 Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie Review
With The Last Airbender, M Night Shyamalan bends little more than hot air.
By chuckysin
Impressions Before Watching the Movie
Ok, I haven't really started a post for a while, but I figured with the release of this film coming up very soon and my plans to go take my daughter to see it upon my return back to the State here in a few when the movie releases (July 2nd) I'd talk about it a bit and get ready to review it.
I think my first issue is that I'm gonna go in with my expectations set low, very very low. Not even sure why I want to go see it? oh yeah that's right, pure curiosity and the fact that I think that the cartoon is probably one of the best stories that has been put out for kids in a long long time, My daughter and I watched the entire 3 seasons in a period of a few days because it was so engrossing. I also think I am willing to see it because of all the issues that the film has caused. For those not aware, M. Night Shamalomadingdong white washed the casting for a fantasy based world that should be all Asian. So of course anything that race baits me has my attention, because I'm a stereotypical bigoted cracker. (but in all reality the cartoon is heavy in Asian lore and culture spanning from Western to Easter Asia).
Websites have actually been dedicated to the whole white washing of cast, so if you want a good laugh, look at racebender.com, both sides are filled with ignorance and the ability to spew pure acidic bile from their mouths that they make the greatest of God of War fanboys look tame and polite.
Ok now on to what I know about the movie and what I love about the cartoon.
The setting is simple but well done, and the story line is classic good vs evil. The world consists of 4 nations based on the elements Earth, Fire, Water and Air, within each nation are people that can control the related elements with a mystical almost magical way. However there is at all times 1 person who can control all 4 elements and is meant to maintain piece and balance in the world he is the Avatar and he continues life through reincarnation (he's a bad ass Dali-Lama).
The current Avatar is a 12 year old boy that hails from the Monasteries of the Air Nation Nomads, he disappeared 100 years ago, and in that time, the Fire nation began a world war for dominance and control and completely whipped out the Avatar's nation to destroy the avatar, but he somehow got away. The boy must face the Fire Lord and defeat him in order to restore balance, but to do so he must master the elements before a deadline that will give the Fire lord more power than ever seen. Like I said a very simple story line, but what made the cartoon so great was the insert of humor, compassion, actual development of characters and the ability to connect and feel a part of the world.
Now for the movie, from what I have seen and read on the story line, the Avatar isn't a reincarnation of lives past, but rather a fluke, a myth that was born into a prophecy to defeat the Fire Lord and stop the fire nation. Though that is all speculation.
The movie will cover the First Book (season) of the carton, and follow the Avatar's attempt to learn and master the art of waterbending, and will end with the battle at the north pole of the Fire Nation against the northern Water Tribe.
So here is to me expecting M. Night Shamalamadingdong to drag the movie out, withdraw the humor and slow it down to a painful drag, but I am keeping my expectations down so low in hopes that I walk out of the Theater with a smile.
After Seeing The Movie
And here we have it, M Night Shamalan does it yet again, he created a .... Wait for it..... Wait for it.... Another FLOP! Yet, I'm not in the slightest bit surprised, nor disappointed, as a matter of fact, I went into the theaters Friday expecting it. So let's go over it anyway, lets break down the film and find that little shimmer of light that might be a silver lining and discover together why this movie was so bad, and why if you want to watch a great story, you should just check out the source material instead.
The Story
This isn't one of M Night's own creations, but rather a really bad plagiarism of great source material. I'll do my best to focus on the movie and not go into tirades of how it raped the original story from the series, but I can't make any promises on this.
The world is a divided world, consisting of four nations whose lifestyle is influenced by the elements: you have the Water Tribe, the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom and the Air Nomads. Within these nations there are a chosen few who are bestowed the ability to control or bend the element. Then, there is one who has the ability to bend all four elements and is the connection to the spirit world, this is the Avatar. The Avatar is reincarnated after every death and must journey through learning the four elements in the proper cycle. But, 100 years ago, the Avatar disappeared and with this the Fire Nation attacked and began a war to dominate the other nations. They knew the new Avatar was an air bender so they committed genocide of the Air Nomads to wipe them all out.
Fast forward 100 from the genocide of the Air Nomads and you are now at the beginning of the film, walking around the icy lands of the South Pole inhabited by the Southern Water Tribe. Brother and sister are walking looking for food, and Sokka (played by Jonathan Rathbone of Twilight fame) looks as though he is about to cry and lips pouted out like he is auditioning for a part in the next season of "Jersey Shore" (oddly enough he has this look on his face the rest of the film). The two discover a glowing sphere and sick curiosity, and with the need to move the story along, Katara breaks open the orb to find...gasp... an air bender. Why, this must be the Avatar! And, why yes, yes it is. Now the story will progress to the young Air bender, Aang discovering his Avatar powers, and he will start his mastery of the element water He will travel to the North Pole to the Northern Water tribe and find a master Water Bender to teach him.
The next 2 movies if made will be Earth, then Fire and the restoring of balance by defeating the Fire lord.
Characters
Aang is the avatar a young boy who ran away when discovering that he was the avatar and then got frozen in an iceberg. No showing how, no explanation why, it just happened. He is destined to return the world to balance by learning mastering the 4 elements and stopping the Fire Nation and their attempt to dominate the world. Ok, I have to do some comparison here to the cartoon series and the story line differences that really shouldn't have happened. In the movie they fail to explain that Aang must defeat the Fire Lord and that he must do it in haste because of a comet that will make the fire benders more powerful. At the very end they show that the fire lord knows this, but not the Avatar. Also the movie indicates that the Avatar can not cause harm, or kill. WRONG, it is the Avatar's duty to restore and maintain balance, and if that means destroying something that is so far out of whack, then that is what the Avatar must do. The conflict in the series is that Aang is a monk and is taught to avoid conflict and defend and protect rather than destroy, so being the Avatar goes against his fundamental beliefs. So I was pretty irritated by this. But oh well, that's just me and my frustration. His acting is, well in a word, "lame". The kid lacks any grace or appearance of comfort when performing any martial arts, he looks constipated for half the film, I was tempted to get up find him and offer him an ex-lax to help him out.
Katara and Sokka, they are Aang's travel companions and his new family, but they focus so little on them that it is pointless to even care about them, and they serve no real purpose other than to be there. No real dialogue from them. They are written out so two dimensionally that it is just horrid to watch them in the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. Katara is supposed to be a motherly figure that inspires Aang's hopes and provides his encouragement, but in this movie she just whines. Sokka is no better with his Gotti lip impression and tears, I actually wanted him to just die in the film, where as in the series he was the comic relief and is the funny one that would ground the other characters.
Prince Zuko, the banished prince, is the son of the Fire Lord. He must find and capture the Avatar and bring him to the Fire Lord to restore his honor and take his rightful place as the heir to the throne. Dave Patel from "Slumdog Millionaire" plays this role and goes way overboard. If you ever went to any plays in high school, you have that one actor that goes way over the top, you know the type: "art is pain and acting is suffering, ohhhh look at me suffer!" Yeah he's that guy! Rather annoying, was it his acting or just the rushed script? I say a good combination of both.
After that all the other characters are really of no importance, you have the Fire Lord. Well, he is just the big bad guy, but not at all intimidating or imposing. You have General Zhou, who is also hunting the Avatar, but he's a joke of a military commander.
The Effects, Fighting and Costumes
Ohhhh the effects. The effects I will say where beautiful, the bending itself looked great when it happened and were done realistically and beautifully (just don't see it in 3D, M. Nights filming methods are not meant for 3D). However they completely kill all the lovely effects of elemental bending by how slow the fighting moves. Think of doing a full series of moves just to make water rise, then another series of 10 moves to move it forward at a speed of about 1mph. Really, is it going to hurt someone to slap them with water moving slower than it would from a water gun? So unfortunately the fights are slow, fire attacks, water defends... wait, water attacks, fire defends, and someone gets knocked over fight, and the fight is done? I would have liked to see Shamalamadingdong actually hire a fight coordinator to have helped with that and maybe look at the series and how fluid and quick the bending is, how the elements are extensions of the benders body and more than just rocks that you can throw.
The costumes and the scenery was very well done, and beautiful if I may say so, but all that effort put into the world just takes the shit acting and script, polishes it, so essentially you just have a bright and shiny turd.
Race Bending!
Just because I want to add controversy. I can't say I was a race bender, or a pro-caster in this but what I can say is the world was a fantasy world, Yes, it happened to be influenced by Asian and Inuit sources, but it is an imaginary world and race isn't really something there. Growing up in the north, with Inuits, I don't remember seeing to many of them with crystal blue eyes (unless you count the blind ones with really bad cases of cataracts). I'm just saying. I don't think casting a full Asian cast would have done this movie any better because the script was horrid, the direction was horrid, and the cast was actually pretty well diverse and if they do make a new movie, which will take place in the earth kingdom, they are all Asian in this film so I think that it will hold true in a sequel. I think the race bending issue was a case of PC gone too far, and last time I checked, isn't Shamalamadingdong a minority Asian race type?
Overall
I'm glad that when I went into see this I had low expectations, if I hadn't I would have walked away extremely pissed off. Even my 8 yr old came out going, "Dad, that was shit" I had to laugh for a few minutes then have a few stern words on her choice of words.
M. Night made a few mistakes, he tried to make it his own and failed. He tried to stay close to the source material but drifted off way too much. He spent a lot of time in explanations and telling things without saying anything at all, which is classic Shamalamadingdong so it was expected. I would have liked to see him spend a bit more time on the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie, add an additional 30 minutes so it didn't feel so rushed and to actually create the characters. Why should I want Aang to win or why do I feel bad for Zuko? None of that is there; Avatar: The Last Airbender movie was so devoid of emotion that it made me die a little inside in an attempt to give some heart to the actors on screen. He needed to make the bending smoother, more fluid, not have a fight go on for 5 minutes before you see the first bit of bending. Most importantly, for those of you who have seen the series, the Avatar state, ohhh come the fuck on! The most powerful thing that the Avatar can do is go into the Avatar state, which taps into the knowledge of all his past lives and experiences and all he does is make a bit wall of water that makes the Fire Nation ships turn and run away! Horrible, horrible excuse for a bad ass moment.
I would say watch it out of curiosity, but wait for it on DVD or Netflix streaming. If you are interested in the real story, then stream the whole series via Netflix. The story, while a children's show, is amazing and the characters are well developed and you find yourself engrossed in it.
If they make a sequel let's hope they fire M Night and let someone with real talent take the help, because ShamalamaDingDong used all of his up on his talent making his first two movies.
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Leave a Comment
BEDLAM-BURNS
16 Jul 2010, 23:43
It is a good thing that you are not trying to encourage people to go see
this movie! The acting was terrible, the scrip even worse, the CGI was not
impressive and they couldn't even pronounce the names right.
midpha
18 Aug 2010, 11:48
l want to play the avatar games
stephne donkor
24 Aug 2010, 16:01
I love it!
Someone
25 Aug 2010, 23:35
Thank you for your information, I was planning to wait for it to get
released, and after a few weeks, download it from a torrent site or perhaps
watch it online. I reaally had my hopes up for the movie after watching the
trailer, and when i heard people disliking it i was amazed and didn't
believe, but now that i saw this post i'm sure I will not get disappointed
from the movie, as i just found out it's a whole load of crap.
Someone
25 Aug 2010, 23:43
I still plan on watching it though. I mean there might be a good side to it
all, Since it's a really big movie, I can't believe they are just going
to release a load of crap on theatres.....Just like that.
LaughingMan
28 Aug 2010, 00:19
So, I actually downloaded a cam-version of The Last Airbender movie and
this is painful as fuck to watch. It's not the shitty acting and lame
jokes that's really bothering me, but it's the frantic pace of the whole
damned movie that is making me go "who the fuck is that? what the fuck is
that flying Where The Wild Things Are monster? WHY THE HELL SHOULD I CARE
ABOUT ANYBODY?!"
And along with the pace, the damned story is screaming by and it's like
they are trying to explain things, but at the same time they're assuming
that you have seen the cartoon and know what the hell is going on.
I feel like a dog sticking his head out of a car window watching things
whiz past and before I can understand a single damned thing, something new
comes screaming by.
This movie is absolute shit and as much as I hate 99% of anime, it has GOT
to be better than this piece of crap.
danielle howard
31 Aug 2010, 11:35
I loved the animated series of the last airbender and it is a very well
told series with net animated fights. The movie is not the worst I ever saw
but it does not hold a candle to the great animated series. What possessed
them to make a live action movie and not make an animated feature that is a
sequel to the television series?
AvatarFan
02 Sep 2010, 06:15
I think that u completely missed Zukos character. Btw relationship of Aang
& Katara is very important.
ChuckySin
07 Sep 2010, 09:38
What Relationship between Aang & Katara? it is an extremly important
relationship in the series, but its not even there in this one. the allude
to it, as to everything else in the film, its just painful. Missed Zuko's
character? what was there to catch? Zuko is easily the deepest Character
in the series, and the most important next to Aang, but he's just this cry
baby that runs around in the film.
GRACE
07 Sep 2010, 17:45
AVATAR THE LAST AIR BENDER IS FUNNY AND CUTE AND ITS A CLASSIC TOO. OK WHY
IS IT THAT I SAW A STUPID COMMENT SAYING THAT THE AIR BENDER IS A CRY
BABY?.
ChuckySin
14 Sep 2010, 07:22
Grace, thats in the movie Aang was a crybaby, in the Cartoon he was in
conflict and lonely. The movies Aang lacked any depth.
Niki
17 Sep 2010, 22:45
Sheeesh, i loved the series, they had a nice feeling about them when you
watched, but shit. the movie was horrible, and i'm loving your review on
it. You're not beating around the bush, trying to be nice and considerate
of the movie, you're telling it the way it is.
good job :)
yo
18 Sep 2010, 03:00
I actually loved the movie. But I am someone who can look past shoddy
acting and bad directing and just look at the story and cry when *Spoiler
Alert* the girl died, smile when they one the battle and I was genuinely
worried when they where losing the battle *Spoiler Alert Over* . It was
simple effective and my best friend and I came out wanting the second movie
straight away!
Emily
18 Sep 2010, 03:01
I agree yo well written my friend!!
maricon
19 Sep 2010, 02:55
can you guys post other characters ?? =)
thanks ! i really love this page.. pretty awesome ! lots of info..
♥♥♥
RITOS
20 Sep 2010, 00:11
I really liked the Last Airbender movie because it is the shortest drinking
game in history. Whenever something confuses you or if something isn't
explained then take a shot.
ChuckySin
21 Sep 2010, 07:48
Hey Ritos, get with me we'll go watch that together, I'm pretty sure
we'll be out cold with in the first 15 minutes of the movie, just put the
bottle to your lips and don't stop.
ben
22 Sep 2010, 08:16
Goodby
Mimi
22 Sep 2010, 22:59
THEY SHOULD BE FUCKING ASIAN OR HALF ASIAN!!! NOT WHITE AND INDIAN GOSH...
AVATAR IS BASED ON THE ASIAN CULTURE...
Ellison
03 Oct 2010, 12:13
This movie is TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE! It ruined the Avatar series just
to make a fast buck!
ChuckSin
12 Oct 2010, 10:13
Mimi,
just to play geographic correction police, Indian is located in Asia,
therefore, the people of indian are Asian, what you mean to say is
oriental, or Eastern Asian.
But then where do you draw the line, japanese, chinese, korean,
okanawan....? they define themselves as all different culturally from one
another
Dude
23 Nov 2010, 23:42
Even in this fantasy world, the characters had race.
"We went out to lunch and started talking about the show, how the story
takes place in an alternate world and the characters. Everyone is
ethnic...Asian, but not from any specific Asian country. It was kind of
like a non-descriptive ethnicity."
-Benjamin Wynn
I guess the people in The Lord of the Rings should've been Asian because
liek omg its a phantasee so liek race dont matter. Yet they were mostly all
white because of the European basis. So a movie based on a property with
Asian basis gets...white heroes?
Also, since you seem too stupid to notice, the eye colors of the cartoon
corresponded with the elements. The Water Tribe are closest to Inuit, just
with blue eyes. Zuko freaking has yellow eyes. TOTALLY realistic and worth
basing the characters' race on, am I right?
Also, you misspelled "Inuit." Since you claim you lived near them, maybe
you should know they're not called the "Intuit."
sofia
04 Dec 2010, 20:49
ok so ii loved reading this blog. i agree with yu. m. night ruined the
movie for me, i was expecting it to be better. hopefully book two will be
better ( yeah riiite) !
Chuckysin
09 Dec 2010, 11:31
for dude,
So you apparently missed the whole thing i wrote about the racebending
issue, that it woudlnt have done the film any good, it was trash regardless
of casting. I also think you need to re-read the portion on racebending as
there is not a misspelling in Inuit, see below.
"Growing up in the north, with Inuits"
Since i'm too stupid to notice that the eyes of the characters corrispond
with the elements, why aren't aangs eyes clear, why is fire yellow when it
is traditionaly red, why not blue for azula who has the ability to utilize
extremly hot fire (lighting) which is blue, or white. Just saying, but
i'm too dumb to notice shit like that.
Draconicw
03 Feb 2011, 21:56
You people are just looking for reasons not to like the movie. It wasn't
that bad, the CGI was decent, and it was a good movie. The actors were
good, and he did the best he could. Hell, all hear from all of the haters
is that it doesn't follow the storyline, but how in the hell is he
supposed to cram twenty 25 minute episodes into a 2 hour movie? So, unless
you wanted a 10 hour movie, that follows the series to the letter, stop
complaining.
TheScout
04 Feb 2011, 10:56
What do you mean "You people?"
Chuckysin
07 Feb 2011, 11:28
Draconic,
I'm not lookign for reasons to not like the movie, m night gives many
reasons. The CGI was decent exactly decent, it should have been
spectacular to make up for a weak movie and plot. The benders were wayyyy
to slow to be effective in anything. the actors where flat out shit?
i've seen grade school productions with better acting and more believable
emotions.
Alex Casucci
02 Apr 2011, 14:06
I agree the movie sucked compared to the animated series, but at least they
made a movie. But it was a let down compared to the animated.
(In other words it was shitty as hell...)
Claudia
06 Apr 2011, 12:02
I agree the story... wasn't really good compared to the animated series. I
wasn't really bothered by bad acting or something, I didn't thought it
was that bad. Bending was indeed way to slow, if it was only a little
faster, it would've been amazing. It already looked pretty realistic. I
hope they do something with all the criticism and make a better part 2 and
3. Curious to see what they'll do with Toph. Over all, I did enjoy the
movie, knowing it wouldn't be as good as the series. I've seen movies way
worse, I really liked watching The Last Airbender.
james mshimba
22 Jul 2011, 05:02
i think all about avater is best
Stephanie
20 Aug 2011, 18:35
Ugh, I am so dissapointed in this moive. I was looking so foward to it!!
This moive was a discrace to the anime cartoon, Avatar the last airbender.
The cartoon was so well devolped, it is loved by millions! This moive did
not show the connection between the characters at all!! It was to rushed
and poorly explained. I wish the bending was more looked over and done more
like the cartoon. Over all I hated the moive! If you really want to get
lost in the beautiful world of Avatar and benders, watch the cartoon!!
Stephanie
20 Aug 2011, 18:41
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Also like some of you are saying, with all the culture talk and race, blah
blah, your so right, they should have made some what of an effort to
resemble their races. In the cartoon it is not horribley over done, just
darker skin tones and face shape, and eyecolour.. uhm dude, who gives a
shit? they could always use contacts..
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