“Terror
reigns over the land of Earthsea
as a malevolent sorcerer causes
crops to fail and animals to die; and
with the rare appearance of dragons,
a master wizard fears for the future
of the people as the evil spreads in
the fabulous Studio Ghibli animé Tales
From Earthsea...”
OUT ON A STORMY SEA, sailors witness a dragon fight in disbelief. Dragons
are never seen in this area and the men are deeply concerned as already there
have been signs of impending doom — the light of the balance that
sustains the world is dimming.
With the failure of crops, diseased sheep and cattle dying, farmers are abandoning
their homes to leave them to fall into ruin. The king sends for magicians to
help correct the imbalance as the evil spreads throughout the land of Earthsea,
but his determination to rid his kingdom of the threat of this dark force seals
his fate. He is murdered just before his son Prince Arren (voice of Matt Levin)
disappears.
“This
magnificent animé
is an amazing visual
delight; a terrific tale with
a dramatic and startling
climax...”
While
on a quest to discover and deal with the reason for the chaos, Lord Archmage
Sparrowhawk (voice of Timothy Dalton) finds the troubled Arren surrounded by
rabid wolves and saves his life. Arren, who refuses to part with his father's
sword, is being pursued by a sinister presence and Sparrowhawk tells him that
it was no accident that they met.
The two travel together and in a large market town they see slaves and find
danger at every turn. Arren rescues Theru (voice of Blaire Restaneo), a young
girl with a burn mark on her face, from the slavers; but she runs off, incurring
the wrath of their leader Hare (voice of Cheech Marin). Subsequently, Arren
is captured and when Sparrowhawk comes to his rescue they move closer to their
intertwined destinies.
Sparrowhawk takes the weary Arren to his friend and former priestess Tenar (voice
of Mariska Hargitay), where Arren once again meets Theru, who is Tenar's mysterious
adopted daughter. The Archmage takes Arren's mount to ride out to investigate
the darkness around them, but the slavers, who are the henchmen of the evil
wizard Cob (voice of Willem Dafoe), have tracked Sparrowhawk to Tenar's home.
With the power of the faithful wizards diminishing, will Sparrowhawk be strong
enough to complete his quest as he once again faces an old adversary? Will Arren,
supported by Tenar and Theru, find the determination to shake off the dark forces
that follow him? The four must face their darkest hour as Cob's manic obsession
with immortality threatens to destroy Earthsea.
An epic tale of redemption and self-discovery, the film is adapted from the
much-loved Earthsea novels by respected author Ursula Le Guinn, Studio Ghibli
presents a sweeping adventure set in a mythical world filled with magic and
enchantment. This magnificent animé is an amazing visual delight; a terrific
tale with a dramatic and startling climax.
Benefiting from an acclaimed voice cast, Tales From Earthsea (Japanese
title Gedo Senki) also features the voices of: Jeff Bennett; Suzanne
Blakeslee; Cathryn Cressida; Pat Fraley; Tress MacNeille; Jessica Gee; Brian
George, Grant George and David Lodge. Original Music is by Tamiya Terashima;
Screenplay is by Goro Miyazaki, who is also the Director.
• Tales
From Earthsea is available on Blu-ray from 25 June 2012. Certificate: PG
| Feature Running Time: 115 Minutes Approximately | English Language and Japanese
with Subtitles | Catalogue Number: OPTBD1083 | RRP: £24.99.
Extras
Complete Storyboards | The Birth of the Film Soundtrack Featurette (Brand New)
| NTV Special Featurette | Behind The Studio: Origins of Earthsea (Brand New)
| Japanese Trailers and Television Spots | Studio Ghibli Trailer Reel.
"Tales From Earthsea… This magnificent animé is an amazing visual
delight; a terrific tale with a dramatic and startling climax" — Maggie
Woods, MotorBar
"Visually stunning… An epic creation pitched against a backdrop of vividly-hued,
sweeping landscapes… A true gem from the Miyazaki dynasty" — i-D Magazine
“Terror
reigns over the land of Earthsea