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The Last Airbender

We just had to do a video review this time around so you could really hear us argue our points for and against The Last Airbender. I loved it, where as Ryan did not like it so much. I will preface by saying that we are both M. Night Shyamalan fans, and neither of us have previously watched the Avatar: The Last Airbender series on Nickelodeon.  Watch the video and let us know if you liked it our hated it. We cover the acting, CGI/graphics, 3D, story/plot, robots and more!

by Angela Davis & Ryan Davis

  • http://nemogbr.livejournal.com/ nemogbr

    At least, it sums up the argument about the white leads better versus asians who can't act.

    Interesting review, although can't decide how to react to someone who can't tell the difference between Inuits and white people wearing Inuit clothing. The Inuits were the extras behind the white people. Probably the ones without speaking roles.

  • http://nemogbr.livejournal.com/ nemogbr

    At least, it sums up the argument about the white leads better versus asians who can't act.

    Interesting review, although can't decide how to react to someone who can't tell the difference between Inuits and white people wearing Inuit clothing. The Inuits were the extras behind the white people. Probably the ones without speaking roles.

  • jdusel

    Having seen the Avatar TV series already, my frustrations started there. Switching up the races, mispronouncing the names, taking out any real humor/charm the script originally had… But, without taking the inconsistencies into account the movie was tolerable. I am going to go with Ryan on this one. One of the biggest problems with the movie was the acting. The biggest comic relief of the show, Sokka, was cast with an actor that normally plays a vampire that stares all wide eyed, not saying a word. Katara overacted most scenes, and the others she was dry. And Aang was robotic. But i am going to blame this one poor direction from M Night — because i saw the same thing happen to Mark and Zooey. I have to give the man credit though, he did do a good job condensing Season 1 into 110 minutes. Unfortunately, he probably should have crammed the full series into 150. Unless this does REALLY well in the box office, i don't see it going on for 2 more movies. I also thought the costuming and the CGI were great. And the second have was pretty good… after they stopped jabbering on. Overall, i liked it more than Roger Ebert (1/2 star), but i didn't like it enough to think M Night is back at the top of his game. I give it a 2.5.

  • jdusel

    Having seen the Avatar TV series already, my frustrations started there. Switching up the races, mispronouncing the names, taking out any real humor/charm the script originally had… But, without taking the inconsistencies into account the movie was tolerable. I am going to go with Ryan on this one. One of the biggest problems with the movie was the acting. The biggest comic relief of the show, Sokka, was cast with an actor that normally plays a vampire that stares all wide eyed, not saying a word. Katara overacted most scenes, and the others she was dry. And Aang was robotic. But i am going to blame this one poor direction from M Night — because i saw the same thing happen to Mark and Zooey. I have to give the man credit though, he did do a good job condensing Season 1 into 110 minutes. Unfortunately, he probably should have crammed the full series into 150. Unless this does REALLY well in the box office, i don't see it going on for 2 more movies. I also thought the costuming and the CGI were great. And the second have was pretty good… after they stopped jabbering on. Overall, i liked it more than Roger Ebert (1/2 star), but i didn't like it enough to think M Night is back at the top of his game. I give it a 2.5.

  • http://twitter.com/SceneStealrEric Eric Melin

    All racial casting issues aside, this film was a real piece of shit. I'm with Ryan on this one. Shyamalan has REALLY lost it. In at least 2 movies (6th Sense, Unbreakable), he had a very strong grasp of suspense and storytelling, but his last 3 movies have been sooooooooo amateurish in the acting and writing department, it's an absolute embarrassment. If it weren't for the cinematography and score, this film would have felt like a dress rehearsal for a Children's Theater production in Boise, Idaho.

  • Skinner

    If it merely didn't develop the characters, that would be bad.

    This BETRAYED the characters.
    Ang is solemn.
    Sokka is serious.
    Zokku spends the majority of the time letting flies buzz into and out of his mouth.
    The Fire-nation King is deeply concerned with the welfare of his son.

    Compromises must be made, things must be cut, but even the things that were in this movie were bad.

    The acting was terrible, the writing was hack, the action sequences were mediocre, and there was zero character development.

    This was not a movie, this was a 2 hour instruction on how not to adapt a television show.

  • http://twitter.com/SceneStealrEric Eric Melin

    All racial casting issues aside, this film was a real piece of shit. I'm with Ryan on this one. Shyamalan has REALLY lost it. In at least 2 movies (6th Sense, Unbreakable), he had a very strong grasp of suspense and storytelling, but his last 3 movies have been sooooooooo amateurish in the acting and writing department, it's an absolute embarrassment. If it weren't for the cinematography and score, this film would have felt like a dress rehearsal for a Children's Theater production in Boise, Idaho.

  • Skinner

    If it merely didn't develop the characters, that would be bad.

    This BETRAYED the characters.
    Ang is solemn.
    Sokka is serious.
    Zokku spends the majority of the time letting flies buzz into and out of his mouth.
    The Fire-nation King is deeply concerned with the welfare of his son.

    Compromises must be made, things must be cut, but even the things that were in this movie were bad.

    The acting was terrible, the writing was hack, the action sequences were mediocre, and there was zero character development.

    This was not a movie, this was a 2 hour instruction on how not to adapt a television show.

  • lostinryan

    She was talking about the roles the actors were playing not the actors themselves if that helps. Thanks for your input.

  • lostinryan

    I agree with all of you. I can't believe how bad the film turned out. I hate to say it but Shyamalan may need to step away from the writing department for a while.

  • JJ

    First of all Thanks you for the Passes for the Movie you you guys are great BUT… It seems you guys did not do enough research on the Anime and book series prior to seeing this movie enough to know about the story… So you guys really have no depth in critizing the movie other than how questionable the acting which I agree with. My son is an Avatar The Last Airbender anime cartoon and reader so he loved the movie so I am confident in that the movie should be successful. Visually this movie was VERY good! So Lost in Reviews is lost in the transalation on this one. But hey its all a matter of opionion right? I hope the movie does Well its up agains Twilight Eclipse. So give it a chance.

  • JJ

    First of all Thanks you for the Passes for the Movie you you guys are great BUT… It seems you guys did not do enough research on the Anime and book series prior to seeing this movie enough to know about the story… So you guys really have no depth in critizing the movie other than how questionable the acting which I agree with. My son is an Avatar The Last Airbender anime cartoon and reader so he loved the movie so I am confident in that the movie should be successful. Visually this movie was VERY good! So Lost in Reviews is lost in the transalation on this one. But hey its all a matter of opionion right? I hope the movie does Well its up agains Twilight Eclipse. So give it a chance.

  • brandymaye

    I'm torn on the real I am. I have all the volumes of this cartoon. I am an M. Night fan. WTF happen. And I feel M. Night did good on the CGI. He should not had converted at the last minute to 3d. But the graphics was great. I did not like that he didn't use certain cultural things. I didn't like that it was slow from the beginning til the middle. And it probably was for the people who have never seen the The Last Airbender cartoons. I feel Ryan some of the speaking did not have to repeat over and over again what was going on. Please. I was sick of it. The part where the princess died. My daughter and I loved this part because he betrayed and kept it so close to the cartoon even the princess looked so much like the cartoon one. I agree once again with JDUSEL. Sokka is a comic relief he can be serious but most of the time was funny. Katara that was picked was horrible. It seemed at times ,no body watched the damn cartoons at all. I kept thinking did my boy really sit down and watch the show because real talk this is some bullshit….. I kept thinkin his name is fucking ANG not UNG. What the hell. He royally fucked us(the fans) on that. I even felt how he changed hair styles and stuff. He shouldn't have done it. I wish he would've gave the prince his true nasty burn on his face. On the cartoon that suckers face is scarred. All negativity aside. I bow my head to M. Night for trying to bring this to the big screen. But on the other hand ONCE AGAIN. IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO TOUCH IT WHY BOTHER….Bring the damn cgi and stick to the story…lol.. I'm giving it a 3.5… Those effects were the shit. Holla~

  • http://twitter.com/johninkc John Coovert

    JJ,
    Only issue I have is that the movie should always stand alone. It should do a strong enough job on its own that I am not required to go back and watch an entire season of a show to make more sense of it. If I have to go back and watch the show or read the book, as a stand alone film, it fails.