to take the 'stone' because, "it belongs to the King." He easily convinces Eragon to leave the shop (though Eragon steals some meat with Katrina's help in a deleted scene).
Brom, Eragon, and Saphira are temporarily captured by the Ra'zac, but manage to escape. Saphira and the Ra'zac are not harmed permanently, but Brom is mortally injured.	Brom, Eragon, and Saphira successfully fight off the Ra'zac's attempt to capture them, and kill them in the process. Brom is not harmed permanently, but Saphira is injured and the Ra'zac are killed.
Brom is killed by the Ra'zac.	Brom is killed by Durza.
Urgals are tall, yellow-eyed, gray-skinned, and horned. They resemble Minotaurs without fur (and resemble fantasy monsters like Orcs or Goblins.)	Urgals are short and stocky, and red-eyed. They do not have horns, and resemble savage cave-men.
Daret is on land.	Daret rests on stilts over a gloomy body of water.
Eragon first uses magic in Yazuac. He and Brom notice something is wrong (especially when they see the pile of dead villagers) and encounter two Urgals.	Eragon first uses magic in Daret. He and Brom are attacked by multiple Urgals without warning.
The Empire's army in Farthen Dûr is made up of Urgals and Kull, with no humans.	The Empire's army in Farthen Dûr is made up of both Urgals and humans. None of the Urgals are Kull.
All non-human races have key characteristics. The elves have pointed ears, the dwarves are short, and the Urgals have horns. These characters are always labeled as non-human.	None of the non-human races has any key characteristics, and are never referred to as elves/dwarves/Urgals.
No soldiers of the Empire are present in Carvahall.	Carvahall is swarming with soldiers.
Horst, his wife Elain, and their sons, Albriech and Baldor, remain in Carvahall up to the end of the book and are seen or mentioned several times. There are many other villagers in Carvahall, including Fisk and Morn	Horst is seen briefly in two short scenes, Elain and her sons are seen briefly in one, and they do not play the parts they did in the book. Both are recruited into the Imperial Army and leave Carvahall early in the story. No villagers besides Horst, Eragon, and Roran are named.
Roran leaves Carvahall to work at Dempton's mill in Therinsford. His motivation is to raise enough money to marry Katrina.	Roran leaves Carvahall for an uncertain destination. His motivation is to avoid being drafted into the army.
The Traders come to Carvahall at one point.	The Traders never come to Carvahall at any time.
Orik the Dwarf is an important character who appears several times late in the story.	Orik makes no appearance whatsoever.
Katrina, Elva, and the Twins all have important roles in the books.	Katrina, Elva, and the Twins are omitted from the final movie, only appearing briefly in the deleted scenes.
Before Brom’s death, Murtagh scares off the Ra'zac, encounters Eragon in the process, and helps him journey to Gil'ead to help rescue the "imprisoned woman". After Brom's death, Eragon is then captured, on the way, by a band of Urgals and gets imprisoned there. He later gets rescued by Murtagh and is able to escape with the unconscious Arya.	Eragon goes to Gil'ead before Brom's death and before meeting Murtagh. He goes against Brom's wishes with a snappy, insolent attitude. He is not captured, and manages to get out of Gil'ead with Arya. Brom is killed by Durza during the escape, which has only minimal help from Murtagh, and Arya is fully conscious.
Eragon and Murtagh have a lengthy journey to the Varden, which is dozens of pages long.	Eragon and Murtagh travel to the Varden within a few minutes of movie time.
Murtagh defeats Durza by shooting him with two arrows. Durza feels immense pain when he is disembodied.	Eragon defeats Durza by shooting him with one arrow; Durza feels no pain.
Murtagh has no clue about the location of the Varden, and Eragon must rely on Arya's directions.	Murtagh knows a lot about the Beor Mountains, and helps Eragon find the Varden.
Farthen Dûr is a tall, hollow, almost invincible mountain with a hole in the top. It is over ten miles high. Tronjheim is a marble mountain city built inside the mountain.	Tronjheim is made of wood and stone, and looks more like Tarnag, a dwarf city visited in Eldest, or a valley, rather than a mountain. The mountain itself is much less than ten miles high.
There are scenes involving Hrothgar's throne room and the Isidar Mithrim (Star Sapphire).	There are no scenes involving Hrothgar's throne room or the Isidar Mithrim.
During the Battle under Farthen Dûr, Eragon attacks Durza with his mind and sees the Shade's past as a human named Carsaib, who lost control of his mind when evil spirits entered his body.	Eragon does not attack Durza's mind, and learns nothing of the Shade's past.
Durza fights Eragon on foot, and never conjures anything. Not even a Shade has enough strength to conjure a dragon-like monster with a large structure and enough density to support his weight.	Durza flies into battle against Eragon and Saphira on a beast of dark smoke or vapor, presumably created by magic. Durza has no problems creating or sustaining the Beast.
Eragon defeats Durza when the Shade is distracted by Saphira flying overhead and breathing fire. The battle takes place on the ground. The Isidar Mithrim was shattered during the fight.	Eragon defeats Durza by having Saphira throw him at Durza using her tail. The battle takes place in the air. Nothing, besides several wooden structures, was destroyed as a result of the fight.
When Eragon blacks out after killing Durza, the-Cripple-Who-Is-Whole (Oromis) appears to him in a vision and advises him about Ellesméra. Arya remains in Tronjheim at the end of the story, but travels back to Ellesméra in the next book with Eragon and Orik.	Eragon apparently has no vision of Oromis. Arya leaves for Ellesméra afterwards, without Eragon and Orik.

Other differences include:

• The movie takes place over a much shorter time than the book. It is had been mentioned in several "different" sections that the film took place of about three days, while the story in the novel takes place over months. However, due to confusing editing techniques (as well as not keeping to the plot) it is difficult to differentiate between the days. Also, a quote by Arya ("Yesterday, you were a farm boy. Today, you are a hero."), is very misleading. She says "yesterday" and "today" as figures of speech, not actual time periods.
• In the book, Eragon is motivated to fight the Urgals because they hurt people. In the movie, he does so only to prove his strength.
• In the novel, the story ends with Eragon promising to go to Ellesméra to resume his training with Oromis. But the movie never mentions the fact that he needs further training, and it ends with Eragon and Arya going their own ways, and Galbatorix unleashes his black dragon, Shruikan.
• At the end of the film, Galbatorix unleashed Shruikan to go and attack Eragon. But he never did that in the first book; he is most logically going to have to fight him and Saphira in Book IV!
• Not only has the movie included many inconsistencies to the book, but the film's own plot is something to talk about: [4]

[edit] Cast

[edit] Leading roles

Actor	Role
Edward Speleers	Eragon
Chris Egan	Roran
Jeremy Irons	Brom
John Malkovich	Galbatorix
Djimon Hounsou	Ajihad
Sienna Guillory	Arya
Robert Carlyle	Durza
Garrett Hedlund	Murtagh
Gary Lewis	Hrothgar
Alun Armstrong	Garrow
Joss Stone	Angela
Caroline Chikezie	Nasuada
Tamsin Egerton	Katrina (Cut in the final edit)
Rachel Weisz	Voice of Saphira
Ralph Brown	The Twins (Cut in the final edit)

[edit] Hungarian hired actors

• Ágnes Bánfalvy - Old Woman, Mother/Guardian of Elva
• Máté Haumann
• Matt Devere
• Richard Rifkin
• Michael Mehlman
• Tamás Deák
• Pál Makrai

[edit] Crew

Directed by
Stefen Fangmeier

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Christopher Paolini, novel
Peter Buchman, screenplay
Lawrence Konner
Mark Rosenthal

Produced by
John Davis
Wyck Godfrey

Original Music by
Patrick Doyle

Casting by
Mindy Marin

Costume Design by
Kym Barrett
Carlo Poggioli

Production Management
Gergö Balika, unit manager
Ravi Dube, unit manager
Vaclav Mottl, unit manager: Slovakia
Peter Seres, production manager: pre-production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Chasey, third assistant director
Bogi Móricz, second assistant director

Art Department
David J. Aldred, storyboard artist
Tracey Wilson, storyboard artist
Patrick Tatopoulos, dragon concept artist

Special Effects by
Kinga Baranyai, special effects buyer
Herbert Blank, special effects senior technician

Visual Effects by
Natalie Lovatt, visual effects assistant coordinator
Glenn Marsh, visual effects modeler
Scott McGinley, previsualization artist
Karen M. Murphy, visual effects

Other crew
Csaba Bagossy, production assistant
Giovanni Casalnuovo, assistant costume designer
Mel Churcher, acting coach
Geoff Freeman, unit publicist
Tamás Kertész, extras casting
Billy Merrell, truck driver
Steve Mortimore, unit location manager
Emoke Vagasi, assistant: Stefen Fangmeier

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• Official movie website
• Eragon at IMDb

• Alagaesia.com, the official book site
• Shurtugal.com - Fan site USA
• Eragon1.net - Fan site CZ/SK
• Shadeslayer.com - Fan site USA
• Eragons.com - Fan site spain
• Saphira.pl - Fan site PL
• Eragon.atw.hu - Fan site HU