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Parents' Guide to

Eragon

By Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Dragon fantasy falls flat, but kids won't care.

Movie PG 2006 104 minutes
Eragon Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 12 parent reviews

J M.
J M. Parent of 8-year-old
December 18, 2022
age 8+

You should read the book before watching the movie.

I read the book and it was great. They left out a lot of parts that I felt were very important. There were too many flashing lights. I had to close my eyes more than once because it was too bright. I feel like the best part was when Saphira hatched out of her egg.

This title has:

Too much violence
jamesmazzarisi
jamesmazzarisi Adult
July 7, 2022
age 13+

Eragon Review

Eragon is an underrated fantasy trip with it’s fantastic story, cool props, and pretty beautiful music.
See all 12 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When Eragon (Edward Speleers) goes hunting in the forest, he discovers a glowing blue stone. Little does he know that it's a dragon egg, and that the beast about to hatch has selected him (and only him) to be her rider. He meets a wise former rider named Brom (Jeremy Irons) and helps regain the kingdom of Alagaesia from the gnarly, paranoid, seldom-seen King Galbatorix (John Malkovich).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (12 ):
Kids say (63 ):

For a movie about flying dragons, ERAGON is disappointingly flatfooted. With plot points borrowed from a range of other movies -- whether great like Star Wars or dismal like Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker -- it tells the tale of an ordinary-seeming boy, Eragon, who's destined for great things.

It's hardly a good sign that much of the back story must be narrated (by Irons) before the movie really begins. The unnecessarily talky set-up names some of the different types of creatures in Alagaësia (bad Urgels and Ra'zac, mostly good humans), then goes on to describe Eragon's reactions and feelings, even when you can see them yourself. At 17, he's not exactly a child, but he still grows up quickly under the auspices of Obi-Wan-like Brom and flying, fire-breathing, cranky dragon Saphira (voiced somewhat stiffly by Rachel Weisz). Their approaches to his education are different, but both intend to get him ready to reintroduce the grandeur of the dragon riders back into current lore.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the movie differs from the book. What worked better in the book and what in the movie? Why?

  • Those who didn't read the story might talk about Eragon's response to being "chosen" by the dragon.

  • Why are dragons such fascinating creatures in fiction and legends?

  • Families can also talk about the movie's similarities to (and differences from) other fantasy and sci-fi classics, like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. What elements of Eragon's story are unique? Which ones have you seen before?

Movie Details

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