Tales From Earthsea (Studio Ghibli Collection) (2 Discs)

No it's not perfect, and indeed isn't like what Miyazaki senior has produced over the last 27 years. But yes, I believe it's an ok movie - actually even a good movie. It does not deserve to be compared to the otehr Ghibli movies but needs to be considered on its own. And I find it entertaining, and beautifully drawn and animated. I agree that the story and directing is lacking a bit, but then again, am I a movie director? No. As a big fan of anime, I am open to any movie of the genre but have seen some that are truly rubbish - and this one is FAR from that. I'd recommend you watch it to make your own opinion :)

This happens to me all the time. I love a book, so when the film comes out I want to see it. The only problem is that the film usually butchers the story.

Well Tales from Earthsea is no different. The only similarity, this film, has with the book, is that the characters are the same (with all the same abilities and history).
The plot is completely and entirely different different.
Geography is totally altered to create one island, on which the whole story unfolds.

That being said:
I think that if I hadn't read the book I would of enjoyed it immensely. The art is as beautiful as any any Ghibli film. and the film's plot isn't that bad. There could of been better characterisation but that is always difficult in epic films.

Dont believe what critics say... i enjoyed every single second of this movie. Its a new Miyazaki chapter and its still beautiful. And please stop comparing every single Studio Ghibli production to Spirited Away or Mononoke or Howl. The animation is really good, the landscapes remind of Impressionist paintings, the dubbing is sublime, both Timothy Dalton and Willem Defoe are incredible. Another classic

Personally I thought this was a great movie if you watch it for what it is. It is merely "inspired by" the books, it doesn't necessarily portray them. I find it saddening that people have to compare this debut from Goro Miyazaki to his fathers work. Goro is not (and probably doesn't want to be) just like his father and therefor his work will probably always be different. We must also bear in mind that this is just a debut and Goro is nowhere near as experienced as his father. Like I said, try to watch the film for what it is and try not to compare it to anything else, and then make your judgements.

it's a shame they didn't start by adapting the first book of the series, as this is the fourth volume, if memory serves, but it's a very enjoyable movie all the same

I love this film!

I have not read the books so only have the finished film (that I imported on region 4 DVD) to judge.

Much has been made of the fact Hayao Miyazaki did not direct this himself, leading to some approaching this astounding and visually beautiful directorial first from his son Goro with a sense they were going to be cheated of a worthwhile movie experience.

They were a bit harsh!!

I do agree with the recent review in Neo in some respects.

Really, you'd best trust your own tastes when it comes to the offering from Ghibli. As long as you don't go into the film looking to compare father and son you will be fine and should enjoy the film.

However, it's not perfect by any means. Some backgrounds are a little less detailed (but still perfectly suitable for the film), the pacing is slower than previous Ghibli works leaving those less patient bewildered as to what they are watching and of course certain character designs and indeed entire scenes remind you of Miyazaki Senior.

After seeing the film I had a sudden desire to hunt out my Ghibli collection and watch Nausicaa, Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Princess Mononoke in particular.

If you can ignore these very minor flaws, the film itself is actually pretty good and does stand up to repeat viewing.

Btw, Timothy Dalton is excellent as Sparrowhawk, so do check out both the English and original Japanese tracks on the DVD.

I for one am looking forward to future films from Goro Miyazaki. He may not be quite in the same league as his father (yet), but his work shows great promise.

Being a fan of pretty much every Studio Ghibli movie to date this was a instant buy for me, as usual it did not disapoint.
Though it is a huge leap from other Studio Ghibli movies but thats mostly due to the fact it's based off a novel rather then a original story, so already it's like they've had to keep the story locked in a room.
Around about halfway through the film there is a song that is incredibly touching and was brilliantly drawn too.
Also i would like to point out that the English dub like all the other Studio Ghibli movies was utterly fantastic.

For an avid fan of Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea quartet and the collection of tales, and of the beautifully created animes from Studio Ghibli, I think this is a stunning merger of the two. Though this feature contains various aspects/scenes and parts of timelines from the Earthsea stories, it makes for a enthralling insight into that world. Coupled with the beautifully detailed animation - especially the dragons. This is a memorable film, even if i don't speak/understand Japanese.

The first thing I have to mention is that I have not read the series of books that this was based on (Ursula K. Le Guin). Therefore, my review is based solely on the film itself.

In the early days of man, Dragons and Man lived along side each other. As time went on Humans, wanting power and possessions, claimed ownership of the land and sea. The Dragons, wanting the freedom of the world, claimed ownership of the wind and sky.

The movie focus's on the young prince Arren, who, for reasons that are later made clear, has gone into wandering. He is saved by a kind hermit named 'Sparrow hawk' who suggests Arren join him on his travels. From then on we encounter the world of Earthsea and its various landmarks. In many scenes the animation is breathtaking.

The soundtrack, which accompanies this movie, was conducted by Tamiya Terashima and in my opinion fits the scenes perfectly. The soundtrack uses the right balance of slow and calm music to the harmony used in the montage scenes.

The thing that puts the vast majority of Ghibli fans off this release is the direction that was taken. Gor€ Miyazaki undertook this project unlike the many previous projects taken by his father Hayao Miyazaki. Certainly if you're a fan of this collection you can probably notice how the feel for the movies is not on the same level. Certainly the extravagance of the earlier films is left to the bare minimum in this production. Nevertheless, this movie is Ghibli movie and that is evident.

My personal favourite being Princess Mononoke, this movie to me is a close second. Spirited Away and Howls Moving Castle were both in their own right excellent movie's however they seemed more like a modern Alice in Wonderland to me and so did not appeal. Tales From Earthsea is certainly a movie with strong morals, a great story and is accompanied by a strong soundtrack.

Well worth the purchase.

This movie, just like all the other Ghibli masterpieces, is fabulous. The animation is perfect, storyline is excellent and the voices suit the characters perfectly. Great work Goro!