People are voting emotionally.

Overrated

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Let me quickly summarize my feelings of the movie for those that don't want to read more than a couple sentences: Tales from Earthsea is a gorgeous and mysterious movie that focuses on how the mutual love and respect of 4 very distinct characters ultimately overcomes the dangerous plans of an evil wizard. It has very little to do with the Earthsea saga to be honest, but it stands on its own as a very unique and under-appreciated movie. For me, it is a must-see for any fan of traditional fantasy and Ghibli-style animation.For starters, this is an absolutely gorgeous film that holds up to the best of Studio Ghibli animation. Colors can be exceptional, especially on good plasma sets. The scene where Arren is wandering through the swamps before Cob steals his body is one such example of the absolutely sublime and beautiful color that is hidden in this film. And the shots of Theru's house in the summer, with its deep blue skies and rich green grasses, are a perfect contrast to the dim and bleak palette of Cob's fortress. There's something very honest and straightforward about this animation. It might not knock you over the head like Spirited Away, but it has a childish enthusiasm (and adult talent) that sets it apart from most other anime of its time. It's accomplished without being perfectionist.As for the story, you can nit pick it all you want, and there are some valid points to be made about its meandering nature and vague back story. However, I think its true message still shines forth. The movie is really a story about how two troubled children - one abused by her parents and taken in by a lovely and caring woman, the other possessed by an evil alter-ego and on the run from it - develop a love for each other that is the key to thwarting the apocalyptic plans of a deranged wizard. That's about as fantasy as you can get, and I wholeheartedly enjoyed the simple and traditional storytelling. And in typical Ghibli fashion, we are shown the hopes, fears and joys of these simple characters, and while the end result may not be as emotionally powerful as those in Hayao Miyazaki's own films, it is every bit as genuine.The English dub is exceptional with Timothy Dalton especially standing out as a perfect voice actor for Archmage Sparrowhawk. His lines are delivered with perfect poise and restraint, in the spirit of a wizard from a world like Guin's. Willem DaFoe also does a terrific job, transitioning between the overly-confident "first" Cob to the desperate, maniacal "second" Cob. While I admit there could be some better exposition and clarification to these characters and their motivations, all the actors do a great job with the lines they are given. I can't imagine different actors taking over these roles, so kudos to the English casting team for putting together a diverse and capable cast.Also noteworthy is the accomplished sound mix presented on the BluRay. I was immediately immersed in the world of Earthsea, and was quite impressed by the level of detail and the mix between the sound effects and music. It is an easy 5/5 for this kind of movie and is best enjoyed in a nice surround sound environment. Kudos to all the sound recordists, foley artists and music producers involved in this project - you guys never seem to get the credit you deserve, but you definitely deserve it for this one! All in all, Tales From Earthsea is a surprisingly capable and accomplished movie that really deserves attention, despite its usually critical reviews. It looks beautiful, is voice acted perfectly, sounds incredible, and fulfills all the basic requirements of a good fantasy story. If you like Studio Ghibli animation, and are a fan of good old fashioned fantasy storytelling, give Tales From Earthsea a shot - you won't regret it.

Considering that the majority of reviews for this film have been comparing it to other Studio Ghibli films, this debut from the great Hayao Miyazaki's son Goro is an extremely strong start, and bodes well for his future in film (albeit without the presence of the Studio, now that it no longer exists). The story is a solid one, with a good plot and characters who you feel for throughout the film. The soundtrack on the film is one of the best I have heard from a Studio Ghibli production, and the visuals are extremely rich and vibrant, as illustrated by the frequent landscape shots of sprawling cities and rolling countryside.However, as a 16 year old who has not read the novels this film was based on, I cannot comment on the accuracy of the portrayal, nor if it lived up to the expectations that may have been set. Admittedly, this film is not one with a deep and serious message hidden within it, as is so common with films of its kin by Studio Ghibli; rather, it is a film purely enjoyable for its face value, and one I believe the younger generation will feel has potential re-watch value. Consequently, I would see this film as one recommendable to both those who love Studio Ghibli and those who don't - its absence of a subtle undertone means it is enjoyable without requiring the ability to see nuances that other Miyazaki films possess. Overall, I believe that this (especially for a débutant) is a very good film, one worth the watch for the story itself, as well as the ever-beautiful visuals and musical accompaniments.

*I watched the English dubbed version of this so some aspects of this review might not apply to the original* I watched this thinking it was a Hayao Miyazaki film. Only after watching it I noticed it was his son's work, Goro.Unfortunately this is no Hayao work in any respect. The best term I can use to describe it is "flat". Really, from characters to settings, to plot, even colors, drawing quality or music score, this is a pale reflection of works like princess Mononoke or Nausica and Spirited Away. Why a famed studio chose to release such an unworked movie and a bad adaptation of a famous fantasy novel is beyond me. The film did a very poor job in capturing my attention, and it managed to extract very little sympathy for the characters and their adversities. Much of the plot seems naive at best and many supposedly sentimental scenes centered on inner conflict made me yawn. During the very lengthy song scene I had my eyes closed because there was nothing interesting to watch. The degree of elaboration and overall style in graphics reminded me of a very old Hayao Miyazaki's work for TV, Heidi done in 1974, not a very favorable similarity by today's standards. In all, this film fails to create an inhabited universe that the spectator will feel intrigued to explore or a credible plot that they may follow. It is watchable, and perhaps moderately entertaining but utterly forgettable. Too bad, another missed chance for great literature to find good representation on the big screen. If magic ever filled this world, it had disappeared long before Goro Miyazaki decided to depict it.This is what the author thinks about the film, very enlightening: http://www.ursulakleguin.com/GedoSenkiResponse.html

Tales from Earthsea was the first Ghibli movie to be directed by Hayao Miyazaki's son, Goro Miyazaki. It ended up being an alright (if somewhat pedestrian) movie, especially considering that Hayao did not consider Goro ready for the responsibility of directing a Ghibli feature film. The story follows a boy named Arren who killed his father and stole his sword. Arren ends up getting caught in the crossfire of an age-old war that had been going on between a powerful wizard and a powerful witch. The story more or less plods aimlessly along throughout the movie, especially so when compared to Hayao's masterpieces. This movie didn't even hit North America until 2011, and then only on DVD in spite of Disney's recent Bluray distribution craze, which kind of shows that even they acknowledge this movie's mediocrity. With that said, Tales from Earthsea is still worth the watch, if only to see Studio Ghibli's beautiful art and to appreciate how far Goro Miyazaki has come as a director.