The Last Airbender: Movie Review

Neoavatara ^ | July 1, 2010 | Neoavatara

[Neoavatara]

You want the quick version?

Don't waste your money. And don't keep reading.

But for the few that still care...

[COBOL2Java]

Guess I’m the odd man out. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed “The Last Airbender”. To those who thought it stunk, a rasberry to you! :-)

[Cringing Negativism Network]

OK you’ve posted a link to your blog.

You’ve got a link to your blog in your sig.

Your blog name is the same as your posting name.

And you won’t say what you don’t like about the movie.

Is your post, any better than your alleged opinion of the movie? Please without pimping your blog, perhaps you can explain to readers what exactly it is you didn’t like about the movie?

Hmm?

[downwdims]

I’m with you both of those qft

[SJSAMPLE]

We call it, “The Last Air Biscuit”.
Great minds think alike.

[Immerito]

What did you like about it? What made it enjoyable for you and your family?

[COBOL2Java]

I think it makes a difference if you are very familiar with the original animated series.

We'd been following it from the beginning. All in all, we thought the movie followed the original series pretty closely.

[Immerito]

I’m familiar with the original series; were there any differences in characterization or plot that you thought were improvements to the series, or anything you didn’t care for in that regard?

[COBOL2Java]

My family liked how they made the different nations into different races. Fire Nation seemed middle eastern; Water Nation was inuit; Earth Nation were asian; Air Benders seemed more universal. We kind of wished Sokka was a little more goofy, like the animated series.

I particularly liked how Aang was portrayed. The weight of the world showed in his emotions, especially the very last scene of the movie, when the Water Nation bowed to him - the look on his face said it all. And the scene earlier when he returned to the monk's temple and saw the devastation; "I was just here yesterday!"

I do hope the producers let Shaymalan make the remainder of the 3-part series. I think the final battle with the Phoenix King in live action/CGI would be awesome.

[Immerito]

I might take the movie in. I often thought that Aang was portrayed *too* much like a carefree American kid.

But he was raised by monks, and he had recently (give or take a century. :-) )been told that he had an important job to do.

I suspect that a young boy raised in a life of great discipline would not act like the Aang in the cartoon.

[COBOL2Java]

I suspect that a young boy raised in a life of great discipline would not act like the Aang in the cartoon.

That's a very good observation, and the Aang in the movie is more in line with that type of behavior, as opposed to the Aang in the animated series.

[Immerito]

One thing I read somewhere is that the movie bends over backwards in emphasizing non violent reactions; Zuko is prohibited from dueling Zhao; Aang, although he drives away the Fire Nation warships, does not sink the ships (thereby enabling them to be prepared to fight another day, when the Avatar is not assisting the Water Tribe).

Is this accurate? What are your thoughts?