Eragon (2006)
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A farm boy discovers a dragon egg and must navigate a world of magic and rebellion to protect it.
The story
In the land of Alagaësia, the tyrannical Galbatorix rules with an iron fist after destroying the order of Dragon Riders. When Arya, an elven princess, flees with a mysterious stone, it appears to a farm boy named Eragon. The stone hatches into a blue dragon, and Eragon becomes its rider, gaining a magical mark. As he shelters the dragon, Saphira, and learns to fly, they are hunted by Galbatorix's minions. Guided by Brom, a former rider, Eragon must learn to control his burgeoning magic and prepare for a dangerous path toward future battles to oppose the dark sorcerer Durza.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Eons ago, the Dragon Riders were destroyed by the traitor Galbatorix, who now rules Alagaësia. Arya, an elven princess, flees with a magical stone, which Eragon, a farm boy, finds and discovers is a dragon egg. The egg hatches into a blue dragon named Saphira, and Eragon becomes her rider, marked by magic. After the Ra'zac kill Eragon's uncle, Brom—a former rider—takes Eragon to the Varden rebels. Eragon trains in sword-fighting and magic, eventually learning to bond his powers with Saphira. Durza, a dark sorcerer, lures Eragon into a trap using Arya as bait. During the confrontation, Brom is mortally wounded and dies while flying on Saphira. Eragon takes Brom's sword, Zar'roc, and meets Murtagh, the son of the traitor Morzan. They reach the Varden, where Murtagh is imprisoned. When Galbatorix's forces attack, Eragon, Saphira, and Arya join the battle. Murtagh assists the Varden, and Eragon duels Durza in the sky, eventually killing him but leaving Saphira heavily injured. Eragon heals her with magic. The next morning, they part ways as Arya heads to lead the elves in war, while Galbatorix reveals his pitch-black dragon, Shruikan.
- First release year
- 2006
- Runtime (minutes)
- 103
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Stefen Fangmeier
- Writers
- Peter Buchman · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Ed Speleers · Eragon; Jeremy Irons · Brom; Sienna Guillory · Arya; Robert Carlyle · Durza; Djimon Hounsou · Ajihad; Garrett Hedlund · Murtagh; Joss Stone · Angela; John Malkovich · Galbatorix
- Genres
- fantasy adventure; coming-of-age
- Themes
- Destiny; Good vs. Evil; Coming of Age
- Tone and mood
- Epic; Serious; Adventurous
- Setting
- The land of Alagaësia during a period of tyranny under Galbatorix.
- Premise and plot tags
- Fantasy; Dragon Rider; Magic; Quest
- Source material / true-story basis
- Christopher Paolini's 2002 novel of the same name
- Franchise connections
- The Inheritance Cycle
- Reception
- The film received widespread negative reviews from critics and book fans, who criticized its acting, screenplay, visuals and unfaithfulness to the source material, though its CGI and the performances of Speleers and Irons were praised by a few critics.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 38 · scale: 100 · review count: 29
- Awards and nominations
- Best Fantasy Film · Nominated · 33rd · Nominated; Best Performance by a Younger Actor - Edward Speleers · Nominated · 33rd · Nominated; Excellence in Costume Design for Film (Fantasy) · Nominated · 2006 · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was originally intended to be the first in a franchise, with plans to shoot both Eldest and Brisingr back-to-back.; The decision was made during production to add feathers to Saphira's wings, inspired by the Angel's wings in X-Men: The Last Stand.; Christopher Paolini, the author of the original novel, was unable to make a cameo appearance due to his European book tour.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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