I am a big fan both of the Ghibli films and the Earthsea books, so I expected a treat when I heard the two were being combined. I was disappointed; although generally well-drawn and very atmospheric in places, Tales from Earthsea is undermined by a very bad adaptation of Ursula le Guin's plotline.
Rather than concentrating on a single episode from the books, the film is a jumble of scenes and characters, missing out huge swathes of the Earthsea story. At times it makes very little sense indeed, and one particular unexplained event means that it's impossible to have any real empathy with the main character. So much of the story is unmotivated that it's quite difficult to watch.
I recommend watching the Japanese version with the subtitles off, ignoring the plot, and just bathing yourself in the glorious visuals (some scenes, though, are strangely poorly-drawn compared to the rest).
Rather than concentrating on a single episode from the books, the film is a jumble of scenes and characters, missing out huge swathes of the Earthsea story. At times it makes very little sense indeed, and one particular unexplained event means that it's impossible to have any real empathy with the main character. So much of the story is unmotivated that it's quite difficult to watch.
I recommend watching the Japanese version with the subtitles off, ignoring the plot, and just bathing yourself in the glorious visuals (some scenes, though, are strangely poorly-drawn compared to the rest).