Date:15/04/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/04/15/stories/2007041514690200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

This fantasy does not take off

Eragon (English)

Cast: Ed Speleers, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Robert Carlyle

Director: Stefan Fangmeier

AFTER THE Perfect Stranger debacle, one would have thought Eragon, based on the then 15-year-old Christopher Paolini's fantasy novel, would be teeth-gnashing fun. Any film starring Jeremy Irons, Robert Carlyle and John Malkovich cannot be that bad. The debutante director, Stefan Fangmeier, has a solid special effects background including a couple of Oscar nominations.

There is the farm boy, Eragon, who does not know his origins or his destiny. There is the uncle who is cruelly killed. There is the wicked emperor ruling with a fist of iron and ghastly looking henchmen and a commander-in-chief who urgently needs to visit the dentist. There is the mystic mentor, rebels hanging out in the outskirts, princess in need of help and of course the cutest blue-eyed dragon.

Irons has fun as the mentor Brom, Malkovich is the wicked emperor and glowers meanly. Poor Carlyle — of the fright wig and terrible teeth, he is the emperor's wrecker in chief, who is shown the door in the end with a stake through his heart, which we are told is the right way to kill a "shade."

Rachel Weisz gives the dragon Saphira dulcet tones, which is one of the only nice things about the film.

Mini Anthikad-Chhibber