Debuting in the winter of 2006, the release of "Eragon" was clearly not what 20th Century Fox had in mind. As studios tried to capitalize on the success of "The Lord of the Rings", adapting the best-selling novel by Christopher Paolini (who wrote and published the book while still a teenager) seemed a sure-fire bet. Brought in to direct was Stefen Fangmeier, a veteran VFX supervisor, but treading new ground as a first-time director. The later book sequels improved as they went (though I stopped reading after the second book, I believe), though the first novel definitely suffered by feeling painfully derivative at times. The author's world-building, started at the age of just fifteen, was impressive enough, but the clear influence of Tolkien-esque fantasy trappings onto a simplistic "Star Wars" plot did the book no favors, telling the story of a peasant magic-wielder who accidentally inherits a long-lost dragon egg and goes on a quest to save kingdoms, vanquish evil warlords, befriend elves, fight monsters, yada yada yada. Sadly the film didn't do much to make the story stand out, poorly highlighting what little depth what present in the novel, with a cast that seemed bored, ultimately earning poor reviews and a mediocre box office returns, putting an end to the development of sequels, and Fangmeier's directing career.
Joining the expedition was Scottish composer Patrick Doyle. Bringing his chops for thunderous action, adventure and themes, this is a score that doesn't dwell in subtle musical storytelling, instead overwhelming with a generally optimistic fantasy tone anchored around a strong central theme that is vintage Doyle (including his tendency where a theme can feel a bit comically melodramatic when matched to the visuals on screen). This bothered me when I first heard it, but the score is still highly melodic and enjoyable, as long as one doesn't expect it to push the genre forward in any way.
The soundtrack album was released by RCA Records, featuring around forty-minutes of Doyle's score, and two songs. Clearly, I was not a fan of the film, haven't bothered to rewatch it since seeing it in theaters and being severely disappointed. I am however a huge fan of Doyle's, and a sucker for the fantasy genre and dragons.... so here we are.
All covers use officially sourced artwork, from the original theatrical run, home video or other marketing material.
Editing was fairly simple, some upscaling, color tweaks, paint-outs, etc. No major editing was required in terms of content or spacing. I probably spent the most time messing with the blending of the title logo, and then trying to decide on stylings for the added text credits (like whether to try to echo the glowing style of the title or do something a little bit more simple).
Hope you enjoy, and let me know if you have any favorites!
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