Tales From Earthsea [DVD]

Having read, and loved, the books on which this film was based, I had very high hopes for it. Unfortunately, I left the cinema feeling a little disappointed.

Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea is a grand and deeply moving epic, and none of this really came across in the film. Parts of it were brilliant, but I agree with the reviewer who said the end of the film doesn't live up to the promise of the beginning, with major themes and ideas left unexplored and questions left unanswered. The potential in the source material was squandered leaving me with a feeling of 'what might have been'. I really think that if they'd followed the book more closely they'd have ended up with a better film.

On the whole, I think it was a fair first effort for Goro. For me, the film was better than some of Ghibli's other works, and overall I do like it. It's certainly worth buying for any Ghibli fan, and shouldn't disappoint too badly (even my non-Ghibli-fan friend loved it). For those who haven't already done so, do read the books, they're fantastic!

I was hugely excited to watch this title given the previous excellence of Studio Ghibli, and as the film went on found myself increasing lost with it's plot. If you've never even heard of Earthsea this film will confuse you as it does little to explain anything from the start. The characters barely have any back story and for this you can barely connect with anyone except sparrowhawk the wizard, even then his actions can be bizarre. None of the charm or Ghibli uniqueness is present in this film and it is a simple evil wizard plot for world domination. I recommend purchasing Howls Moving Castle if you haven't seen it already.

Expectations are doubtless high for this - the first Studio Ghibli release since 2005's Howl's Moving Castle; it is also the debuting directorial effort of Hayao Miyazaki's son, Goro - a decision which is known to have been the source of much tension between the pair during the film's production.

Tales from Earthsea concerns the plight of Prince Arren - a boy equipped with both shy humility and apoplectic rage as violent as it is ephemeral. Fleeing the palace after a brutal murder, the seemingly cursed Prince finds unlikely companionship in the wizard Sparrowhawk, whom he accompanies on his travels to discover the source of that which is unbalancing the world; disease, poverty and enslavement are proliferating at the hands of an esoteric force, which Sparrowhead will discover emanates from the pernicious machinations of one Lord Cob, who seeks immortality. The two male protagonists come to encounter and reacquaint themselves respectively with female companions, Therru and Tenar, who assist them in their ultimate battle against Lord Cob and his minions.

The film falls very much into the "epic" category of Ghibli's dichotomic catalogue, and allegedly forces the contents of at least three Earthsea books (which, regrettably, I have yet to read) into its duration - a decision which, I feel, results in disjointed pacing: the anti-climatic final battle yawns over a vast chasm of slight tedium, while the more intriguing opening scenes involving the King are danced over with quite unnecessary flourish. Unlike most Ghibli films, there is no fixed setting - the protagonists wander from one settlement to the next, lending a Tolkien-esque quality to proceedings, and allowing for some stunning and varied backdrops; but while the scenery is a sublime as ever, the animation, I feel, suffers from slight inconsistencies - especially noticeable in the final battle scenes (the climatic collapse of the Lord Cob's tower pales in comparison to the collapse of Howl's castle, for example).

Characterisation is the weakest aspect of this film; there are arguably three main characters, each as intriguing but ultimately undeveloped as each other. We learn little of the abused and scarred Therru, the insinuated erstwhile relationship between Sparrowhawk and Tenar is never fully revealed, and the demons that haunt Prince Arren are only explained to superficial levels. Goro Miyazaki has attempted admirably to infuse his film with a miasma of history and magical mysticism, but perhaps he should have derived less content from the books, or expanded one film to more, in preference of revealing more of the world and its inhabitants. Aspects such as the dragons, the concept of True Names, and the Land of the Dead are all referenced with frustrating brevity, while the admittedly interesting pontifications on life and death outstay their welcome; it is such inconsistent focus that mars the film as a whole.

The first half of this film is glorious: the music with its epic recurring theme in varied guises, the scenery, and the potential of the characters render it a pleasure to behold; however, the second half let me down by not fulfilling the promises established in the initial scenes, and what could have been a captivating and magical dive into the ocean of a highly-regarded literary creation feels like nothing more than a pleasurable but short-lived paddle. But it's still Ghibli, so you should still watch it and will still enjoy it.