Tales from Earthsea

Based on the Earthsea novels by Ursula K. Le Guin, this animated fantasy about a wandering wizard and a troubled teenage prince in exile searching for the cause of their world's ecological crisis marks the directorial debut of legendary animation director Hayao Miyazaki's son, Goro. Papa's influence is apparent in the overriding theme of mankind's greed tipping nature's balance, and the mix of European and Asian influences, coupled with the hand-drawn animation and character designs, are characteristic of Studio Ghibli. Yet Goro lacks his father's storytelling richness and light touch with characterization. For all the gorgeous detail, 2006's Tales from Earthsea is an often dreary journey for Prince Arren (voiced by Matt Levin) and his magician companion Lord Sparrowhawk (Timothy Dalton), who plod along—burdened by overly preachy dialogue—through a land of dragons and castles to the safe haven presided over by Tenar (Mariska Hargitay). Le Guin fans will find that the film reduces her dense mythology to a generic tale, although it does showcase Studio Ghibli's unique visual grace, notable in the dark powers of shape-shifting villain Cob (Willem Dafoe), which bend the natural world in unnatural ways. Presented on a dual-language disc, rated PG-13, DVD extras include a 'Behind the Studio' featurette, an interactive map, and a trivia challenge. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker) [Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review—Feb. 10, 2015—Walt Disney, 115 min., PG-13, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $36.99—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 2006's Tales from Earthsea sports an excellent transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack on the Blu-ray disc. Extras include the original Japanese storyboard version of the film (116 min.), the production segments 'The Birth Story of a Film Soundtrack' (60 min.) and 'Behind the Studio: Origins of Earthsea' (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: the visuals sparkle on Blu-ray in this uneven but beautiful Studio Ghibli film.] [DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review—Feb. 6, 2018—Shout! Factory, 116 min., PG-13, DVD: $19.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $29.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, 2006's Tales from Earthsea features a great transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include feature-length storyboards, 'The Birth Story of the Film Soundtrack' documentary (60 min.), an 'NTV Special' (44 min.), 'The Birth Story of Therru's Song' behind-the-scenes featurette (30 min.), brief TV spots, and a booklet. Bottom line: offering an extras upgrade, this is a sharp-looking edition of Studio Ghibli's somewhat uneven anime feature based on the late Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea novels.]