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Saphira (voiced by Rachel Weisz) and her Dragon Rider

While some pre-teens and younger teens will be pleased enough with the adventure, Eragon mostly fails at all these things. Thrills are few and far between. The long speeches of gobbledygook aren't memorable, and the acting of lead Speleers is silly and consists almost entirely of opening his eyes really wide. Characters are wooden, two-dimensional and caricatured. This adventure just seems staged and sterile—not truly adventurous. There was a lot of scoffing, sighing and mocking in the audience when I saw the movie. And thematically, Eragon's weak messages are delivered primarily through clichéd sayings like "What someone is seeking is often right under his nose," "It's good to be brave, but better to be wise," and "It's better to ask forgiveness than permission."

Another old cliché that can be attached to the film? Instead of seeing Eragon, go rent the better, more worthwhile films it emulates. Or read the book.

1. When Eragon discovers that he's chosen because of what's in his heart, he mentions that his heart is not without fear. Do you think true heroes are really fearless? Is fear always negative? How can fear be a good thing? Another character says, "Without fear, you cannot have courage." What does that mean to you
2. How would you treat someone if you discovered their father was a known criminal? Would you be suspicious? Do they deserve to be punished as well? In the movie, a character says, "You can't choose who your father is." What do you think of that idea? Does a person's family reputation say anything about who they really are
3. What do you think about movies that use magic as a plot device? Read Deuteronomy 18:9-11. Is watching movie magic different than real-world magic? How? (Think also of movies like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.) In Eragon, are the supernatural powers used for good or for evil? Can you clearly tell good magic from bad magic? What rules or limits are placed on the magic of Eragon? Are there consequences from using it? What?

Eragon is rated PG for battle sequences and frightening moments. For PG, the movie is very violent and at times scary. A man sticks his pointy fingernail into a temple producing blood. There are many battles and sword fights. Magic and sorcery (mainly for evil) are depicted often. The hero also visits a fortuneteller who reads his future.

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After years and years of forgettable, corny, poorly written fantasy movies, Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films revealed just how powerful and profound that genre can be.

Now, Stefen Fangmeier's version of Eragon, the best seller penned by 17-year-old Christopher Paolini, is reminding everyone of just how clichéd and ridiculous fantasy movies can be.

Critics are trying to keep a straight face while John Malkovich growls dialogue that nobody should ever be forced to speak aloud … not even a villain. ("I suffer without my stone.")

Christopher Lyon (Plugged In) praises the animation, and then says, "It's in the overwrought script, choppy editing, low-budget sets and clumsy plotting that Eragon fails to take off. For starters, large chunks of the book are sacrificed to the film's 100-minute running time, leaving the final act, especially, vulnerable to a series of sudden character introductions and abrupt actions sequences. It's unclear, though, that more minutes would make for a more watchable film."

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