Eragon: Movie VS. Book

[xXxPrincess AryaxXx]

I have typed this out a thousand and one times now, lol! The movie would of been great if it wasn't based of a book. Anyways compared to the book it SUCKED BIG TIME!!! I miss Katrina, the twins, The Criple Who Is Whole, the Dwarf King, Arya's real personality, etc. Those are just a few things I hated about the movie.  

[Dodger Gunning]

I'm going to get lynched, I'm sure, but here goes.

I found the book itself disappointing. It reminded me of something spat out by one of those online generators. There wasn't too much originality in it; much of it seemed very cliché. The book had a great deal of praise directed at it, so I expected something fantastic. I also read it after seeing the movie, but it didn't change my opinion of the movie.

I liked the movie's special effects, especially Saphira's design. That was quite a gamble on the SFX department's part, giving her feathers. While her design had elements commonly found among Internet fantasy artists such as Hibbary, they were elements never before used in a film because films are meant to reach a wider group of people, and most people would balk at the idea of a lean, feathery dragon. I agree that it seemed to be trying a bit too much to be epic and reach the sort of vastness seen in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

I never expect movies to match their respective books very closely. From my experience, the closest matches I've seen have been the Lord of the Rings trilogy; The Stand, a made-for-TV mini-series movie, which was likely the only way to treat such a massive book; and The Silence of the Lambs, in part due to the wonderful casting. After seeing Eragon, I didn't expect the book to much resemble it, but I was shocked at the massive amounts of storyline hacked out for the movie.

My opinions of the book and accompanying film aren't an option on this thread's poll. I'm disappointed in you, t3hcoo3st.  

[ShadowHybrid_2006]

I can honestly say that I loved reading the book. I read it twice, for crying out loud, it was so good! When I heard that there was a movie, I got really psyched! I was soo excited I begged my boyfriend to take me to see it! As we sat in the movie theater... it didn't start out so bad, but then as it went along... it got soo much worse. Saphira grew up way too fast, she didn't sound or look the way I had imagined her in the book. I expected something more like those large, more magnificent dragons. There were so many parts missing from the book in the movie that it didn't even seem like the same story. About half of the theater go up and left, leaving a total of four or five people... how sad is that?  

[MyOwnBestCritic]

You didn't put an option in the poll for "I hated both." Seriously, the book was just some guy trying to copy Tolkien, and the movie was inconsistent with the book, although some of the effects were OK. Overall, I give the book a 1 and the movie a 2.

I would go into massive detail of what exactly I don't like, but that would only get me flamed more. Suffice to say, my opinion of both wasn't very high.  

[Hyperiona]

The book was incredibly awesome, although it took me a whille to get past the begginning, then I couldn't put the book down. :3

I left the movie theater about 45minutes into the movie.
So I don't know exactly how much the cut out and maimed.
That's how bad I thought it was.

All I have to say is that I don't think they will ever make Eldest into a movie.
Those who have only seen the movie would have no idea what's going on the the second one, whille those of us who have read would be marching to Hollywood and protesting very loudly- i suppose, or we could just send tons of "majorly dislike-mail"

I want the third book to come out!  

[Rhaegar14]

As just a movie, it was OK but as a movie based off a book it was absolutely awful. When my family and I walked out of the theatre I wanted to cry. Zar'roc still looked cool though (have a replica on the wall in my room). And what was with the Ra'zac dying?? What The F---! With the Ra'zac dead, I don't see how they're going to do the Roran side plot in Eldest. I liked Saphira for the most part, except for the aging, and she had feathered wings. Where did they ever get the idea to give her feathered wings?? Lastly, the movie was pretty much Star Wars wearing a dragonrider costume. In general, I think Paolini-I love him to death but I still feel this way-was seeing dollar signs, not really caring so much about the movie doing justice to the book. But there's still hope. It took Hollywood four times to get Lord of the Rings right. The books are awesome though. When is he going to get the third book out??

P.S. I listed, in my opinion, the most major differences, there were a lot more I didn't touch on.  

[purple shadow angel]

MyOwnBestCritic

You didn't put an option in the poll for "I hated both." Seriously, the book was just some guy trying to copy Tolkien, and the movie was inconsistent with the book, although some of the effects were OK. Overall, I give the book a 1 and the movie a 2.

I would go into massive detail of what exactly I don't like, but that would only get me flamed more. Suffice to say, my opinion of both wasn't very high.

What the hell is your problem? I'm sorry but, honestly, how could you rate the movie higher then the book? The book was amazing and the movie was made as if it was for little kids. The movie sucked. I realise that everybody has a right to their own opinion but your opinion is just plain wrong. I have strong opinions, and when it comes to books and movies, I am very outspoken. So I proceed, the movie was for immature people that are fake or are not yet old enough to realise what fake is. The acting wasn't even very good. In some scenes, the main actor overacted. It was a dumb movie with no substance and I am insulted that you would say that it is better then a book that I consider to be very good.  

[Galad Aglaron]

First - The book was hideous. It was a pastiche of generic fantasy elements stolen from the Lord of the Rings, Pern, Earthsea and Wheel of Time, shoehorned into the Star Wars plot. It is mediocre at best, blatant plagiarism and intellectual theft at worst. And it's not even really literature; more like published fanfiction. And only published because his parents own a publishing house.

Secondly - The movie was worse. Watching it gave me an urge to break something. That is all.

And third... Paolini's an arrogant, jumped-up belbun who can't write for toffee apples. He wrote his first book at fifteen, wow, he's a prodigy(!). After a few years, he feels sufficiently puffed-up enough to talk down to Joanne Rowling, saying how it's been "a pleasure to see her develop as a writer", like he's her teacher or something!  

[Galad Aglaron]

And there's no option for "Hated the movie, hated the book" in your poll! stressed  

[Guttergoo]

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I couldn't stand the book, and I have absolutely no desire to see the movie. The fact a few of my friends like both is slightly disappointing. ==;

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[MyOwnBestCritic]

purple shadow angel

MyOwnBestCritic

You didn't put an option in the poll for "I hated both." Seriously, the book was just some guy trying to copy Tolkien, and the movie was inconsistent with the book, although some of the effects were OK. Overall, I give the book a 1 and the movie a 2.

I would go into massive detail of what exactly I don't like, but that would only get me flamed more. Suffice to say, my opinion of both wasn't very high.

What the hell is your problem? I'm sorry but, honestly, how could you rate the movie higher then the book? The book was amazing and the movie was made as if it was for little kids. The movie sucked. I realise that everybody has a right to their own opinion but your opinion is just plain wrong. I have strong opinions, and when it comes to books and movies, I am very outspoken. So I proceed, the movie was for immature people that are fake or are not yet old enough to realise what fake is. The acting wasn't even very good. In some scenes, the main actor overacted. It was a dumb movie with no substance and I am insulted that you would say that it is better then a book that I consider to be very good.

I hated the book that much. Sure, it's excellent if it's your first exploration into fantasy, but if you've read others it's just more of the same thing. I get increasingly tired of cliché according to an exponential formula:

"f(x)=x^4-2z-3w"
Where "f(x)" is my dissatisfaction with the book, "x" is the number of times I've read something similar, "z" is the correction for slight variations of originality, and "w" is the correction for writing style. As you can see, even with extra touches of originality and excellent writing style, if I've read something similar even five times previous, I will not like the book. (I'm a mathematics major, by the way. Can you tell? -sheepish grin-)

The movie got one extra point because of the CGs and the soundtrack. -shrug- The plot absolutely mangled the book and made no sense whatsoever; it was one of the worst monstrosities I've seen yet. However, there are some things you just can't do with the written word. I still hated the movie, by the way. You can't say I loved it. I just... hated it less than the book.

Please don't flame me. crying There is an explanation to everything.  

[Nicholas Kaze]

I hereby begin a petition for Hollywood to re-make Eragon, and for them to do it PROPERLY this time.  

[Lyonette]

I totally agree with you Blessed Mistress! They hardly followed the book at all, and they took out some of the best parts. Brom's death was an integral part of the plot development, and they completely messed with it! They didn't even include Saphira's magic over his tomb!  

[Bewk Was Found]

The movie made me cry inside.