Truly Dreadful Film

A Brilliant Conflict

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

I was compelled to add this after reading several reviews: I think the scriptwriter knows about Ged's name inversion. He or the producers just thought that Sparrowhawk was not catchy enough or was too long. So they decided to reverse the order. Considering the writer had the gall to say that his adaptation reflected LeGuin's TRUE intentions (prompting her to write her reply - by the way, isn't the book's copyright hers? And so, shouldn't she have been able to veto anything based on it? I don't know how international copyright laws work on this. Now, on to my review. Well, I think that an adaptation of a book to film medium should follow the book. Actually, I'd like it to slavishly follow the book insofar as the medium allows. But I don't judge the adaptation for not doing that. I like the Lord of the Rings movies and they deviate from the books in several essential points, not the least of which is ignoring the fact that Tolkien creates his characters to be Aristotelian examples of superior men, even though LOTR is not a tragedy, but a comedy (technically speaking). In terms of adaptation of the books, this miniseries is awful, totally disgusting. The Godking of Awabath is changed into a warlord that wants to conquer the Archipelago, Kossil is his mistress, quite the young and attractive woman, who wants to gain the power to summon the nameless ones (who are a sort of black gremlins with bat wings ??), Tenar is chosen by the last high priestess of the tombs to take her place as keeper of the key to hold the nameless ones prisoners. By the way, it's one of them that is after Ged. The Iskyorh gebbeth becomes the archfiend of the whole trilogy and has a showdown with Ged at the Tombs of Atuan, where Ged incomprehensibly decides to release the nameless batgremlins and their evil upon the world. Nemerle does not die, but remain the leader of the resistance against the Kargs, who have conquered Roke with the help of Jasper ??? Also, poor Nemerle looks suspiciously like a Dumbledore... Should I go on? However, that's not the reason I'm rating it so low. What I really hated was the fact that not only were the actors terrible, even poor Isabella Rossellini and Danny Glover, because their roles were so bad, but the series is only a long series of clichés strung together. The whole Karg invasion plot is there so the film doesn't have to deal with the true issues of the first book, which is Ged's search for his own identity. The central issues of the other two books, namely, how once can gain freedom through trust and by looking beyond the bars of one's cage and acceptance of mortality as essential to life, are thoroughly ignored. The Archmage and the other wizards of Roke are reduced to a position of almost comic relief to the series (even worse, poor Vetch IS in fact treated as a comic relief character). So, we are down to a soppy, ridiculous adventure crafted for the so-called young adult public. By the way, I'm 50, but if I were a young adult I would feel very insulted by how imbecilic current day scriptwriters (especially Hollywood) think young adults are.

When I watched the movie, I noticed that it was the first two books put together. It was job nicely done, changing from Ged to the Tombs of Atuan. Although what I didn't like was the part where they added the Kargad King or where they released the Nameless Ones and forged the amulet of Erreth-Akbe together and saved the world from the Nameless Ones after releasing them like five minutes ago. What I also didn't like was the change that every priestess, Tenar, Thar, and Kossil worship the Nameless Ones and that Thar was the ultimate priestess, and a succeeder is chosen, not like in the book, Tombs of Atuan. In the book there is Thar, high priestess of the Twin Gods, Kossil, high priestess of the God King and, Arha (Tenar), High priestess of the Nameless Ones and high priestess of the Tombs of Atuan. In the movie there was three people arguing for the place of Thar "high priestess of the Nameless Ones and Tombs of Atuan". Phhhhh!! Also the constant dying in the Tombs of Atuan, leaving Tenar as the only significant character in there was quite baffling. Yes in the book Thar dies because of disease. Not because of poisoning from Kossil. Also there was no "Rosa" servant who was strangled by Kossil and there was no Kargad King to kill Kossil. Otherwise, the movie had nice screenplay, and fairly good actors. For those who haven't read the books and !MAYBE! for those who have read them, this movie is worth seeing despite its many bad sides.

I've read the Earthsea Trilogy ten times. Three small books, but gorgeous, and outshining The Lord of the Rings (which I also love)... rich, thoughtful, vivid. I recommend it to all readers even those who say they have no interest in fantasy.So... I netflixed Earthsea with some trepidation. Rightly so. It's dreadful. The character of Ged is entirely lost from the opening scene. The slangy off the cuff American Accented Dialogue is truly awful. I'm stunned that books so good could be adapted so profoundly badly. 45 minutes is all I can stand. Sorry if you liked it. Please read the books.

The vibrancy and beauty of the Earthsea books is lost on this script. While the author has made a valiant attempt to combine the plots of the first two books of LeGuin's deservedly famous Earthsea series the changes he has made have weakened the story and diminished the character development. Some of the acting in the first few scenes is appalling bad, but stick with it as it gets better as it rolls along. If you are a special effects fan then you will be disappointed. Some of the SFX are rather crude and jarring. So if like me you are a fan of the books put your memory on hold and enjoy this charming unpretentious little tale which reproduces elements of the books and occasionally some of the dialogue. A lesser work but charming none the less.