The success of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy opened the floodgates (or should that be The Gates Of Doom?) for all manner of epic fantasy yarns. Eragon is one such film, based on Christopher Paolini's popular novel and starring British newcomer Ed Speleers. Sadly it was mostly just "cheesy bluster", getting a thumbs-down from critics and punters. On DVD, it remains strictly for the kiddies.
Saddling Up
German helmer Stefen Fangmeier has a lot to say for himself in this two-disc Special Edition set. A six-part documentary follows his progress from the initial development stages to production in Eastern Europe. Initially, the suits at Fox wouldn't give him the greenlight until he'd finalised the design for Saphira (the dragon) and found the right actor to play the young hero Eragon. Of course Fangemeier eventually settled on Speleers who had the right "air of innocence" and horse riding skills to boot. He also shows us the evolution of Saphira and confesses to concerns that she looked "a little bat-like" in early sketches.
Having been a visual effects bod, Fangmeier had direct input in all design aspects. There is a more detailed look at his notes and drawings for Saphira in a separate section and, elsewhere, a presentation of storyboard animatics that helped him to realise the topography of Alagaësia where the story is set. A video showcase of illustrations complements these features in addition to the obligatory storyboard gallery. In case you wondered about the correct pronunciation of 'Alagaësia' there's a section for that too. And FYI, it's: "al-uh-GAY-zee-uh."
In the 'Making Of' documentary, Christopher Paolini reveals that al-uh-GAY-zee-uh is actually based on the mountainous surroundings of his hometown in the US state of Montana. A separate interview with the author (who, by the way, doesn't even look old enough to shave) is almost entirely geared around promoting the second book in the series. Apparently it's "more esoteric" than the first. But surely it couldn't be more esoteric than the first five minutes of Eragon! A proper investigation into the mythology of Alagaësia would have been helpful.
Blowing Hot Air
In his film commentary, Fangmeier reveals that the convoluted opening scenes were actually tacked on in post-production. The intention was to "draw people into the action" straightaway and he credits Steven Spielberg for giving him the notion. He doesn't admit that, in the end, this probably had the opposite effect on audiences. Later, he chats about working in locations across Hungary, Slovakia and Canada and gives us a little insight into the method (or madness) of John Malkovich. We're told that the actor's 'way in' to the villainous character of Galbatorix was a set of fake nails, which he bought and painted himself. Nice.
Fangmeier also provides commentary for seven deleted scenes. It's mostly 'character stuff' like establishing a flirtation between Eragon and the local butcher's daughter and his growing suspicions about Murtagh (Garrett Hedlund). In most cases, the director explains that these scenes were cut to "get to the battles quicker..." If you feel you don't know enough about the inner worlds of Eragon and co. there is a batch of character profiles narrated by Fangmeier. Finally, the visual effects crew reveal their contribution in a commentary for selected stripped-down scenes. In a sequence where Eragon rides the dragon, we see Speleers holding on for dear life, riding a hydraulic rig set against a green screen. A CG background of mountains and valleys is then added layer-by-layer.
In all, there's nothing on this DVD that you haven't seen better executed in other films, unless of course you're around 12-years-old and have grown out of watching Barney the Dinosaur. In that case, this one's for you!
EXTRA FEATURES
Eragon: Special Edition DVD is released on Monday 16th April 2007.
