Studio Ghibli Thought's: Tales From Earthsea

There is possibly some hidden meaning that Tales From Earthsea begins with the main character of the movie, Arren, killing his own father, given that this movie was directed by Goro Miyazaki, reportedly against the advice of his father, the legendary Hayao Miyazaki. If so, then that solitary scene reflects the only point of meaning in an otherwise chaotic and haphazard work that rarely, if ever, rises to the usual standards of Studio Ghibli films.

Based on the Earthsea series by Ursula K. Le Guin, there is a lot of pedigree behind this animation that was squandered, both in the utilization of Studio Ghibli talents and in adapting Le Guin’s work (she was disappointed with the final film, which she thought the elder Miyazaki would direct). The final product is not considered an accurate or true adaptation to any of the Earthsea novels and is instead an amalgamation of that world with Shuna’s Journey, a graphic novel by Hayao Miyazaki.

Regardless of its success as an adaptation, the movie should be judged based on its own merits, and that’s sadly where it falters as well. At its core, this is a movie about lonely characters who either learn to live through sharing their lives with others or grow in their despair as they wallow in their own isolation. In those moments, where the film slows down, and the “heart” of the film is most exposed, it seems to work. However, it seems to be force-layered with tangential complexities that are clumsily woven into the final tale and subsequently weigh the whole film down.

Coincidence seems to be the main driver of the plot. The main character, Arren, meets the heroine Therru because he randomly decided to stay behind from his newly found savior, which is fine. However, that Arren stupidly falls asleep in the streets of the city and is subsequently captured by the same slavers he just saved Therry from is beyond credulity. Unfortunately, many plot points of the film appear to be just as forced, weakening the emotional heft and connection between the characters.

Curiously, some level of the sloppiness of the plot even managed to infect Studio Ghibli’s impeccable animation work, which has noticeable flaws for the first time in my experience. True, the film still has beautiful scenery and evocative world design, but the usual sense of the studio’s perfection is absent from this work.

As such, it won’t surprise any of you that I consider this my least favorite Studio Ghibli film, and the one I most easily give a Low-Tier rating for. Now, if you are not familiar with the rest of the Studio Ghibli canon and are a little bit concerned about the graphics image I pointed out at the beginning of these thoughts, then rest assured that Goro Miyazaki does redeem himself with his next movie and regains his father’s respect.