Eathsea (2000) Robert Lieberman   Ursula K. Le Guin's popular Earthsea novels have been brought to life in a vivid Sci-Fi Channel production. Fans of the book may not relish this adaptation, however, which was made without Le Guin's participation and includes changes, embellishments, and an overall interpretation with which the author has expressed misgivings. However, not having read the books myself, I can only comment on the production, which comes off as an entertaining adventure-fantasy. Le Guin's world of Earthsea is an intriguing one, a world with no continents per se, but instead is made up of isolated islands, each with its own distinct culture. The story centers on Ged (Shawn Ashmore), a young, high-spirited peasant who experiences strange visions and believes himself to be a wizard, to the chagrin of his no-nonsense blacksmith father. After Ged instinctively draws on his powers to protect his village from an attack, his gifts become obvious and he is taken under the tutelage of the wizard Ogion (Danny Glover). But Ged's impatience to perfect his gifts leads him to accept a challenge from a patrician bully, who prompts Ged to perform an act of conjuring which imperils the world of Earthsea itself. In his quest to right this wrong, Ged enters a new world that is both wondrous, bizarre, and terrifying. Earthsea is as much a story of redemption and self-discovery as it is an adventure-fantasy. The characters are solid and convincing, thanks in no small part to a fine cast and the strong guiding hand of director Rob Lieberman. For a TV miniseries that is often subject to rushed production and budgetary constraints, Earthsea is a handsomly mounted production. The visual style is not especially original, but filming in rainy British Columbia gives the production a wet look, in plausible keeping with a world comprised of a thousand islands. The locations in general are well chosen, with mossy gorges and towering Douglas Firs lending an effective fairy-tale aura to the film. Although fans of the books may not warmly embrace the production, taken on its own, Earthsea is convincingly acted and one of the better television fantasy films of recent years.   —Paul Andrew MacLean

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