... (yawn)...

I've never read the book - but everyone I know who has says that the movie left out about 50% of the story.
I thought it wasn't a *complete* waste of time - but was choppy... the dialogue was clunky & un-natural sounding... and was totally predictable.

I have read the first two of the trilogy so far. I thought the movie followed fairly well, although they did leave some major chunks of the plot out. The editing was terrible, the dialogue was embarrassing, and Joss Stone's cameo as the fortune teller was just silly. If I hadn't read the books already the movie certainly wouldn't have inspired me to do so. I do recommend the books, try and suffer through the first half of book one, it does get better after that I promise.

Eragon wasn't horrid as a movie, unless you compare it to the book. The third Harry Potter movie_might_ have been a worse translation, but if so only by a bit and that movie sucked ass as a translation.

When I first read this post I was steaming mad but now I understand. I saw the movie with my 11 year old daughter who was really excited to see it. I think her excitement made the movie for me and I loved it. However now that I have read the books, the movie does seem a little choppy and cheesy. But don't let the movie sway you from the books, they really are worth the read.=)

while I haven't had a chance to sit down and read the book yet, my wife and son have.

Her opinion of the movie was that there were "too many changes" and "things they left out" that were important to the story.

My sons opinion (he's 12) was that the movie was "good", but didn't "match up with" the book...

My (admittedly uninformed) opinion of the movie was that I tried watching it on three seperate occasions, and fell asleep at about the same point all three times... there was just nothing to it that grabbed me... I had seen almost everything that was done in the movie done elsewhere first, and better...

I have read the first book and half way through the second book,as for the movie didn't like it left out alot.The book was so much better.

Reading all of the responses to this post
confirmed my opinion of the book and the movie
Normally i can distinguish books from movies
as different forms of media and therefore
to be judged in their own right
(i loved both the book and movie of Fight Club
even though they did not 'match up')
Eragon, the book, was fabulous for young adult fantasy
especially considering the guy was 14 when he wrote it
Eragon, the movie, was terrible
even without comparing it to the book
It was dry, expected, choppy
you did not care for any of the characters
Do not even mention that the fortune teller was silly
John Malcovich was silly.

If i did compare it to the book
i would simply say
they left out ALL of the things that made the book great
when they adapted it to the film

In short:
Do not see the movie. Read the book.