Earthsea

January 25, 2006

Though the miniseries ran sometime in 2004, I only just recently saw it. Generally, I liked it. There are wizards, clerics, and fighters. The hero is an impatient fellow who is marked for greatness but manages to muck it up. But, of course, this was all part of some grand prophecy so he was destined to figure it out. A bit pat but well executed.

The world is limited in its monsters. We see a dragon that bears an uncanny resemblance to the dragons of D&D the movie. The CGI is weak but one doesn't expect great effects here. There are harpy-like demons that are held behind a great door guarded by the world's clerics who all seem to be women. There is also a Gebbeth, some undead looking beasty that chases the hero a lot.

Having read the reviews of others, it seems the movie is not true to the books. This has infuriated fans so the reviews were surprisingly harsh. Even the author weighed in with her disappointment. Gee, I liked it. If a weak adaptation proved to be this entertaining, the books must be outstanding. But if I read the books, will I come to hate the movie that prompted me to read them? Interesting thought.

In any case, if you see this movie on the shelf at Blockbuster or being replayed on SciFi, it is worth a look.

 

I did go on to read the books and see why fans and Ursula K Le Guin were upset.  I think I review the books somewhere further along.