Gedo senki (2006)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Goro Miyazaki

Writers:

Ursula K. Le Guin (novel)
Goro Miyazaki (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

29 July 2006 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Fantasy

Plot:

Something bizarre has come over the land. The kingdom is deteriorating. People are beginning to act strange...

Plot Keywords:

Dragon | Asian | Earthsea | Anime | Based On Novel

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Junichi Okada	...	Arren (voice)
Aoi Teshima	...	Theru (voice)
Bunta Sugawara	...	Haitaka (voice)
Yûko Tanaka	...	Cob (voice)
Teruyuki Kagawa	...	Hare (voice)
Jun Fubuki	...	Tenar (voice)
Takashi Naitô	...	Hazia dealer (voice)
Mitsuko Baisho	...	The Mistress (voice)
Yui Natsukawa	...	The Queen (voice)
Kaoru Kobayashi	...	The King (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jeff Bennett	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Susanne Blakeslee	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version) (as Suzanne Blakeslee)
Kathryn Cressida	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version) (as Kat Cressida)
Willem Dafoe	...	Cob (voice: English version)
Timothy Dalton	...	Ged / Sparrowhawk (voice: English version)
Pat Fraley	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Jessica Gee	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version) (as Jessica Gee-George)
Brian George	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Grant George	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Mariska Hargitay	...	Tenar (voice: English version)
Jess Harnell	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Steve Kramer	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Matt Levin	...	Prince Arren (voice: English version)
David Lodge	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Tress MacNeille	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Cheech Marin	...	Hare (voice: English version)
Liam O'Brien	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Tara Platt	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Blaire Restaneo	...	Therru (voice: English version)
Kevin Michael Richardson	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Mark Silverman	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Terrence Stone	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Karen Strassman	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Russi Taylor	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)

Also Known As:

Tales from Earthsea (International: English title)

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX | DTS-ES

Certification:

Hong Kong:I | Italy:T | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Netherlands:12 | UK:PG | Ireland:12A | Singapore:NC-16 | Germany:6 | Finland:K-11 | South Korea:All | Sweden:11

Company:

Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Trivia:

Initially, "Earthsea" author Ursula K. Le Guin wanted Hayao Miyazaki to direct the film. At the time, however, the elder Miyazaki was tied up working on Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004), and thus could not come on board at the right time. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to make the film, Miyazaki's son Goro Miyazaki stepped up to the plate and decided to make this his first film.

Quotes:

Haitaka: Listen to me Arren. No man nor anything in this world lives forever. But only to us is it given to know that we must die. And that is a precious gift. This life that is our torment and our treasure does not endure. It is a wave on the sea. Would you force the sea to grow still, to save one wave? To save yourself?

Movie Connections:

Version of Earthsea (2004) (TV)

Like all Ghibli films, something worth watching

After watching this film I was pleased with the overall feel and look the production. Most notably I was impressed with the studio's visual creation of Earthsea. While the artistry and animation quality does not entirely measure up to other recent Ghibli studio films, I felt it did create a rich and colorful setting in which the story unfolds. A solid score also helps to shape the vibrant world that the movie conveys. However, I wouldn't consider all this to be a faithful representation of Ursula k. Le Guin's literary Earthsea, but rather something unique on to itself. One thing in particular that I think separates the film setting from that of the books' is the absence of the sea. I'm not saying its not there, just that it seems to mostly be in the background.

As for the story I don't think it stands out as anything great. It was limited from the start. The movie like the book is a single episode in a much larger tale. In no way could it possibly encompass the magnitude of the Earthsea series, let alone the main events in The Farthest Shore. It would simply be too much to present in a canvass of its length. As a result It lacks the epic feel of Princess Mononoke or the closure that comes at the end of Spirited Away. In other respects though, the film borrows heavily from Ghibli's previous works, mainly with the characters. They are shadows of former Ghibli creations, but due to their interaction and set of circumstances they retain some originality. I might also add that they come off as serious, and are far removed from the playful personalities that give other Ghibli films their charm. This said they still manage to play out their given roles and drive the story forward. From beginning to end the film holds up in large part because the setting never loses its feel.

I enjoyed this picture in spite of its flaws, again because of it's look and feel. For once I could see winged dragons clash and wizards face off in a Ghibli film. In my opinion Goro Miyazaki did a decent job bringing it all to life. At the same time, I hope he will learn from this experience and strive to do better next time. After my seeing Gedo Senki he has my support.