# I went and saw Eragon. Read this before you do. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 16, 2006, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377 "2006-12-16T05:42:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/1 "2006-12-16T05:42:50Z")
I’m telling you. If you get the chance to see this movie Don’t OMG. I have never seen such a poorly constructed movie in my life. I’ve never read the books, thank god. It was obvious that if you had read the book and liked it, this would have pissed you off even more. Character development was non-existant. The plot was jumpy and uninteresting. The storyline was undeveloped and it just plane blew. And that’s for someone who has never read the book. If you had read the book, you would have noticed a few diferences. Specifically, EVERYTHING. They left almost nothing the same from the book to the movie. Seriously, almost nothing was the same. Many of the characters were left out and the ones who were left in were basically different characters than in their book form. It just… blew ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/2 "2006-12-16T05:58:42Z")
Not that I doubt your evaluation of the quality of the movie, but how do you know they changed so much from the books if you’ve never read the books? ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/3 "2006-12-16T06:03:36Z")
So another fantasy film with Jeremy Irons that sucks huge lead hippo balls, then? Man, that guy is fantasy poison. ---
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/4 "2006-12-16T06:06:11Z")
I saw it with some people who had read the book, one who in anticipation of the movie, read the whole book in one day, and that is all that they talke about on the ride home. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/5 "2006-12-16T06:08:51Z")
From the ads I’ve seen, it looks like the kind of thing I might watch if it happened to be on when I was less than sober and/or battling insomnia… ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/6 "2006-12-16T06:21:21Z")
I have to agree with the blow-i-ness. In addition to no character developement, and a crazy-jumpy plot, the dialogue was complete shite. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/7 "2006-12-16T06:38:11Z")
Gosh, cracking open the book almost seems worth it so I could join in these threads in a more meaningful way! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/8 "2006-12-16T07:27:48Z")
The book was fantastic considering the age of the author. But if it had been wirtten by a 40yo, it never would have made it on the market- it’s OK, with much dreck and flashes of brilliance. The kid has great potential. Tell me, Oh **OP** - is it as bad as the D&D movie? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/9 "2006-12-16T07:49:32Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Tell me, Oh **OP** - is it as bad as the D&D movie? [/QUOTE] I wouldn’t say it’s that bad. ---
**Author:** ![Einmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/10 "2006-12-16T08:17:39Z")
I don’t know if it’s OK to link to here, but if you google it you’ll find it: the reviewer on aintitcool said his 11 year old son cried on the way home because “they made a mockery of it”. I read the book some time ago but haven’t seen the movie…but this thread could explain why everytime I see the trailer I keep saying “I don’t remember that from the book”. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/11 "2006-12-16T13:00:48Z")
The [review](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/reviews.html?in_article_id=422856&in_page_id=1924) in yesterday’s Daily Mail was hilarious. > [@Daily Mail](#): > > The only entertainment value lies in watching Malkovich, Irons and Carlyle compete to give the worst performance of 2006. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/12 "2006-12-16T14:11:32Z")
A Tomatometer rating of 16% was enough to keep me away to begin with, but I’m glad for a review or two here. Sometimes the aggregate reviewers and I don’t agree, but these reviews here are even more helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/13 "2006-12-16T14:33:21Z")
I thought the Dungeons and Dragons movie was pretty fun. Awful of course. But you could tell that Jeremy Irons knew it was awful, and was having fun with it. So it was a hoot to watch him at least. 🙂 I would suspect that that’s why he decided to do this one as well. He probably had a blast. ---
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/14 "2006-12-16T14:38:45Z")
[QUOTE=Einmon] I don’t know if it’s OK to link to here, but if you google it you’ll find it: the reviewer on aintitcool said his 11 year old son cried on the way home because “they made a mockery of it”. I read the book some time ago but haven’t seen the movie…but this thread could explain why everytime I see the trailer I keep saying “I don’t remember that from the book”. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I got alot of that from my friends. They said that it was such a great book that to have it portrayed in such a shitty way made them sick to their stomachs. ---
**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/15 "2006-12-16T14:44:52Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] The [review](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/reviews.html?in_article_id=422856&in_page_id=1924) in yesterday’s Daily Mail was hilarious. [/QUOTE] Fun review. I especially liked the reference to, “national elf service.” ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/16 "2006-12-16T14:47:22Z")
> [@](#): > > I went and saw Eragon. Read this before you do. > > I’m telling you. If you get the chance to see this movie > > Don’t > > OMG. I have never seen such a poorly constructed movie in my life… Oh, come on. Can’t you just lighten up and ENJOY a movie? Stop being so damn picky. :rolleyes: 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/17 "2006-12-16T16:31:13Z")
I’m going to go see it this afternoon with my son. If nothing else, it’ll give us something to make fun of. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/18 "2006-12-16T19:11:53Z")
I hope this isn’t the death knell of the Short Happy Period of fantasy films which has run for 5 years now (since the release of the 1st LOTR film). There is some other stuff out there waiting in the wings to get made (most notably for me an _Elric_ movie-see [HERE](http://www.multiverse.org/fora/forumdisplay.php?f=24)). I’d hate to see any of these future projects get junked because this one tanks badly. Tho I suspect it will clear $25 million this weekend, but then drop fast. Remember all the horrible “SF” movies which came out in the wake of _Star Wars_? We might be in for another batch of more of the same, except in terms of fantasy. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/19 "2006-12-16T19:36:02Z")
No one could tell from the trailers this movie is going to suck? John DiFool is right. I could tell in 30 sec this was another LOTR wannabe with crappy acting, crappy CGI and no story to speak of. ---
**Author:** ![AThingWithFeathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@AThingWithFeathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AThingWithFeathers)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377/20 "2006-12-16T21:05:47Z")
I don’t think Eragon was a great book in the first place; I read it when it first came out and thought it was chalky, poorly foreshadowed, way too LOTR derivative, and for an LOTR derivative work, his battle scenes were lacking. Plus, nearly all books are better than the movies that are made after them. I also echo the sentiment that the trailer looks boring. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-eragon-read-this-before-you-do/384377.md?page=2)