ith high production values, several esteemed actors, and stunning CGI, “Eragon” should have been the next “The Lord of the Rings.” But the rushed character development, lackluster screenplay, and a starkly plagiaristic plotline prevent it from even being comparable to the next Narnia entry. In concept and visualization, “Eragon’s” delusions of grandeur may not have been so farfetched (though it was based on a novel written by a teenager), but apparently something was lost in the translation to the screen (or the fanbase was unfamiliar with preexisting fantasy properties), as nothing about this picture contains any originality or excitement.

In a galaxy far, far away, a young farm boy (Ed Speleers in the title role) is granted mysterious powers to become the only hope left for a group of rebels to overthrow an evil emperor. When his uncle is killed by a dark lord’s troops, the young man flees his home and, with the aid of a wise old man who teaches him the ways of the abilities he has gained, attempts to rescue a princess from an enemy stronghold. When his mentor is slain in the ensuing fight, the young man continues recklessly onward to the hidden rebel base and, upon his arrival, joins forces with the underground fighters to fend off the dark lord’s army in a final, epic battle. Oh, wait … isn’t that the plot of “Star Wars”? Apparently, it’s “Eragon’s” plot too.

Strangely, with a runtime clocking in at well under two hours, “Eragon” could have used more scenes to beef up its character development and the establishment of its fantasy universe. Everything happens in the blink of an eye; a peon becomes a hero, a princess is rescued, a wicked sorcerer is vanquished, and a baby dragon becomes a full grown dragon in, well … actually, that does happen in literally the blink of an eye. Faster than Simba can walk across a branch and become a Lion King, characters are introduced and then killed off, villains appear and are then defeated, and a band of rebels battle an army and emerge victorious. But there is no victory in the torpid character development or the rushed feel of an entire world being introduced in such a rushed manner that audiences will have trouble taking it all in. If the filmmakers want to involve viewers emotionally as well as visually, they will have to allow characters a chance to make an impression before they are dispatched and never heard from again.

The strongest point of “Eragon” is its visuals, but special effects alone cannot carry a film. The dragon Saphira (voiced by Rachel Weisz) is simply stunning in every scene in which she appears, blending seamlessly with the backgrounds and environments, and boasting immensity and detail. From grotesquely rotting henchmen to the billowing smoky demon that warlock Durza (Robert Carlyle) commands, the talented animators at WETA and ILM never cease to amaze. Unfortunately, not all the character designs are as amusing, since the dimwitted Urgals and even Durza himself are rather uninspired in comparison to the entities found in the competing properties of “The Lord of the Rings” or in the Harry Potter films. And, although the finale contains a full-sized, fire-breathing dragon joining in on the mayhem, the PG rating significantly stifles the visceral impact of any carnage that finds its way onscreen. But, after the showdown in “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” even the MPAA designation isn’t much of an excuse.

One of the biggest problems for this franchise hopeful is in the miserable scripting, which routinely creates cringe-inducing dialogue and unintentionally hilarious remarks. Conversations between key players fail to further the story, while extremely predictable (or cliched) dialogue decreases the impact of verbal duels or insults. Djimon Hounsou seems miscast as the rebel leader with his heavy accent; John Malkovich and Robert Carlyle have difficulty appearing diabolical with so many unconvincing quips; lines like “You’ll have to do better than that” and “Let’s finish this!” during climactic moments are so generic that they sound as if written for a “Star Wars” fan film; and even Rachel Weisz can’t save her majestic character from immature ribbing when she mentions something about Eragon needing to ride her.

Even if audiences can look beyond the amateurish screenwriting, it is the unabashed imitation of superior high fantasy productions that is simply unforgivable. As Jeremy Irons’ character Brom (and countless other movie roles) would say, “It is better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.” The creators of this contemptible film will surely be doing plenty of the former to the legions of fans of the source material (Christopher Paolini’s book) and of the genre in general.

– Joel Massie