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"ERAGON" (2006) (Edward Speleers, Jeremy Irons) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons None Moderate Extreme *Moderate Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild Minor Moderate None None Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Minor None Moderate Moderate *Extreme QUICK TAKE: Action/Adventure: Accompanied by his new loyal dragon and a former dragon rider, a farm boy sets out to assist a band of rebels in their quest to overthrow the evil king and his demonic wizard. PLOT: The land of Alagaësia was once protected and served by dragon riders, but since one turned against and killed the others, things haven't been the same. Through his right-hand enforcer, the evil sorcerer Durza (ROBERT CARLYLE), King Galbatorix (JOHN MALKOVICH) rules with an iron fist, and his soldiers inspire fear among the masses. All of that's led to a guerilla rebel force, the Vardan, led by Ajihad (DJIMON HOUNSOU) and Princess Arya (SIENNA GUILLORY), the latter of whom has stolen an important stone from the King. When confronted by Durza, she uses magic to make it disappear, resulting in her imprisonment and torture to try to force her to reveal its whereabouts Unbeknownst to any of the King's men, it's ended up in the possession of Eragon (EDWARD SPELEERS), a 17-year-old farm boy who lives with his uncle and cousin. A bit full of himself and his unproven abilities, he's entranced by tales of the days of old told by village storyteller Brom (JEREMY IRONS). Accordingly, Eragon is pleased when the stone turns out to be an egg from which hatches a baby dragon. Having successfully hidden her from others, the dragon quickly grows up into Saphira (voice of RACHEL WEISZ) who informs Aragon -- via mental telepathy -- that he's to be her dragon rider. When Brom learns of this, he sets out to teach the boy about the ways of such a life, including that his newfound magical powers - transferred to him from Saphira -- can be both useful and dangerous. Learning of the rebel forces and soon joined by rogue loner Murtagh (GARRETT HEDLUND), Aragon rides off on Saphira in hopes of rescuing Arya and joining the rebellion in efforts to overthrow the King and his evil, totalitarian regime. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of the book or fantasy style stories featuring dragons and such, they probably will. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For fantasy violence, intense battle sequences and some frightening images. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: EDWARD SPELEERS plays a farm boy whose life is changed forever when he's teamed up with Saphira as the lone dragon rider who might be able to stop the King and his minions. He kills various bad guys and uses magic (tapped from Saphira) to protect himself and others. JEREMY IRONS plays a former dragon rider who overcomes his past guilt to teach and guide Eragon about the ways of being a dragon rider and what will be required to overthrow the King. SIENNA GUILLORY plays a rebel princess who Eragon must rescue. JOHN MALKOVICH plays the corrupt King who previously slew all of the dragons and their riders and now wants to do the same to Eragon and Saphira. ROBERT CARLYLE plays his right-hand man, a dark wizard who summons demonic magic to try to kill Eragon and his dragon. GARRETT HEDLUND plays a roguish young man who joins forces with Eragon and saves his life. DJIMON HOUNSOU plays the leader of the rebels who want to overthrow the king. SAPHIRA is the wise and loyal dragon who becomes Eragon's companion with whom she can communicate telepathically. She takes him into battle and will do anything to protect him, but must obey his orders. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this fantasy adventure film. Violence consists of all sorts of battle scenes and other fighting, resulting in many deaths. While not overly graphic in terms of realism (although some bloody results are present), the material is plentiful and, along with various scenes of peril and some potentially disturbing visuals (undead warriors with maggots crawling all over their faces, a demonic wizard, etc.), may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers. Some of that fighting and others stunts may be enticing for some kids to imitate, while all of the villains have bad attitudes. There's talk of past familial deaths and abandonment, while the main character's father figure uncle is killed off camera. Finally, a male teen is briefly seen shirtless and a young woman wears body molded tops that show the shape of her bosom. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, there's some flicker from flames. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, at various times we see point of view scenes showing flying that might induce that sort of reaction in sensitive viewers. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE None. BLOOD/GORE A person has a little blood on their chest during a battle. We see various dead animals strung up in the village (rabbits and some fowl, but no blood is seen on them). Eragon has a new circular scar on his palm related to Saphira. Durza summons some sort of dead warriors whose skin appears to be crawling with maggots or something similar. Brom fights an undead warrior (sword vs. daggers), ending when he drives his sword down into the creature's chest, killing and causing it to dissolve rapidly. After a brief fight, Eragon has a little bit of blood on his head and neck. At various points in the film, we see the maggot-crawling faces of undead warriors. Upset at a subordinate disappointing him, Durza holds one finger to the man's head, causing blood to run out and the man to collapse to the floor dead. Durza places one sharp fingernail to Arya's upper chest, causing some sort of black stain to spread there (a spell). We see a small, blood-soaked section on Brom's shirt. A single drop of blood runs down Durza's finger to a fire as he casts a spell. Reminded that his father was a traitor, Murtagh states that he hated that man until the day he died, adding that the only thing his father gave him was a scar on his torso (we briefly see that scar). Durza's face has various scars and cuts on it, including large cracks in his lips around his blackened mouth (giving him a demonic look). During a battle, Ajihad has a little bit of blood on his chest. Saphira has some blood on the armor covering her neck after having been bitten there by a demon dragon. Many dead (but not bloody) men are seen on a battlefield following a large battle. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Those opposed to the use of magic should note that occurs in this film. King Galbatorix rules in a totalitarian fashion, using the evil wizard Durza as his enforcer, with both wanting to kill Eragon and Saphira, as well as the rebels, employing various soldiers and warriors to do their evil bidding. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gore" and "Jump Scenes" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material, but probably not as much, if at all, to older viewers. Durza causes a large fire to encircle Arya and he walks through it toward her (after the dragon egg she carries), but she uses her magic to transport it instantly to another location. He then appears to use his evil magic to cause her pain (and it appears that she dies, but we later see her alive). We see Eragon preparing to shoot a deer with an arrow (for hunting purposes) when the dragon egg magically appears before him in a bright flash of light. A soldier holds his sword on Brom who then pulls a knife, but does so to cut down a line of dead fowl that the soldier has stated they're taking. We hear sounds of some undead warriors roughing up a butcher. When Eragon (who's trying to see from outside the store) makes some noise, one comes out and stands on a table above him, but doesn't realize Eragon is hiding just below him. Saphira grabs Eragon and flies away, but he keeps slipping and can't hold on, nearly falling (those afraid of heights might not like such moments). We hear that Durza is a wizard filled with demonic spirits. Some kids might not like hearing that if the human rider is killed, their dragon automatically dies as well. A fortuneteller has milky looking eyes. Brom warns Eragon that spells can kill those who cast them. Those afraid of heights might not like the view over a sheer cliff, or Saphira flying Eragon down that and then through a slalom-type river canyon. Durza places one sharp fingernail to Arya's upper chest, causing some sort of black stain to spread there (a spell). Spoiler Alert: A major character later dies from the injuries he receives. We see many of the king's soldiers approaching the Vardan stronghold. King Galbatorix gives the order to leave no one alive. Durza's face has various scars and cuts on it, including large cracks in his lips around his blackened mouth (giving him a demonic look). Durza rides a "dark magic" dragon that's monstrous in appearance (evil eyes, a huge mouth with sharp teeth) and which battles Saphira and Eragon. The demon dragon eventually bites down onto Saphira's armor-covered neck and head, with Eragon stabbing that magical beast with his sword to make it let go. Durza then shoots fireballs at them, but Eragon has Saphira fling him at Durza, allowing him to stab Durza in the chest with his sword (causing Durza to dissolve quickly). Eragon then free falls toward the ground, but Saphira catches him, although both then make a hard crash landing onto the ground. Spoiler Alert: Some kids may worry that Saphira dies (it appears she does), but we later see her alive and all is well. GUNS/WEAPONS Swords/Spears/Daggers/Arrows: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound, or kill others. See "Violence" for details. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "You fight like an old goat," "Fool" and "You stupid boy." All of the fighting and other stunts may be enticing for some kids to imitate. A fortuneteller has a pierced nostril. JUMP SCENES Brom suddenly surprises Eragon in his place, yelling, "Get out!" A big guy suddenly grabs Eragon by the throat. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A moderate amount of dramatic and suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY None. SEX/NUDITY We briefly see Eragon shirtless as he gets dressed (a young woman walks in and sees him that way, but nothing else happens). Arya wears some formfitting, metal (or otherwise hard) tops that have the shape of her bosom molded into them. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES A villager is upset when soldiers take away his sons. We see that Eragon lives with his uncle and hear that the teen's mother abandoned him in the past for reasons unknown. Eragon discovers that his father figure uncle has been killed, and then covers him with a blanket. When he says he won't leave until his uncle is buried, Brom (needing to hurry them along to safety) takes a torch and lights the blanket and material around it, creating something of a funeral pyre (we don't see the body on fire). That's it for the viewed grieving. A character states his family was slaughtered when he was a boy. Reminded that his father was a traitor, Murtagh states that he hated that man until the day he died, adding that the only thing his father gave him was a scar on his torso. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT How the film resembles various fantasy style pictures that preceded it. We see that Eragon lives with his uncle and hear that the teen's mother abandoned him in the past for reasons unknown. The comment that it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Magic. Dragons in fiction. Commenting on legends, Eragon states that people will believe about anything. VIOLENCE The material listed here is portrayed in a fantasy fashion rather than as graphic realism (thus while many people are killed, the wounds and blows are not as graphic or intense as what would normally be found in an R-rated film). We see a flashback to one dragon and his rider attacking others (with flames and other physical contact, and it's noted he killed all of the rest of them). We then see some human on human, hand to hand combat occurs on the ground, where various people are struck, including one who's stabbed in the chest (with a little bit of bloody results). Arrows strike two men on horseback, knocking them to the ground, while one man jumps on Arya, also knocking her from her ride. Durza causes a large fire to encircle Arya and he walks through it toward her (after the dragon egg she carries), but she uses her magic to transport it instantly to another location. He then appears to use his evil magic to cause her pain (and it appears that she dies, but we later see her alive). A soldier holds his sword on Brom who then pulls a knife, but does so to cut down a line of dead fowl that the soldier has stated they're taking. Eragon and his cousin do some playful battling in a barn (with non-weapons posing as the real thing, but neither is harmed). Durza causes Arya more pain. Baby Saphira hops out of our view, we hear a small animal squeal, and then see Saphira finishing swallowing a rat whole (the tail goes down). We hear sounds of some undead warriors roughing up a butcher. When Eragon (who's trying to see from outside the store) makes some noise, one comes out and stands on a table above him, but doesn't realize Eragon is hiding just below him. Eragon discovers that his uncle has been killed (off camera). Durza slams the handle end of a sword or spear down into a subordinates' foot (we don't see the impact) causing him pain. Eragon and Brom hear screaming from a distance and then see various men ransacking a convoy of some sort. Brom and Eragon spar with some sticks (standing in for swords) and there's some contact between them. A big guy grabs Eragon by the throat, followed by Brom hitting or stabbing that man in the back to make him let go. Brom then fights others with his sword, while Eragon fires an arrow into one of them. Another then grabs Eragon's foot and he shoots an arrow that appears to kill many with its resultant magic-based explosion. An undead warrior knocks Eragon off Saphira in flight, causing Saphira to crash-land and be injured. Eragon then uses magic to cause a tree branch to grab the warrior around the neck like a noose and hang him dead. Brom then fights another undead warrior (sword vs. daggers), ending when he drives his sword down into the creature's chest, killing and causing it to dissolve rapidly. Upset at a subordinate disappointing him, Durza holds one finger to the man's head, causing blood to run out and the man to collapse to the floor dead. Eragon tries to rescue Arya, but encounters Durza. Eragon then attempts to stab Durza who disappears and then reappears, using his magic to send various axes flying through the air at him. Durza then does the same with a spear, but Brom dives in the way and is hit in the chest, saving Eragon's life. Eragon then tries to hit Durza with a sword but the latter blocks it away. Eragon then fires an arrow into Durza's head, seemingly killing him (but Brom later tells him only a blow to the heart will do the trick). Saphira then comes crashing through the stone roof, causing large pieces to fall on the guards below. Eragon then battles various guards with his sword, while Murtagh fires arrows into various guards from above. As they then escape on Saphira, various arrows are fired at them, but miss. Murtagh stabs and kills a warrior who jumps down toward him. A warrior attacks two men, including grabbing one by the throat. We see a great deal of hand-to-hand combat during a large-scale battle. During this, Saphira blasts many of the enemy with her flames, leaving one man on fire. Murtagh battles him and others. Durza causes a large explosion on some sort of large structure, presumably wounding or killing those on it. Durza rides a "dark magic" dragon that's monstrous in appearance (evil eyes, a huge mouth with sharp teeth) and which battles Saphira and Eragon. The demon dragon eventually bites down onto Saphira's armor-covered neck and head, with Eragon stabbing that magical beast with his sword to make it let go. Durza then shoots fireballs at them, but Eragon has Saphira fling him at Durza, allowing him to stab Durza in the chest with his sword (causing Durza to dissolve quickly). Eragon then free falls toward the ground, but Saphira catches him, although both then make a hard crash landing onto the ground. Reviewed December 12, 2006 / Posted December 15, 2006

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