Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Dirtylogy It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

CinemaClown Although not as remarkable as Studio Ghibli's finest works while also lacking the magic, simplicity & dazzling quality of his father's films, the first feature film by the son of the great Hayao Miyazaki still manages to leave a positive impression and despite being marred by its convoluted plot & lack of direction, offers a cinematic experience that's much better than what its critical reception suggests.Tales from Earthsea follows Arren, the young prince of Enlad who kills his father, steals his sword & flees from the kingdom but his journey soon crosses path with a wizard named Sparrowhawk who's investigating the cause of the unexpected change in the world's balance. The two take refuge at an acquaintance's farm where Arren meets a young girl named Therru who shows him the value of life.Co-written & directed by Gorō Miyazaki, the vast size of the canvas is undeniably overwhelming for an inexperienced filmmaker and it is evident here as the film lacks both composure & patience, the two aspects whose proper execution have made so many Ghibli films stand out over the years. The plot takes too many turns, is unsure of where it is heading, and the end result of that is a fractured narrative.Tales from Earthsea nonetheless manages to score high in the technical category. The hand-drawn animation is truly stunning & brings its fantasy world to life in splendid detail while the efficient use of colour palette gives its images a resonant look n feel. Uplifting the whole experience by further notches is its background score that's definitely mesmerising but is also highly reminiscent of epic tales.On an overall scale, Tales from Earthsea is flawed but it is certainly not as bad as it is made out to be. The film deals with the themes relating to life, death & the necessity to keep nature in balance but it fails to address it in a more accessible manner. For a directional debut, Gorō Miyazaki does bite off more than he can chew but what he puts up on the screen is still a fascinating sit, if not an emotionally rewarding one.

Raymond Karago I was in love for the first two thirds of this film.Never has a film had me so engaged and so curious as to where it was going. Even the film's opening had me, it starts with dragons fighting and then we find out that dragons don't fight and then a King is murdered by his own son. WOW !!!! That is how you start a film. You have all this talk about impending doom and a great imbalance, and it keeps you curious.The characters are awesome. My favorite was Timothy Dalton's character, his voice is one of the coolest I've ever heard and I think is a combination of Ian McKellen, James Earl Jones and James Spader. He's warm and fatherly but he sounds like he knows what he's doing and how to stand his ground. The main character and his love interest are also likable and have their fair share of quiet movements to just be characters. Willem Dafoe is incredible for most of the film as the villain, Cobb. He's so shady and just whispers a lot of his lines, it's so unsettling. He never gets mad or intimidated and he always looks like he's got everything planned.When we got to the final act, I was very disappointed and confused. The final battle is very small and very quick. Willem Dafoe goes from that scary voice to something that sounded like the Green Goblin on helium, his plan is also incredibly weak. Also, I didn't understand the ending at all, without giving too much away, there is something about a dragon that just seems to happen that I just didn't understand. It's like, they forgot about the ending and shoe horned it all in.I enjoyed the film, I like stories where people from normal lives are thrown into something grand, for example I actually enjoyed Appocalypto. I just wish they made more light of the climax and the villain's motivation.I know this review is all over the place, definitely go watch the film and make your own conclusion.

steagle 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.

rjciez I was expecting this movie to be terrible after reading several comments suggesting this is the worst movie produced by Ghibli.Fortunately I was gladly surprised by the quality of the movie. I have not read the book series though.It is true that at times the movie tries to copy the same vibe of Mononoke (the soundtrack, the epic character of the movie, even Cob gets his hand chopped, something I have only seen once before in a Ghibli movie), but at the same time it has a totally different main plot (this does not try to deal with environmentalism but it kind of approaches our own limited existence).The end feels a bit rushed. I was utterly confused when Theru suddenly transforms into a dragon and then goes back to a girl (maybe I missed something), fortunately they wrap it up nicely at the end.Overall, I would recommend it. Very different from other Ghibli movies (not recommended for kids i guess), and not at the level of the best movies put by the studio, but this does not make it bad at all.