ForumsPopular Media"The Last Airbender" -Movie

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samy
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samy
4,871 posts
Nomad

To summarize my feelings of the movie I give you a quote heard at the end of the showing

Yeah, f**k you too Shyamalan


The movie was awful an opinion that is not only mine but nearly every major critic's and almost anyone who was a fan of the brilliant cartoon. So I give you a basic review based on two sections; a comparison of the movie to the cartoon and standalone review of the movie itself.

Compared to the Show

Cons:

1. All the protagonists in the story were white; now it's really not that big of a deal but it's annoying for any long time fan. Also the antagonists were all Asian which made the movie somewhat better for me but created some controversy of racist leanings. Also Uncle Ihro is skinny, what's up with that?

2. Aside from the casts not fitting the characters the three main actors were horrible maybe it was the boring script but honestly I wouldn't have cared if this Aang, or Katara, or Sokka died. They were all flat characters; in fact all the characters were flat (yes even in 3D) which is in sharp contrast to the show where Appa is a dynamic three dimensional character who we can relate to more than any character in the movie.

3. They pronounced the names wrong; Aang sounded like Oong (rhymes with gong), Sokka sounds like Sukka, and Ihro is pronounced Ehro (sounds like hero). They also call Aang the Ahvatar; if nothing else the mispronunciations led to running jokes in the theater.

4. Fire benders can't make their own fire; they need some sort of source.

5. The bending styles all resemble one another and none of them resemble anything close to what they were in the show.

6. The bending requires a lot more actions to cause a much simpler movement than in the show; in fact it takes five earth benders moving together to move a mid-sized rock.

7. The Fire Lord loves and cares for Zuko; well there goes half the plot.

8. Important sub-characters such as Suki and Jet are never explored which makes me wonder what could possibly be in the second movie (it's a trilogy).

9. Momo and Appa get, combined, around two minutes of screen time and the both look pretty bad. To be honest Momo may be my favorite character in the show and his non-appearance nearly ruined the movie for me on its own.

10. For some reason Aang decides that being the avatar means that crappy speeches and letting everyone live is more important than actually stopping the fire nation. So, remember the final battle from book one? It was awful; and there isn't a giant water beast just a big wave.

11. I could've cared less if they killed the moon spirit; when you can't even make the audience care if the moon dies you did something wrong.

12. Did I mention the character development was terrible? Aang's a whiny 10 year old who can't make a speech, Katara and Sokka are just boring, and you barely even catch a glimpse of the true Zuk0.

Pros:

1. Well at least Aang was still an airbender learning to bend water I suppose. The storyline is vaguely reminiscent of the TV show.

The Movie Standing Alone

1. The characters were terrible actors; Noah Ringer (Aang) was boring, shallow, and couldn't preform a monologue to save his life. In fact excepting Ihro the entire cast was just awkward.

2. The action sequences were boring after the first 30 seconds and were repeated again and again throughout the movie.

3.The dialog was stiff and boring, it didn't intrigue me in the least.

4. Without coming into the movie knowing the entire plot (thanks to the show) I have no idea how I would have known what was going on. The narration didn't really help either it basically told you what was on the screen. Rodgert Ebert actually thought the movie was set in the future; thank you plot development.

5. There are around six benders in the entire movie and while benders are fairly rare there weren't a dying breed. In fact one reviewer, mistakingly, through Katara was the last water bender.

6. During the battle scenes Aang and the group just walk right through the middle as if nothing is happening; clearly the Fire nation doesn't want the Avatar.

7. There's a fat white guy playing one of the Northern Water Tribe solider; I laugh at you Shyamalan.

Pros:

1. Aang's arrow was pretty sweet looking and the sets were as well.

2. They tried at least; they failed but they did try.

Conclusion:

It was bad, very bad. You can't put it in a positive light and die hard fans of the TV show will only be able to laugh as Aang continues to fail and fail again to live up to who he should be. At its best it will be a movie you rent during a party simply to laugh at it.


3/22

or

13.5 out of 100.
  • 60 Replies
1337Player
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1337Player
1,766 posts
Peasant

Hm. Moon. I agree with you since you said nothing about what I said earlier. But I loved the series and I thought the movie was okay. Don't criticize the movie. It has to be different somehow, or else it would be boring and you would just see a real-life version of the cartoon. The differences made the movie good. I just think the movie could've been a little longer and had a prologue. Thirty minutes longer tops.

I want to see the 2nd movie (if it comes out) to see if it's any better.

MoonFairy
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MoonFairy
3,386 posts
Shepherd

I would want to see the second one, but I also want all of the cartoon version on DVD too. XD

samy
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samy
4,871 posts
Nomad

Yes TRUdog it's an opinion but, well that's what a review is no? As I have the vast majority of the accredited reviewing community agreeing with me I'd say it gives weight to my opinions by criticism is welcome.

In an interview with M.NIGHT he said he want to go with more asian sounding names, because if the show and the movie is revolving around asian culture.


I have two problems with this.
1. Then why did he cast the three main actors as white? That makes no sense if he wanted the pronunciations to be "more Asian.
2. So what if he wanted to change the names? Shyamalan has be steadily making worse and worse movies and was given what is arguably the most popular anime in American history to make a movie out of. Why fix what isn't broken?

In that same interview he said "Well, if all the benders are limited to there elements except fire, then why shouldn't fire be limited?" He also thought it would make things more interesting, and because fire is way to powerful anyway. He wanted to give them SOME limitations.


Firebending comes from the breath not an outside source as you learn in the very first episode and further on when the breath fire. Firebending may be the most powerful bending style but it has a huge drawback you can't always control it. Firebending is an extension of your emotions into the world around you and like these emotions you wouldn't have total control of it. This also explains why Ihro is such a fantastic bender.

So what? Go cry to your mom about that.


So what? Well I would like to point out that it's your opinion that I should go cry to my mom about it but I'll address this anyways.

The bending styles are supposed to represent the uniqueness of the four cultures and real like forms of fighting. The waterbenders use fluid motions, the firebenders quick and powerful, the airbender's have a more fluid style than firebenders but a quicker stlye than waterbenders, and earthbenders have a very strong a slow bending style. This made every character and nation come to life.

Exactly, it's a trilogy. That means they are going to go way more in depth with those characters later on. And also, you can only pack so much material into one movie. They probably did not explore those characters because the movie would be to long.


They can't go more in depth as they already missed their chance to logically explore the characters. Also I would have gladly sat in the theater another hour for a semi-decent movie; time constraints don't count when the movie isn't even two hours long.

Thats kinda what it was like in the show.


In a way although the speeches weren't crappy and Aang did what he had to do; the cartoon is more violent than the movie.

So what? Are you racist and prejudice of fat people? That comment was just racist, prejudice, unnecessary and immature. I laugh at you.


No? It's the North Pole he shouldn't be white in the first place and did I mention it's the North Pole? There isn't going to be a heck of a lot to eat and he was a warrior it isn't logical he would be heavy set.

Honestly, almost 3/4's of those comments you made were simply opinions.


Factually prove to me this movie was either good or bad. No? I didn't think so.

Um... did you read Samy's stuff? Obviously no. Go back and read it and THEN complain to me about 'hot air'.


It's an opinion; dear lord I'm not the immature one here.

I don't even think Jet is in book one... is he?


Yes he is; in the first half of the first season.

3. He took out the Kyoshi Warriors because he loved them too much and he said, "To the Kyoshi Warriors there was too much to love, and they only had a beginning, no end." Well that's as specific as I can get.


So "Yes I love the Kyoshi warriors but adding them would have made the movie decent and that really isn't the direction we were trying to go with the film."

Don't criticize the movie. It has to be different somehow


Shyamalan was given A material and had the opportunity to make it A+ but he missed it and I hope he doesn't get another chance. No offence meant but I'l criticize the movie as much as I want =P
jabello11
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jabello11
721 posts
Nomad

the cartoon is more violent than the movie.

Now i don't want to see the movie.

Holden012
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Holden012
1,989 posts
Nomad

Wow it sounds like the movie sucks real bad , Maybe I won't go see it then.

runswithwands
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runswithwands
103 posts
Nomad

Here's the thing...

Shyamalan took a 2-D animated series and turned it into a live-action movie. It sounds cliche, but the true fans of the show should try to keep an open mind. It's not the same as seeing one of your favourite books ruined by the movie (and I'm sure we all know the feeling). Shyamalan did what he thought he could do. He was aware of the dedicated fan base, he knew he had a well written, well designed show to follow, and he was given the rights to change things as he felt relevant.

That said, I do disagree with him changing things that make the movie look/seem/feel blatantly out of character. I would have felt the same way if they ruined Star Trek or Harry Potter. Regardless, Avatar is a great show by itself. If you hate the movie more than you enjoyed it, then revert back to the three Books and watch only the show. The movie is easy enough to ignore and pretend never existed.

Additionally, Shyamalan knew he could very easily dig himself into a hole with this movie. Which, of course, he has. It will only make it more impossible and more of a struggle for the second and third in the trilogy. This first one, however, should not go unrecognised for his efforts. Shyamalan does not do this kind of movie, this is completely out of his realm. Even if it's completely ruined, fans still have the show on DVD to turn to. The universe has a face and is created for the fans, whereas a book (if the movie[s] are awful) have only the reader's imagination.

Overall, he tried. Shyamalan did not get it right the first time, but perhaps with Books II and III, he has a chance to redeem himself.

xeden
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xeden
250 posts
Nomad

I think Im going to like it.

I love Iro.

jabello11
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jabello11
721 posts
Nomad

dude they made him skinny and he is not as funny. :C

alexstargazer
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alexstargazer
347 posts
Nomad

M. Nights whole point of making the movie was to have a simple plot. So many people didn't like the movie, since he usually has huge plot twists. For this movie he wanted to solely focus on making it have better action scenes.

Most people went to see the movie hoping it would be like a regular awesome M. Night film, but it wasn't. He was doing something different.

redx161
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redx161
589 posts
Peasant

the ruined such a great tv show i used to love that show i still watch from time to time

XVERB
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XVERB
3,137 posts
Nomad

if its a cartoon, leave it a cartoon. the only reason the movie probably sucked is because they don't have special effects good enough to copy the animation.

I didn't really see the movie but i saw a few previews. And it looked very bad

locoace3
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locoace3
15,053 posts
Nomad

I never watched the cartoon,but the movie didnt seem that bad.The movie did have bad actors.Ill give it a 7/10.If a review came up about a movie,saying it was bad, I would still go see it, because I have plenty of time to waste.2 HRs are NOTHING!!and it would get me the chance to judge the movie myself.


if you ever watched the cartoon you'd understand the bad ratings the cartoon episode of the movie had way moar violence and coolness
Joe96
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Joe96
2,226 posts
Peasant

I haven't seen it yet, but yeah it looks really bad. I don't think a lot of time or money into it. I also heard that the 3-D was poor quality since it was originally filmed in 2-D, but only then converted after everyone started talking about 3-D tvs and such...

kingjac11
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kingjac11
2,597 posts
Nomad

I liked the cartoon but the movie was teribble

Secretmapper
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Secretmapper
1,747 posts
Nomad

The movie was bull****. I literally wasted 3-d tickets I bought. Actually, I wanted to go out of the cinema, but I was just thinking that I might waste the tickets, and I was waiting for the big water creature aang uses to pawn the fire nation at the end, only to know it was replaced by just a big wave.

The movie is bull****! It is a waste. Better to just visit AG.

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