Adapting movies from popular books is always dangerous as filmmakers struggle to appease passionate readers and at the same time appeal to a broad audience.

Holiday hits in 2005 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, prove the feat can be accomplished, something that the filmmakers behind Eragon looked to replicate when it was released for last year's holiday season.

Based on the 2003 best-selling novel written by then-teenager Christopher Paolini, this epic fantasy-adventure centers on a young man named Eragon whose destiny is revealed with the help of a dragon. Eragon, now a dragon rider, is swept into a world of magic and power, discovering that he alone has the power to save, or destroy, an empire.

The author began writing his fantasy novel Eragon at age 15 and published it at 18. That roughly represents the age range of those who will be interested in a film version of his story. The young author clearly had absorbed a number of fantasy works and European myths before creating his own timeless world, heroes, villains, magic, love, honor and destiny.

The movie takes great advantage of rugged locations in Hungary and Slovakia through which Eragon and Brom must travel to reach the Varden's mountain stronghold. But the centerpiece of the movie is, Saphira, a creature of sinuous strength and classical features of striking femininity. With Rachel Weisz giving voice to the dragon's inner thoughts, this allows for a certain flirtatiousness to exist between rider and beast.

Hollywood newcomer Edward Speleers acts as Eragon. "It's about the learning curve, the coming of age and portraying this character who is in this stage between manhood and boyhood," Speleers said about Eragon. "I tried to keep him nice, natural and earthy and take him from being a vulnerable, wide-eyed character to becoming a heroic figure." Preparing to get physically ready, the young actor said that about three weeks before production filmmakers had him in the gym over an hour every morning, two hours sword fighting afterwards, followed by two hours on a horse, another two hours archery and three hours acting classes every day.

Its first-time director, Stefen Fangmeier, is an Oscar-nominated special-effects whiz (Twister, The Perfect Storm) and the visuals are imaginative, especially its signature effect of a boy soaring through the sky on a dragon's back.

The dragon itself is a magnificent creation. Created by Industrial Light and Magic (Star Wars) and WETA Digital (Lord of the Rings), it is the undisputed star of the film.

Chen Nan

In English. Eragon opens on April 6 at cinemas citywide.

(China Daily 03/28/2007 page7)