'Tales From Earthsea' Review- This Is An Underrated Anime Fantasy
It's another anime epic.
Gorō Miyazaki directed Studio Ghibli’s 2006 film Tales From Earthsea, adapted from the ‘Earthsea’ book series by author Ursula K. Le Guin and translated into English by Buena Vista.
In the land of Earthsea, something is affecting the magical balance of the world. So much so, that dragons are killing one another. Prince Arren (Matt Levin) is being affected by this. He murders his father and steals his magical sword.
Arren escapes and heads to Hort Town where he encounters the Archmage Sparrowhawk (Timothy Dalton), who is investigating the negative effects of the Balance. During his investigation, he and Arren disrupt the slave trade of Lord Cobb (Willem Dafoe) and rescue the young girl Therru (Blaire Restaneo) who they send to live with Sparrowhawk’s friend Tenar (Mariska Hargitay).
Lord Cobb is angered by the disruption and it is revealed that he is the one trying to tip the scale of the Balance, so he cannot die. When he learns about Arren, he wishes to manipulate him and use his magical sword to access greater magical power.
The story’s plot sometimes gets muddled with the mythology that is supposed to be guiding it. At times, I found myself questioning the motivations of the characters. However, those moments were far and in between. I found it satisfying and moving.
Studio Ghibli animators are some of the best in the business and this movie shows it. With all of the designs, they ramped up their skills. You will be so impressed with how they draw backgrounds and the emotions of the characters. I was blown away by how impressive they were designed.
Buena Vista did a great job casting for the English version which featured an amazing all-star cast. Dalton was especially good as Sparrowhawk. The man is such a massive talent and I am surprised he is not in more films.
Aside from the criticisms above, this is a fantastic movie. It has an impressive plot, compelling protagonists, and a terrifying villain. You will be hooked on the tale and the magic within it as good has to conquer evil in a challenging way.
Le Guin did not enjoy the anime adaptation of her books. It was not a direct adaptation, but an amalgam of themes and plot points from several of the books. It is said that she never likes any of the media adaptations of her novels. Not that I blame her.
However, since reading the first novel in the Earthsea Cycle, I did find the movie more enjoyable. That might be a controversial take, but it is how I feel.
Bottom line, Tales Of Earthsea does not seem to be a favorite of Studio Ghibli, but I think it is underrated. It is truly impressive and imaginative.
FAVORITE QUOTE: No man nor any living thing in this world preserves their life forever.
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Violence, disturbing images
Watch the Japanese movie trailer below:
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review.