Legend of Earthsea == Atrocity

[Fyron]

And no, not the good kind of Atrocity, that guy that makes all those shiney shipsets... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif

Fans of a novel, or series of novels, always complain how the film adaptation is not quite true to the novel. They never are, but this is understandable, as they are different forms, and require some changes. But the Legend of Earthsea mini series produced by the Sci Fi Channel was just wrong.

There is only a very tenuous glance at the story contained within. The basic setting is the same, and a few events from the first 2 novels were used. Well, mostly the first so far in part 1, as the mini series seems to be some sort of combination of the two. For the most part, the story in the mini series was completely made up by the Sci Fi writers. It had very little to no bearing on the work of Ursula Le Guin. This is quite possibly one of the greatest atrocities committed against classic literature of our time... There is little point going into the gory details, and surely a quick Google search will turn up dozens of sites of whiney fanboys for those interested...

If you have not seen the Legend of Earthsea mini series yet, do not waste your time. Ursula Le Guin herself has denounced it... It does not even deserve the grace of a bad rating.

[Jack Simth]

Worse than Star Ship Troopers?

[Fyron]

I don't know, I never read that book...

[Randallw]

The Film of "Starship Troopers" is nothing but a hollywood sci-fi action movie. It is nothing like the book, which is a classic expose on military and totalitarianism which happens to be a sci-fi novel, apart from 2 things, the bugs, and the Federation. The best thing I can say about the movie is that it made me buy the book.

[Atrocities]

Twas a horrid mini series. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif Really really bad.

[Raging Deadstar]

Randallw said:
The Film of "Starship Troopers" is nothing but a hollywood sci-fi action movie. It is nothing like the book, which is a classic expose on military and totalitarianism which happens to be a sci-fi novel, apart from 2 things, the bugs, and the Federation. The best thing I can say about the movie is that it made me buy the book.



The Curse of Shrapnel Forums hits again. This thread will now devolve from it's topic into much complaining between the Book and the Terrible Film. Why? Why does this always happen??!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[deccan]

I read all four books. "A Wizard of Earthsea" was my favorite book when I was a child, about 8-10 years old. It's not an "epic fantasy" story at all anyway, so I wouldn't expect it to be a successful film conVersion. The stories are very subtle ones about personal development, taking responsibility, coming into oneself etc.

[Randallw]

Raging Deadstar said:

Randallw said:
The Film of "Starship Troopers" is nothing but a hollywood sci-fi action movie. It is nothing like the book, which is a classic expose on military and totalitarianism which happens to be a sci-fi novel, apart from 2 things, the bugs, and the Federation. The best thing I can say about the movie is that it made me buy the book.



The Curse of Shrapnel Forums hits again. This thread will now devolve from it's topic into much complaining between the Book and the Terrible Film. Why? Why does this always happen??!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif



Damn, your right, and I forgot.

Intel forum rule #1: It is compulsory that if any thread is created discussing movies/Tv shows, the subject of Starship Troopers must be raised (preferably on the first page) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

sorry. Please everyone lets forget the movie/book in question.

[Emperor Fritsch the Dense]

omg! i liked the movie SST.....but then i loved the book far more. and i guess i wont watch that series.
Emperor Fritsch the Readstomanydamnbooks

[Starhawk]

Aw well I like the mini-series http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif though I'm probobly also going to read the books eventually.

Besides that Kristen Kruek hehe http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif good reason right there to watch it lol.

[Arkcon]

Yeah, I felt the same way about the Dune miniseries on the SciFi channel. It seemed more fashion show than good quality sci-fi. After a caught some bits of it however, I liked it a little more. So, I tivo'ed the Wizard of Earthsea. Some rainy day, I may be bored enough to go check it out.

[Baron Munchausen]

I expected as much when I saw that the cast was almost entirely pasty white. LeGuin's world is the Asia-Pacific region in microcosm. The only 'white' people are barbarians who hardly figure in the stories. And of course the stories themselves have relatively little 'glitz' of the sort that modern media requires. No car chases, no huge explosions, and horrors... no 'love interest' in the whole dang thing!

But this is television where everything must be mutilated to suit the marketing department, so of course they made up a whole different world and pasted the 'Earthsea' label on it to attract an audience. I'm somewhat surprised that Ursula K. LeGuin commented at all. Most authors today are already quite aware that a film or television 'adaptation' of their work is just a 'brand' purchase by the commercial hacks of hollywood and rarely bears much resemblance to the original story. That she bothered to publicly condemn it makes me think it must be very bad....

[Starhawk]

Have you ever tried finding an entire English speaking cast of Asian appearance lol I'm sure it's quite hard http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Well at least Kruek is Hawaiian which I guess they figure is close enough http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif


Seriously though she shouldn't have sold it to them if she was going to whine later, get over it, they made a good story IMHO and I'll look at that and the book as two serperate stories that are both good (if Earthsea the books are any good).

But if you like that Asiatic theme to fantasy books read:
Daughter of the Empire
Servant of the Empire
Mistress of the Empire

Excellent books with great plotline, limited romance which actually does play into the story overall, and a lot of intrigue and action, plus a little magic (mostly in the 2nd and 3rd books) and a very realistic and human cast of characters http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Fyron]

Starhawk said:
Have you ever tried finding an entire English speaking cast of Asian appearance lol I'm sure it's quite hard http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

No, it isn't. Especially not in California...


Seriously though she shouldn't have sold it to them if she was going to whine later, get over it, they made a good story IMHO and I'll look at that and the book as two serperate stories that are both good (if Earthsea the books are any good).

The problem is that the Sci-Fi miniseries really isn't a good story, ignoring the fact that it has nothing to do with Earthsea. It is sappy, corny trash. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif The Last smidgeon of respect I had for the Sci Fi channel has been snuffed out.

[Starhawk]

I don't think it's that corny http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif I like it as I said. But aw well to each his own of course.

[Renegade 13]

Imperator Fyron said:

Starhawk said:
Have you ever tried finding an entire English speaking cast of Asian appearance lol I'm sure it's quite hard http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

No, it isn't. Especially not in California...



Heh, same in southern BC...

[Fyron]

The dragon has a lisp. A lisp. *shakes head*

[Starhawk]

Well he HAS a forked tounge http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif
Besides nothing wrong with a dragon with a lisp, I have a lisp and I think it's cool a being as cool as a dragon could have one.

[Fyron]

It epitomizes the butchery...

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Never read LoE.

My dad thinks it's cruel that the word 'lisp' has an 's' in it.

[Randallw]

How about trying to spell Dyslexia properly http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif. I mean it doesn't even look like a proper word.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Monosylabic - 4.

[Combat Wombat]

What I don't understand is why the Sci-Fi Channel is making a Fantasy mini-series that has nothing to do with science fiction, what happened to the Sci-Fi channel I loved where I could almost always turn to it to get my fix of classic Star Trek episoids.

[gregebowman]

Combat Wombat said:
What I don't understand is why the Sci-Fi Channel is making a Fantasy mini-series that has nothing to do with science fiction, what happened to the Sci-Fi channel I loved where I could almost always turn to it to get my fix of classic <a href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=1&k=star%20trek" onmouseover="window.status='Star Trek'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Star Trek</a> episoids.



Remember, this is the same Sci-Fi Channel that used to have John Edwards (?) on it. Why the heck is a phony psychic on a channel dedicated to science fiction? I don't mind a fantasy movie or show on Sci-fi, but that stupid show should never have been on in the first place. There have been enough sci-fi shows made over the past 50 years, not only in America but around the world, that Sci-Fi doesn't need a phony reality show. Just show us some good sci-fi. They used to show anime also on Saturday mornings, also. I wish someone with a dedicated interest in science fiction instead of the bottom line would be in charge.

PS,

I watched maybe about 10 minutes of the LoE, and was not impressed. I've never read any of Le Guinn's books, and probably won't. Not that I have anything against her, I just don't have the time to read all of the books that I want to.

[Will]

Just now jumping in...

And that, children, is why we never sell film and television rights unless you keep veto power over anything that may result.

I've read The Left Hand of Darkness by Le Guin, thought it was pretty interesting. Any thoughts on how the Earthsea series compares? I might pick it up now that I have some time over break http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Randallw]

This LeGuin wrote Left hand of darkness?. The one about androgynous humans on an ice world. I got that book to pass the time on a ferry. It wasn't too bad. Perhaps I might like her other stuff (and I thought Grunts was the only book by a female writer I liked)

[deccan]

Will said:
I've read The Left Hand of Darkness by Le Guin, thought it was pretty interesting. Any thoughts on how the Earthsea series compares? I might pick it up now that I have some time over break http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif



I've read both. I've probably read most of Le Guin's stuff include "The Word for World is Forest", "The Dispossessed", etc. "A Wizard of Earthsea" is very good, but not at all like "The Left Hand of Darkness".

"A Wiard of Earthsea" is about a world in which there is real magic. This is not the Tolkienesque, Gandalf tosses fireballs type of magic. In the Earthsea books, there is magic because every thing has a true name, from the birds in the sky, to a raging volcano to every drop of water in the ocean. If you know the true name of a thing, you can make friends with it, negotiate with it, and perhaps bend it to your will.

Note that the books are not about epic adventuring and fighting. They are about facing personal demons, learning about responsbility, about self-sacrifice, about soft power, if you will, rather than hard power.

[Randallw]

deccan said:
Note that the books are not about epic adventuring and fighting. They are about facing personal demons, learning about responsbility, about self-sacrifice, about soft power, if you will, rather than hard power.



ah, well then I won't bother.

[Raging Deadstar]

In defence of the Sci-Fi Channel they show Firefly here at 6pm every weekday. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

The time period (6-7) that used to be the home of sacred Stargate SG1 has finally been filled http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[solops]

Interesting comments. My 16 year old daughter is a big fan of the books. We watched most of episode I together. She laughed at some of the show (not out of amusement) and was unhappy about much of the way the story was handled. She refused to watch any of the Last 15 minutes of episode I or any subsequent episodes.

I watched it and found it mildly interesting. For me, it was the usual Sci-Fi channel production offering -

Special effects - mildly sub-par to good
Acting - really bad to OK, flashes of good
Sets - painfully bad to OK
Costumes - mostly sub-par, some neat stuff
Directing - bad; responsible for some lapses in acting
Writing (dialog)- bad
Writing (storyline) - poor

Had I read any of the books, the storyline might have graduated down to bad. As a connoisseur of "C" movies, I'd say it falls right into place. The disappointing thing about these series is that decent writing and directing could have graduated some of these series up to as high as good "B" films. You have to wonder why anyone would consent to be in these shows....not something to brag about on your resume. Hunger, I suppose....

At least it was not as bad as the "Battlestar Galactica" debacle.

Now I'll go watch the original Godzilla or Lugosi's Dracula...classics.

[solops]

" Grunts"...yeah, I remember liking that book. By Mary Gentle or someone like that?

[geoschmo]

Don't know if this was mentioned earlier in this thread, but the author of Earthsea is apparently not too happy with the miniseries either. Here's an article she wrote complaining about the job they did.

http://www.slate.com/id/2111107/