A new film from Studio Ghibli is always cause for celebration. The renowned Japanese studio have long eschewed the traditional tropes of Asian animation (frightened schoolgirls, giant robots and extreme violence) with critically-acclaimed efforts such as Spirited Away, Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Princess Mononoke.
Tales From Earthsea, directed by Goro Miyazaki (son of the legendary Hayao) is based on the novels by fantasy author, Ursula Le Guin. A young prince, Arren, flees his kingdom to find a world in chaos. Rescued by a wizard, Sparrowhawk, he learns that a dark mage, Lord Cob, has upset the natural balance in his search for eternal life.
With beautiful, painterly backdrops, and trademark attention to detail, Earthsea certainly looks the part, and with the various settings (a desert scattered with the hulks of shipwrecks, a bustling port city set amongst huge ruins) the film is a feast for the eyes as well as the imagination.
Compared with Ghibli’s earlier work, Earthsea feels closer to the worlds of Middle Earth and Narnia than the lurid, surreal woods of Mononoke - this is Japanimation that will appeal to the Harry Potter generation.
Special mention must be made of the superb optional English-language dub. This is one Japanese film I actually enjoyed watching in English; for me, an unexpected first!
Adapted from Ursula K. Le Guin's beloved children's fantasy book series, this animated film from Studio Ghibli marks the directorial debut of Goro Miyazaki, the son of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki ('Spirited Away', 'Howl's Moving Castle').
A strange force is disturbing the natural harmony in the land of Earthsea. Dragons are fighting, magic is dying out, and humanity is falling into chaos and disorder. Haunted by inner demons, Prince Arren stabs his father and absconds with the king's sword. He meets master wizard Ged and a strange young girl named Therru and finds friendship and protection. A dark shadow, however, continues to haunt Arren, drawing him closer to the evil sorcerer Cob whose quest for eternal life is destroying the balance between the realm of the living and the dead. To save Earthsea, Arren must stop Cob, but Arren himself is desending into darkness.
