Review: "Tales from Earthsea"

So I think I’m one of the few people who saw “Cars 2” and actually didn’t hate it. Yeah, the concept to me was always a little strange but I got what they were aiming for: the car lovers.  I detected a lot of the inside jokes but I was inescapably alienated from the material.  Therefore, I appreciate how easy it would be for others to feel the same way (before kind of tearing John Lasseter a new muffler, as it were). Ah, the life of a black sheep; so easily misunderstood.

But “Tales from Earthsea” is another matter.

Like “Cars 2”, “TFES” it is widely regarded as a black sheep—especially when you compare the track records of dream factories Pixar and the Tokyo-based Studio Ghibli respectively. Both are pretty much batting a solid thousand with the exception of the aforementioned installments. Yet the fundamental difference is that where “Cars” is, ironically, esoteric—Goro Miyazaki’s adaptation of the beloved fantasy novels by Ursula Le Guin are simply not there; inspiring feelings of being closed off while somehow managing to be devoid of anything to be closed off from.

Le Guin, now in her early eighties, has written on several occasions of her displeasure regarding adaptations of her work. It seems a lot of producers and creative types are afraid to tackle her themes on race and sexual identity. Go figure. Anyway, Le Guin herself has stated that much of her work that has made it onscreen has been horrendous, brandishing the term “generic Mcmagic movie” to describe the sorts of formulaic fantasy plots that have crept into many of the productions, like 2004’s “Legend of Earthsea”.

The Japanese version seems to fare no better. From what I remember, the plot revolves around a super-duper archmage of Obi-Wan-like proportions (voiced in English by Timothy Dalton) and his young apprentice-on-the-lam. From there we have some random soul-searching episodes and a subplot about the death of magic, though the reasons for this are never really touched upon or explained. In the end, the filmmakers opt for ruminations on immortality and from there the archmage faces off with some effete villain who wants to master the forces of death and blah blah blah.

Hayao Miyazaki had approached Le Guin with a proposition to adapt the books but due to scheduling conflicts the job ultimately fell to Hayao’s son Goro, who had impressed the film’s producer with his work as curator of the Ghibli Museum. One can only feel for him, living in the shadow of his father’s intimate legacy. Some sources have said that Hayao was even opposed to his son’s involvement as director. I’m guessing Le Guin understood as much, judging from her guarded response towards the film’s ultimate form.

And as far as first films go, Goro’s isn’t terrible. The voice talent is there. The lush, vibrant animation is too, occasionally.

But the two most important factors in the making of a truly great Studio Ghibli film are noticeably absent. One, Joe Hisaishi’s magisterial score. And two, heart.

I won’t tout the primacy of logical plot progression in the case of Miyazaki senior because, hell, he’s made films that are so weird and strange and beautiful that it would completely go against the grain of everything he stands for. The majesty of his films is that logic can take the backseat to emotional credibility. Quixotic bits of lore are only one tenth as effective as a cogent coming of age story. A mustache-twirling villain can only be as powerful as their sordid past allows them to be. Dueling dragons, magical swords and Mariska Hargitay—none are a match for an honest streak of empathy.

In the end, "TFES" aims for this and falls short. Let's hope he can pull his act together before Hayao really does decide to 'retire'. 

***

Directed by:
Goro Miyazaki

Written by:
Ursula K. Le Guin (novel)


Screenplay by:
Goro Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa
Hayao Miyazaki (Concept)

Produced by:
Steve Alpert
Javier Ponton
Toshio Suzuki
Jim Hubbert..........................associate producer
Tomohiko Ishii......................assistant producer
Herbert Primig......................associate producer

Cast (English version):
Willem Dafoe........................Cob
Timothy Dalton.....................Ged/Sparrowhawk
Mariska Hargitay..................Tenar
Matt Levin............................Prince Arren
Cheech Marin.......................Hare
Blaire Restaneo.....................Therru