Book-to-Movie Review 1

When Eragon came into theaters, I was excited about seeing it. I had read the book a few times, and being a big fan of dragons, I was optimistic. I was in the second row, watching the movie in our local theater on the second day of its premier. I thought that the beginning was good, but from there it went steadily downhill. Though I stayed for the whole movie, I was sorely tempted to leave about thirty minutes in, or at least through something at the screen.

Now I understand that they can’t always follow the book to the letter, because that would take too long, but with this movie, it was different. They took longer showing things completely different from the book, then showing what happened. The little stuff isn’t bad, but its the big stuff that gets me going. The way Sapphira grew up, or leaving conversations they had on the trip out is completely understandable due to the fact that it is time consumable. I can even forgive them having Marta’s scar in the wrong spot. But when Brom died, I officially became disgusted.

In the book, he dies, yes, but he dies by the Raz’zac, not from a spear cast through the air by the shade. He doesn’t even die in the same area on the map as that. Then there is the fact that the urgals look nothing like what the book portrays them as. Oh, I almost forgot this one. How Sapphira got her name. That was just ridiculous! The way that Eragon gets the name for her is one of the biggest hints that Brom was a dragon rider. Last but not least, lets not forget the battle between the urgals and the Var-den. First off, the movie had a glitchin it! If you watch, the armor they show for Sapphira as Eragon sees it for the first time is almost completely different then the armor she wore during the battle. Plus, the battle between Durza and Eragon is completely off basis. They left out of the the best parts. When Sapphira burst through the giant gem with her fire. If I am not mistaken, that is the first time she can sustain a flame. The final mistake they made is the way the ended the movie. Eragon heads off to the Elven forest, and Al-Ji-Had dies, and so does Murtagh. Or at least it looks like Murtagh does.

If you haven’t read the book, I suggest doing so. It might seem like a waste of effort, because it contradicts the movie, but it also gives you a better story. Personally, with the way the ended the first, I don’t see how the are going to make a movie on the second book in the series, but that is just me.