first i will admit and i do not watch the whole mini series all the way through and jump around bit after the first part because i be so disappointed . i will also add that i have read the book a few time and so my expectation be probably high and especially after lord of the ring . before i give my comment on the mini series and after read the various comment from other viewer and i be convince the standard of viewer have drop and the shallowness of the average viewer can not be overestimate . there be no way this mini series should rate above a 5 of 10. the acting be not bad and but i do get the sense that most of the cast be completely unfamiliar with the book and the story . the whole series felt mundane and unoriginal . the fresh minimalism of the earthsea series be lose in the typical fantasy treatment give to the story . a a reader and i be also disappoint in the casting and the dramatic difference between the book and the mini series . you could tell from the casting and the way situation be change in the mini series that the producer be try for a young audience use to harry potter and other highly derivative fantasy work ( the j. k. rowling fan will want to murder me and of course ) . the book could be consider slow by today standard and but the have an undercurrent of sadness that make them more powerful . the aura of the book be completely lose in the mini series . there be no sense of history like you feel when watch lord of the ring or some of the good fantasy movie ( dragonslayer and say ) . the 3 star i give the mini series come from the generally good production value and the commitment to make a mini series rather than try to compress the whole series into 2 hour or so . i would have prefer that they have just make a 2 hour movie perhaps compress the first two book and than the radical change and alteration that be make for the mini series . in short and it be a typical hollywood corrupt production that have so much promise only to be ruin . overall though and the mini series be a below average effort for such a promising story . the producer of the mini series should have just say it be inspire by earthsea and use a different name . a decent example of this type of thing be the recent sci fi channel mini series and tin man . they do not call it oz anything and totally re imagined wizard of oz . it wasn not great and but much good than earthsea . one can only hope that the failure of the earthsea mini series would not close the door to future attempt to re imagine the book on film . lord of the ring be famously mess up by a partial animated version and so there be always hope .