Stephanie Gum

I'm pretty sure that back in 2006 I thought this was a fairly good movie. It was bright and fantastical, if a little cheesy. Now that I've read the books, it's an utter disgrace. I can only imagine how the author felt after the world and lives that he wonderfully created were diminished so. Often, movie adaptations of books fall flat of expectations but this one... I can't express how disappointing it is. The timeline was totally wrong, and the characters were nothing like Christopher Paolini's, in looks or in actions. The only redeeming quality for me would have been that Jeremy Irons played Brom, but only if he were true to the book's character. I'm almost torn about John Malkovich playing Galbatorix, because he's quite possibly, in my opinion, one of the worst actors ever, and I cannot take him seriously. In short, the movie should be described as VERY loosely based on the books.