Based on a well known series of fantasy novels – penned over more than a 20 year period (1968-1990) by American author Ursula K Le Guin – Tales From Earthsea is the feature debut of anime filmmaker Goro Miyazaki. Attempting to emerge from the shadow of a father who achieved greatness in the same field, I expected to meet with a work possessed of some new and unique qualities; unfortunately I was confronted with stock Studio Ghibli fare. Not being a great fan of anime, I can’t give as informed comment as others on Tales from Earthsea from that perspective. I am, however, familiar with the more popular recent films of Hayao Miyazaki (Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke), and really saw nothing (excepting for the source material storylines) from Miyazaki junior which hadn’t already been covered – and covered well.

This isn’t to say that Tales from Earthsea is weak viewing; it is enjoyable, just without presenting anything new. An approachable film, it should appeal to the same broad audience as previous Studio Ghibli efforts; a anime for kids and kidults alike. Beware though, some of the ‘screenplay’ does border on the embarrassingly cheesy with internal monologues like: “This was the last place I thought to find you Cob” [the antagonist dark wizard] as the shot pans to the very model of a dark wizard’s castle standing imposingly on the edge of a seaside cliff?! For the most part, though, the movie is well constructed and the characters thoughtfully written.

I feel more qualified to comment in relation to the source material as I am a long time fan of Le Guin’s Earthsea novels and I recently reread the Earthsea quartet (earlier this year prior to the festival programme release). Miyazaki’s adaptation takes elements from all four Earthsea novels but the main plot is a mixture of books three and four (The Farthest Shore and Tehanu respectively). Probably the thing I appreciated most about Tales from Earthsea is Goro Miyazaki’s easy combination of distinctly Japanese and Western components/character traits into a seamless whole. The heart of Le Guin’s stories remain intact inside a very Japanese flavoured retelling.—Jacob Powell