This dragon plays nice

There's nothing like the story of a boy and his pet, particularly if the pet is a dragon.

In case your children have worn out their DVDs of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter from overplaying, here for them is Eragon, a new sword-and-sorcery epic to divert their attention. Based on a worldwide bestseller written by — get this — a 19-year-old Montanan named Christopher Paolini, the movie brings his imaginative, yet formulaic tale to life through a heavy reliance on state-of-the-art special effects.

Like most stories in the fantasy genre, Eragon is strictly good vs. evil, the story of a teenage farm boy whose world is completely transformed when he picks up an iridescent blue stone. The stone turns out to be an egg, a dinosaur egg, and when it hatches, the creature goes through a remarkably rapid growth spurt. Eragon (newcomer Ed Speleers) bonds with it and becomes a Dragon Rider, the first in many years, thanks to the machinations of corrupt King Galbatorix (an icy John Malkovich).

Dragon Riders have magic powers, you see, and before anyone can say abracadabra, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira (soothingly voiced by Oscar winner Rachel Weisz) are flying off to rally the rebel troops known as the Varden and lead them in battle against the forces of the king.

As with most novels in an otherworldly land, there are odd names for everything. For all I know, these labels could add meaning for those who read Paolini's novel, but everyone else can safely ignore this arcane language without fear of missing any of the story.

Aiding Eragon is a mentor father-figure named Brom (Jeremy Irons, whose plummy voice automatically classes up the film). A former Dragon Rider, forcibly retired since the death of his dragon, he teaches Eragon the finer points of the job and trains him in combat. It is hard not to think of the two of them as a latter-day Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker. And to keep young girls engaged in the saga there is an attractive princess-warrior named Arya (Sienna Guillory), the equivalent of Star Wars' Leia.

Making his directing debut is Stefan Fangmeier, a longtime member of the Industrial Light & Magic gang, whose effects projects included The Perfect Storm, Galaxy Quest and Saving Private Ryan. Perhaps a less technical filmmaker might have given more attention to character development, but Fangmeier certainly delivers what he was hired to do. The image, movement and facial emotions of dragon Saphira are impressive, as are the insect-laden villains that crumble into dust when killed. There is a lot of violence and death along the way in Eragon, but because it is wrapped inside a fantasy, the movie squeaks by with a PG rating.

Hip to the literary and box office expectations of the genre, Paolini has turned Eragon into a trilogy and the movie follows suit by preparing us for a sequel. Eragon will never be mistaken for Lord of the Rings, but chances are there will be enough fans for this film to warrant at least one more episode.