Eragon DVD Review

I’m not sure whether we should thank Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings for the revival of science fiction, fantasy and all things geeky. Whatever phenomenon was the reason, there are always bound to be a number of films attempting to cash in on the excitement in the genre. It was prime time for Chronicles of Narnia to be made and that further fueled another adaptation with Eragon. These films each have their own individual mythology included, and each must give the back-story near the beginning of the film. Star Wars used scrolling text and Eragon uses voiceover, but what is important is what is said.

Eragon takes place in a time just after all dragon riders had been destroyed by one of their own. Dragon riders included the dragon and the man that rode the dragon, and they kept everything peaceful until the betrayal by a rider named Morzan hired by the king (John Malkovitch). There are no more dragons until one night when a young woman escapes with a stone belonging to the king.

The stone is transported by the woman mid-chase and ends up appearing in front of Eragon, a young village boy hunting. Eragon takes the stone home, even trying to sell it along the way, but in the end the stone hatches in his home. The dragon inside is instantly linked to Eragon, a fact which is somehow known by all of the old dragon riders. Eragon’s dragon is named Saphira, and she ages drastically fast during mid-flight but afterwards has the ability to communicate with Eragon through thought. Eragon and Saphira are quickly hunted by the evil king, so they must flee with the help of Brom (Jeremy Irons), and mysteriously knowledgeable stranger from the village.

As complicated as the plot makes the set-up for the film, there isn’t much worth remembering in the plot after the film is done. There are some entertaining scenes, some quite thrilling as the dragon and her rider is put in peril time after time again. The dragon is important because, as in many of these films, it may be the last of its kind. There are some compelling scenes in a film littered with great actors in unbelievably mediocre roles. Malkovitch is wasted, but this is due to how small his role is in comparison to the film, but Jeremy Irons brings out the best in the text, making each scene engaging. Overall it is an average fantasy film during a time when fantasy and spectacle are seeing a rise in popularity.

Eragon is available in both single disc and two-disc special edition, with tons more special features showing the technical side of the magical film. There are also special features digging deeper into the mythology behind the film, for anyone who must know more. Director Stefen Fangmeier has a commentary track on the first disc, but it is the second disc with the treasure of special features. There are featurettes about The Inheritance Trilogy the novels the film was based off of as well as plenty of special effects featurettes and an in-depth guide to the characters. There are also seven extended/deleted scenes and an interview with the author who gives hints as to the conclusion of the book series.