E3: Eragon

I've been at E3 for the past 2 days, and there is no way in hell that I am going again tomorrow. It's hot in there, there are too many people, and (I know you'll find this hard to believe) but there's really not that much new & exciting stuff to see. Eragon was a notable exception though.

I waited in line for 20mins today to see the Eragon game trailer & demo, and the world premiere of the teaser trailer for the Eragon motion picture coming out this winter, all based on the best selling book by Christopher Paolini. Why did I wait in line for 20mins? Well, that's easy to answer... I didn't know the line was gonna take 20mins. I thought it would be 5 at the most. I was just about to give up and leave when they let me in the theater.

The film footage looks excellent. I've never read the books, and after seeing the teaser, I'm excited to see the movie and read the books. The film boasts an incredible cast including John Malkovich and Jeremy Irons. My only complaint is that, apparently, Joss Stone is in the film. I know because they ID'd her in the trailer. For all I know, she's a great actress, but come on! Why does she get to be in a film of this caliber when my best friend struggles to make it in the acting biz every day?! I don't like to speak for her often, but I'd be willing to say she'd kill to have Joss Stone's role in this film... and I don't even know what part she plays! All I'm saying is, musicians shouldn't automatically get parts in films because they can sing. It just doesn't seem right.

But go see the movie anyways... I think it's gonna be all kinds of hot sauce. That's right! I said it...

Moving on... the game I'm not too excited about. It looks good, has some cool features, and seems like it'd be fun to play. My problem though is that I don't think it's made for the kids who love the books, which I think are the tweens or even younger. The game has a little blood-splatter when you're fighting others, which I'm guessing is the way the creators have "toned down" the violence for kids. But what they didn't do was tone down the inherent violence in the graphics and actions of killing things with your sword and other various weapons. For example, there are several finishing moves the you can pull off, one of which looks like you are choking your enemy to death. Another is when you have almost killed your enemy and he falls to the ground, you walk up to him, kneel slightly, and then in a grandiose move, plunge your sword through his chest finishing him off. I don't care if there is low blood-splatter. It seemed excessive for a kids game. That being said, I've never read the books, so I don't know if they're more violent than say the first Harry Potter book... but the above was my gut reaction.

Ok, fine... you've gotten it out of me. I waited in the 20mins line because that's the only way to enter the contest to win 2 tickets, travel included, to the US premiere of the film. So sue me. I've never been to a movie premiere ever!

And if I win, I'm not taking you.