22. Tales from Earthsea

Miyazaki famously quarreled with his son, Goro, over the latter’s ability to direct Tales from Earthsea, and indeeed, the final product feels like the result of a young man who was in over his head. The movie deserves its ignominious reputation, as it is inconsistent, poorly staged, and often terrible. It’s a shame, too, for there are some strong elements to the film and enormous potential, with the outlines of an epic tale and compelling characters in Sparrowhawk and Cob (who are wonderfully dubbed by Timothy Dalton and Willem Dafoe, respectively)—it just never comes quite together and totally unravels at the end, resulting in the only bad film in Studio Ghibli’s outstanding run.

—

All Studio Ghibli movies are available for sale, including many in special collectible editions. We encourage you to go check them out!

• Author
• Recent Posts

Twwk

Husband. Dad. Occasionally Korean. Enjoys Star Wars, ASOIAF, and Meg Ryan movies. Tweets before proofreading. Ghibli. Oregairuuuuu. Jesus is King. Follow me on Twitter (@thetangles).

Latest posts by Twwk (see all)

• Fanart Friday: Ruby, You Are Not Alone - 03.27.2026
• And the 2026 AniMarch Madness Champion Is… - 03.27.2026
• AniMarch Madness 2026, Championship Round: A Clash of Champions! Frieren vs. FMAB - 03.25.2026