Tales From Earthsea (2006)
Tales From Earthsea (2006)
Many animators had approached Ursula K Le Guin to turn her popular Earthsea novels into animated films, including Hayao Miyazaki, but because of the crap that Disney was putting out, and Le Guin associating that with animated films, she refused every animator's proposal to animate her novels. But after Miyazaki won an Oscar for Spirited Away, she became aware of his films, and started watching them, and then in 2003 Ursula K Le Guin contacted Studio Ghibli to give Hayao Miyazaki approval to adapt her Earthsea novels to animated film. However Hayao Miyazaki was busy directing Howl's Moving Castle, Studio Ghibli assigned Hayao's son Goro Miyazaki to direct the film. Goro Miyazaki had not previously directed a film, and was kind of shoved into the job. Tales From Earthsea was the resulting film, which would use characters from Le Guin's books, but would tell a story that was more inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's graphic novel The Journey Of Shuna. The resulting film would go on to disappoint Le Guin who said of it: "It is not my book. It is your movie. It is a good movie". Which is a very true statement, Tales From Earthsea is a beautiful film, with a good story, beautiful animation, and for all intents and purposes it is a great film. But what it isn't in anyway is an adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea novels. I think that is an important thing to remember when you go into this, if you expect an adaptation of her books, then you will be vastly disappointed. 
Tales From Earthsea pulls elements from the first four novels of the Earthsea series, and just picks and chooses characters, and elements, but for the most part tells its own story. Part of Le Guin's issue with the film was the idea that violence solves the problem approach. With their being one "bad guy", and if the heroes can just kill him, then everything is better and the characters can all live happily ever after, it is a simplistic approach, that is all too common in films and books. Le Guin's novels are not written from such a simplistic approach, and such a simplistic "good vs evil" ideology. So if you approach this film as an adaptation of her books, then this will turn out to be a terrible film for you. However this is a review of the film, not a discussion of the books, nor how closely the film follows the book, I must look at it as its own work of art.
Tales From Earthsea was directed by Goro Miyazaki, with a screenplay by Goro Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa. The film is based on the Earthsea novels by Ursula K. Le Guin, pulling plot and character elements from the first four books of her series: A Wizard Of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, and Tehanu. The film was very successful in the Japanese box office becoming the number one film in the country for five weeks. Internationally the film had a very limited theatrical release. The overall gross for the film was $75.5 million, with a budget of $22 million, making it a very successful film. Tales From Earthsea was nominated for the Japan Academy Prize for Animated Film Of The Year award, however narrowly lost to The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. However the film did meet with mixed critical reception, and was presented Japan's Bunshun Raspberry Award for "Worst Director, and won the award for "Worst Movie". Online film review sites give the film a below average score, and the second lowest score among Studio Ghibli films, with Earwig And The Witch being the lowest (also directed by Goro Miyazaki). So how can a film be simultaneously the best and worst film of the year? The simple answer, is it is hard to be a young inexperienced director living in the shadow of your father who is one of the greatest animated film directors of all-time. Everything that I have read about this film was constantly comparing Goro Miyazaki to his legendary father Hayao Miyazaki, there is a reason that Goro originally worked as a landscaper rather than going to work in animation with his father, it is hard to live in the shadow of a legend. Tales From Earthsea was created by Studio Ghibli, and distributed by Toho in 2006, later the North American distribution rights were acquired by Disney as part of their deal with Studio Ghibli, and then later by G Kids.
I am going to take a look at the English Language cast of the film, because that is the version of the film that I watched in doing this review. Tales From Earthsea stars Timothy Dalton as Sparrowhawk, Matt Levin as Arren/Lebannen Blaire Restaneo as Therru/Tehanu, Mariska Hargitay as Tenar, Willem Dafoe as Cob, and Cheech Marin as Hare. The film honestly has a great cast of characters. I really like Timothy Dalton, who might be most famous for playing James Bond in the late 1980s, his voice lended really well to the character of Sparrowhawk in the film, as a level headed wizard, who acts as a voice of reason throughout the film. Willem Dafoe of course always plays such great villains in films, and Cheech Marin was great as the cruel slave trader, and Cob's second in command, Hare.
So, what are my thoughts on this film, that seems to be so divisive among the critics and fans alike? I have to first of all, not compare this to the Ursula K Le Guin novels, and judge it as its own work, also I must divorce in my mind that Goro is Hayao Miyazaki's son, and judge the film on it's own, and the director on his own, without drawing comparisons to the novels or his father's work. I love this film! I love when Eastern animators take on Western fantasy works, whether in anime, or video games, or even live action film really. This film is beautifully animated, and is breathtaking in look. The story is a beautiful story, with a troubled main character of Arren, who has to find himself, and with Sparrowhawk's guidance, and from Therru's compassion he can find himself, and free himself from this own darkness of doubt and sorrow. I also like that Therru, despises Arren for him saying that life is meaningless, and it takes her getting to understand him, and then it is their love that can overcome the powers of evil, that he couldn't do on his own. Cob, though is a little too cartoony evil for me, but I feel like he is necessary to show the progression of Arren, as he finds himself, and his own inner strength. The film also has a beautiful soundtrack, adding to the breathtaking atmosphere of the film. So I think that this is a beautiful film, the story is great, and has some great writing, and the characters are well done, and the animation is just breathtaking. Many US critics, have complained at the film's pace, and how slow moving it is, but I feel like part of that is because viewers from the US feel like they are entitled to instant gratification, and don't want to take the time to actually build a good story. Yes there are long sequences of the film with little to no action, and I think that works in this film, never did I feel myself becoming bored or distracted during the film, even when there wasn't action going on, there was beautiful animation, and visuals, not everything needs to be fast paced action, if a film is done well, which I think this one was. This was Goro Miyazaki's first feature length film that he directed, and I feel like he did an amazing job on it, and I think it is a shame that he has received so much criticism for such a great film. I love most Studio Ghibli films, and this one is no exception to that, I think this one belongs ranked up there with Nausicaa, Castle In The Sky, and Princess Mononoke as a classic Studio Ghibli film.
If you have not yet seen Tales From Earthsea, I highly recommend checking it out, just don't expect it to be something that it isn't. This isn't Ursula K Le Guin's novels brought to animated life, and this is not a Hayao Miyazaki film. This is a Goro Miyazaki film, and the story is his, not Le Guin's. This film is better than any crap film that Disney has ever done in their long career, and maybe it isn't as high quality as a Hayao Miyazaki film, but it is definitely up there, and it is definitely a great animated film, that is worth watching. I don't know that I would say that this is a must see animated film, but I will say that it is really damn close to being one. I think that this is a film that should be in every film collector's library. I think that judged on it's own it is an amazing film, and among my favourite animated films. If you have not yet seen it, I highly recommend checking it out, and if you come across a copy of this film, do not pass it up.
Tales From Earthsea pulls elements from the first four novels of the Earthsea series, and just picks and chooses characters, and elements, but for the most part tells its own story. Part of Le Guin's issue with the film was the idea that violence solves the problem approach. With their being one "bad guy", and if the heroes can just kill him, then everything is better and the characters can all live happily ever after, it is a simplistic approach, that is all too common in films and books. Le Guin's novels are not written from such a simplistic approach, and such a simplistic "good vs evil" ideology. So if you approach this film as an adaptation of her books, then this will turn out to be a terrible film for you. However this is a review of the film, not a discussion of the books, nor how closely the film follows the book, I must look at it as its own work of art.
Tales From Earthsea was directed by Goro Miyazaki, with a screenplay by Goro Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa. The film is based on the Earthsea novels by Ursula K. Le Guin, pulling plot and character elements from the first four books of her series: A Wizard Of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, and Tehanu. The film was very successful in the Japanese box office becoming the number one film in the country for five weeks. Internationally the film had a very limited theatrical release. The overall gross for the film was $75.5 million, with a budget of $22 million, making it a very successful film. Tales From Earthsea was nominated for the Japan Academy Prize for Animated Film Of The Year award, however narrowly lost to The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. However the film did meet with mixed critical reception, and was presented Japan's Bunshun Raspberry Award for "Worst Director, and won the award for "Worst Movie". Online film review sites give the film a below average score, and the second lowest score among Studio Ghibli films, with Earwig And The Witch being the lowest (also directed by Goro Miyazaki). So how can a film be simultaneously the best and worst film of the year? The simple answer, is it is hard to be a young inexperienced director living in the shadow of your father who is one of the greatest animated film directors of all-time. Everything that I have read about this film was constantly comparing Goro Miyazaki to his legendary father Hayao Miyazaki, there is a reason that Goro originally worked as a landscaper rather than going to work in animation with his father, it is hard to live in the shadow of a legend. Tales From Earthsea was created by Studio Ghibli, and distributed by Toho in 2006, later the North American distribution rights were acquired by Disney as part of their deal with Studio Ghibli, and then later by G Kids.
I am going to take a look at the English Language cast of the film, because that is the version of the film that I watched in doing this review. Tales From Earthsea stars Timothy Dalton as Sparrowhawk, Matt Levin as Arren/Lebannen Blaire Restaneo as Therru/Tehanu, Mariska Hargitay as Tenar, Willem Dafoe as Cob, and Cheech Marin as Hare. The film honestly has a great cast of characters. I really like Timothy Dalton, who might be most famous for playing James Bond in the late 1980s, his voice lended really well to the character of Sparrowhawk in the film, as a level headed wizard, who acts as a voice of reason throughout the film. Willem Dafoe of course always plays such great villains in films, and Cheech Marin was great as the cruel slave trader, and Cob's second in command, Hare.
So, what are my thoughts on this film, that seems to be so divisive among the critics and fans alike? I have to first of all, not compare this to the Ursula K Le Guin novels, and judge it as its own work, also I must divorce in my mind that Goro is Hayao Miyazaki's son, and judge the film on it's own, and the director on his own, without drawing comparisons to the novels or his father's work. I love this film! I love when Eastern animators take on Western fantasy works, whether in anime, or video games, or even live action film really. This film is beautifully animated, and is breathtaking in look. The story is a beautiful story, with a troubled main character of Arren, who has to find himself, and with Sparrowhawk's guidance, and from Therru's compassion he can find himself, and free himself from this own darkness of doubt and sorrow. I also like that Therru, despises Arren for him saying that life is meaningless, and it takes her getting to understand him, and then it is their love that can overcome the powers of evil, that he couldn't do on his own. Cob, though is a little too cartoony evil for me, but I feel like he is necessary to show the progression of Arren, as he finds himself, and his own inner strength. The film also has a beautiful soundtrack, adding to the breathtaking atmosphere of the film. So I think that this is a beautiful film, the story is great, and has some great writing, and the characters are well done, and the animation is just breathtaking. Many US critics, have complained at the film's pace, and how slow moving it is, but I feel like part of that is because viewers from the US feel like they are entitled to instant gratification, and don't want to take the time to actually build a good story. Yes there are long sequences of the film with little to no action, and I think that works in this film, never did I feel myself becoming bored or distracted during the film, even when there wasn't action going on, there was beautiful animation, and visuals, not everything needs to be fast paced action, if a film is done well, which I think this one was. This was Goro Miyazaki's first feature length film that he directed, and I feel like he did an amazing job on it, and I think it is a shame that he has received so much criticism for such a great film. I love most Studio Ghibli films, and this one is no exception to that, I think this one belongs ranked up there with Nausicaa, Castle In The Sky, and Princess Mononoke as a classic Studio Ghibli film.
If you have not yet seen Tales From Earthsea, I highly recommend checking it out, just don't expect it to be something that it isn't. This isn't Ursula K Le Guin's novels brought to animated life, and this is not a Hayao Miyazaki film. This is a Goro Miyazaki film, and the story is his, not Le Guin's. This film is better than any crap film that Disney has ever done in their long career, and maybe it isn't as high quality as a Hayao Miyazaki film, but it is definitely up there, and it is definitely a great animated film, that is worth watching. I don't know that I would say that this is a must see animated film, but I will say that it is really damn close to being one. I think that this is a film that should be in every film collector's library. I think that judged on it's own it is an amazing film, and among my favourite animated films. If you have not yet seen it, I highly recommend checking it out, and if you come across a copy of this film, do not pass it up.
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