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DVD Earthsea
Originally broadcast as Legend of Earthsea in December 2004, the Sci-Fi Channel's four-hour miniseries of Earthsea rides the coattails of the Lord of the Rings trilogy with its quest-driven story of humble blacksmith Ged (Shawn Ashmore), a wizard-to-be who is mentored by the magical Ogion (Danny Glover) as he seeks to preserve the realm of Earthsea from the evil King Tygath (Sebastian Roché). Ged's adventures lead him to the priestess Tenar (Kristen Kreuk, from Smallville) and with secrets shared by High Priestess Thar (Isabella Rossellini), they gain the power to prevail over Tygath. As presented by Robert Halmi Sr. (producer of Merlin, Gulliver's Travels and several other fantasy miniseries), this skeletal rendering of Earthsea boasts a wealth of digital effects and semi-lavish set design, but Ashmore's lack of charisma hampers a production already fraught with problems. It provoked the wrath of fantasy fans and a firm rejection by author Ursula K. Le Guin, who had watched helplessly (she wasn't involved or consulted) as her classic novels A Wizard of Earthsea and The Tombs of Atuan were racially "whitewashed" (in Le Guin's words) nearly beyond recognition. As TV fantasy goes, Earthsea is admirably ambitious, but best enjoyed by those with no awareness of the classic books it is very loosely based on. --Jeff Shannon
When the DVD cover draws comparisons to "Lord of the Rings", it seems they are referring to the books, not the films.
Slow placed, wandering, with a series of sub plots so blindingly obvious that even Stevie Wonder has spotted where they will head, Earthsea is a film that may placate die hard fantasy fans but leave all but the most hardened of Dragon fans utterly bored.
The acting is passable and no where near as bad as the shockingly painful Dungeons and Dragons film. The special effects are also pretty convincing and the trick of using the special effects to show imagination, such as turning lumps of salt into mini islands on a table, seen before in the Merlin and Gulliver's Travels miniseries, is nice, but used infrequently enough to feel utterly out of place.
Most gutting of all is that this is a three hour film, with around an hour's worth of plot. The ending is utterly anti-climatic, the sub-plots plod on to their obvious and inevtiable conclusion and all in all you're left wondering it watching paint dry might not be an altogether more intense experience.
Not Only Entertaining but Meaningful
OK, I've never read the books, so this is not a review of the adaptation but simple of the story pressented. This movie potreys a very elaborate and diverse world where differing cultures collide and intregue and adventure abounds -- maybe not as much as could be show in a whole series of novels, but enough to be entertaining. Further, this is not only an entertaining story, but, whether Ursala K. Leguin or Robert Lieberman is more responcible for the final impression, what has been created in this movie is a powerful growth and personal transformation myth rich in potential metaphore. This is not a movie that potreys good and evil in a simplistic, Starwars style "which side are you on" mode, but a mature way that recognizes the complexities of the human soul. Its one of the few movies I would consider devoting space on my shelf for, to see again and again and have on hand to share, rather than just renting once and being done with.
Spend your money on the books, not this slop
When I ran across this at a video/DVD rental store, I thought it wouldn't be very good because I've seen the Sci-Fi Channel's poor productions before. But I love Ursula K.'s books, and maybe there would be one of two things to like about the movie. Maybe.
But it was far worse than I expected. From the almost entirely white cast (with the exception of Danny Glover as Ogion and Kristen Kreuk as Tenar -- who in the books was Kargish, and hence white) playing characters who in Le Guin's books were of color, to the mispronunciation of Ogion's name, to getting which name was Ged's use-name and real name backwards, to the complete stupidity of the plot, which bore no resemblance to the plots of the originals -- this movie just really bit the big one. In a very, very big way.
Yes, Ursula, someone someday will decide to make a movie that is true to the spirit and meaning of your books. In the meantime, my imagination will carry me through as I reread the Earthsea books yet again, as I have periodically since I was 13.
Despite voluminous protest and nitpicking criticism from loyal fans of the original 1978-80 TV series, the 2003 version of Battlestar Galactica turned out surprisingly well for viewers with a tolerance for change. Originally broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel in December 2003 and conceived by Star Trek: The Next Generation alumnus Ronald D. Moore as the pilot episode for a "reimagined" TV series, this four-hour "miniseries" reprises the basic premise of the original show while giving a major overhaul (including some changes in gender) to several characters and plot elements. Gone are the flowing robes, disco-era hairstyles, and mock-Egyptian fighter helmets, and thankfully there's not a fluffy "daggit" in sight... at least, not yet. Also missing are the "chrome toaster" Cylons,... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Michael Rymer DVD Release Date: Released the 28 December 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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While setting a milestone in the progress of digital filmmaking, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow resurrects a nostalgic fantasy world derived from a wide variety of vintage inspirations. It's a dazzling dream for anyone who appreciates the look and feel of golden-age sci-fi pulp magazines, drawing its unique, all-digital design from such diverse sources as Howard Hawks adventures, Fritz Lang's Metropolis, Buck Rogers, Blackhawk comics, The Third Man, cliffhanger serials, and the action-packed Indiana Jones franchise. Writer-director Kerry Conran's feature debut is also guaranteed to inspire digital dreamers everywhere, suggesting a paradigm shift in the way CGI-dominated movies are made. It's a giddy adventure for the young and young-at-heart, in... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Gwyneth Paltrow - Jude Law - Angelina Jolie Director(s): Kerry Conran DVD Release Date: Released the 25 January 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Created at least in part due to popular demand, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars will provide some closure to fans who were dismayed by the demise of the popular science fiction television show in 2003 and campaigned mightily to bring it back. Indeed, this miniseries (originally broadcast over two nights on the Sci-Fi Channel) will likely appeal primarily to the Farscape faithful, as the somewhat convoluted storyline may prove baffling to the uninitiated.
A brief bit of backstory explains how John Crichton, an astronaut from Earth, went through a wormhole and ended up on Moya, a living spaceship, with a motley group of aliens, including D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe), Chiana (Gigi Edgley), various puppet characters (designed by the Jim Henson Company), and Aeryn... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Brian Henson DVD Release Date: Released the 18 January 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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While 2003's Daredevil was a conventional superhero movie, the 2005 spinoff, Elektra, is more of a wuxia-styled martial arts/fantasy flick. Elektra (Jennifer Garner) has returned to her life as a hired assassin, but she balks at an assignment to kill a single father (Goran Visnjic, ER) and his teenage daughter (Kirsten Prout). That makes her the target of the Hand, an organization of murderous ninjas, scheming corporate types, and a band of stylish supervillains seeking to eliminate Elektra and tip the balance of power in the ongoing battle of good vs. evil.
As the star of Alias, Garner has proven that she can kick butt with the best of them, and some of the visual effects are impressive, but the action sequences tend to be anticlimactic, and... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Jennifer Garner - Goran Visnjic - Will Yun Lee Director(s): Rob Bowman DVD Release Date: Released the 05 April 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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The 4400, which began as a five-week miniseries on the USA Network, is built around a deceptively simple, dramatically rich premise. What if all the people, who had ever been abducted by aliens, were suddenly returned to Earth? What would happen? Although they look exactly as they did when they left, they have no knowledge of where they were or why they were taken. Now some even have special powers, like clairvoyance. As with ABC's Lost, which centers on the survivors of a plane crash, The 4400 features a large cast of characters and a host of mysteries to be solved. If the special effects, which are kept to a minimum, can be a little cheesy at times, the concept--and the skillful execution of the concept--easily makes up for it.
