I've got to agree with so many others that if you didn't read the first book, you really need to to truely appretiate the movie. I brought a friend who didn't read it and got so frustrated with him throughout the movie that I actually moved to another seat ... sooo READ the book ;-) Otherwise the movie was done so well the actor/actress choices were perfect and the story line was fairly true to the book. It wasn't quite Harry Potter but it was DEFFINATELY NOT Eragon. The movie was a little fast paced but not anything too upsetting to the fans and I'm a diehard fan so obviously it was a good movie :-D