Of course I had to go and check all the fan forums for Avatar: The Last Airbender to see how others were receiving it and, to say the least, reviews were not good. In fact, they were down right nasty. I feel bad for M. Night Shymalan. Because people sincerely hate him now, more than ever. How sad.
So without further adieu, I will deliver my review of M. Night Shymalan’s “The Last Airbender”.
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Loyalty
How close is it to the source material (e.g. the show)? Are the changes necessary and/or justified? Will fans of the original show generally find it likable?
For the most part, the source material was held to. This particular adaptation stayed truer to it’s source material than most. While this is something positive, it is also something negative. The movie spent so much time shoving the plot down your throat that there was no time left to help the audience get to know the characters and see them develop.
The condensation of the plot was good, considering their small time slot. It took a while for the movie’s pacing to find it’s groove, but once it did, it moved at a reasonable pace.
There were changes from the original series (obviously) but nothing too blatantly unnecessary or awful.
Unfortunatley, the movie has been horribly received by fans and non fans a like, everyone pretty much hating it and everything about it. So while I personally don’t think they did too bad, the loyalty to the show was compromised for most. And that’s bad.
Score: 5/10
Acting
Did they deliver a believable performance? Is there a clear understanding of the character and his or her motivation?
The acting in this film, for me, was split evenly down the middle. For each strong performance there was a weak one.
New comer Noah Ringer (Aang) exceeded every expectation I had. With no previous acting experience, I was not expecting him to do as well as he did. He held his ground, and made it believable that he was this character.
Although I was impressed with Ringer, it was Dev Patel (Zuko) and Shaun Toub (Uncle Iroh) were by far the strongest performances. They delivered the most accurate depictions of their characters and had wonderful dynamic on screen.
But, as I said, for each good one there was a bad one, and frankly I was the most disappointed in Nicola Peltz (Katara). She lacked the stubborn streak and strong will that made Katara such a powerhouse in the original show. It was sad to watch Katara, who I thought would be one of the strongest characters, fade into the back ground and not really stand out.
Jackson Rathbone (Sokka) delivered only a so-so performance for me. I was very disappointed to see that some of his more comedic moments from the trailers and TV spots had been cut from the final version of the film. I was still tickled to see him, however, and he still made it to the top of my list as my favorite character.
Overall, a few strong performances and some so-so ones are what’s in this movie. So as far as acting goes, don’t expect anything too mind blowing.
Score: 6/10
Atmosphere
Are the sets and locations true to the original source material? Do they incapsulate the spirit of each respective nation? Do they provide a realistic setting for the characters to interact in?
The scenery of this location was very well done, in my opinion. Each nation had a distinctive look and remained cohesive with it’s namesake element. Subtle, background things really added a lot of rich culture to the movie, and helped create a believable atmosphere for this reality world to exist in.
The architecture was pleasing, and they maintained a certain air about them that rang true to the original series. While some other elements of the film lacked the original luster of the cartoon, the sets and scenery remained spot on and true to what they needed to be.
Score 8/10
Special Effects
Are the bending effects believable? Are the creatures animated to seem canon to the world around them? How do the pure CG effects interact with the real physical elements?
The bending was pretty much the saving grace of this film. They were very fluid and pretty to look at. They did not seem out of place or forced within the realm of the film.
ILM did their job, and did it well. Creatures like the Komodo Rhinos and Appa, the flying bison, blended right into the world and helped heighten the fantasy of it. The most negative thing I have to say is that I didn’t get to see too much of Appa or Momo, and frankly, they’ve got some of the coolest personalities in the show.
Generally, the effects were pleasing and made the fight sequences really interesting and fun to watch.
Score: 8/10
Overall Score: 27/40
All in all, “The Last Airbender” lacked the charm and personality that the original series had to offer. There was little to no time spent on getting to know the main cast, which is a highly important element in the show.
Disappointment is running rampant amongst fans and non fans, but frankly, the movie wasn’t that terrible. It’s a good family summer flick and would probably be enjoyable for kids. Avatar: The Last Airbender’s older audience got snubbed of the more intense incarnation of the franchise that they were probably looking for. At the end of the day, it’s a fairly entertaining movie, but the cartoon will always reign supreme.
As far as a sequel goes, I will not be holding my breath for that announcement to come anytime soon. And if it does come, I will only be watching for details with mild interest (sorry, no t-shirts).
I would not discourage anyone from going to see this movie. Everyone I’ve talked to has liked or disliked different things, so who knows where the chips may fall? And if you really hate the movie, I beg you, really, I beg you to watch the original show. Avatar: The Last Airbender will always remain a true masterpiece that can withstand the test of lukewarm movie remakes.
