"Tales from Earthsea" ("Gedo Senki") was the biggest hit of the summer in Japan in 2006, taking in more than ¥7.3 billion (about $61.4 million). But first-time director Goro Miyazaki found himself caught between two unhappy groups of fans. Fans of his father, Hayao Miyazaki, expected him to equal the work of animation's most admired director; devotees of Ursula LeGuin's "Earthsea" novels objected to the liberties he took with her fantasy-adventure. "Tales" is loosely based on "The Farthest Shore", the third novel in the quartet. LeGuin recounts how Prince Arren comes of age on a long voyage with Archmage Ged (a.k.a. Sparrowhawk) and learns to accept death as an essential part of life. Miyazaki presents a more violent, less philosophical sword-and-sorcery story. Arren (voiced by Matt Levin) stumbles into the company of Sparrowhawk (Timothy Dalton) after murdering his father. With the help of young witch Therru (Blaire Restaneo), he defeats the plot of the evil sorcerer Cob (Willem Dafoe) to escape death--and restores the vital Balance that governs the world of Earthsea. "Tales from Earthsea" offers some handsome visuals, including lush landscapes and Byzantine-Gothic palaces and cities. But the storytelling is fitful, and the English dub feels both talkier and slower than the original Japanese version. Taken on its own, "Tales from Earthsea" is a flawed, sometimes interesting adventure. But viewers expecting a faithful adaptation of LeGuin's beloved tale or the brilliant filmmaking of "Princess Mononoke" and "Spirited Away" will find it disappointing. (Rated PG-13 for some violent images) "--Charles Solomon"