I watched Eragon today. I have heard from people who have read the novel that the movie was a major disappointment. Thus, I decided to see the movie and then read the book.

My main complaint with the movie was that it tried to cram too much background information into the first part of the movie. This leads to a slow start. I think it would have been much better to begin with the actual movie story and backfill whatever background is necessary through the story and the dialogue.

I enjoyed the movie. However, I do think the plot followed well worn themes in fantasy literature without really adding new. At one point in time, English literature consistently portrayed dragons as evil, owing in large part to Genesis and Revelation in the Bible. Showing Dragons as good instead of evil was a fresh idea in English fantasy literature at one point in time. That time is long past. I suspect that the abundance of good dragons in current fantasy literature derives from far eastern culture. However it got its start, it is no longer a source of freshness in a novel. Even the concept of a dragon rider is well worn. Anne McCaffrey has explored this theme in depth in her Pern series of novels. The basic plot is very a traditional heroic fantasy. A youth must save the world from evil by engaging in a quest. This theme runs throughout the genre from Sir Galahad to Luke Skywalker.

Although the plot is somewhat formulaic and simplistic, the movie worked well. After the beginning, the pacing kept the show moving. The characters were fun. The main character showed flaws that made the story line more believable. The special effects were good, if not spectacular. The movie is not in a class with Lord of the Rings but was still entertaining. I look forward to reading the novel for comparison.