Movies based on cartoon shows, like movies based on video games, don't exactly have a good reputation, as evidenced by last year's flop "Dragon Ball Evolution." Movies like LOTR and "Harry Potter" prove movies based on books can be classics. Why can't the same be for cartoons, such as this adaptation by M. Night Shyamalan of the popular animated show on Nickelodeon?
I won't have time to explain what show is about (a quick Google will do), but it's considered to be one of the best to come out of the program. With a source material like that, can "The Last Airbender" be the long-awaited Messiah of cartoon show-based live-action films?
It's hard not to compare this movie to the original cartoon. If anything, it's necessary: That will judge the film's value as an adaptation (and ultimately, as a movie). And for all you "Avatar" lovers out there (myself included), I'm pleased to say that this movie is basically faithful to the original series--events-wise, that is. There are some slight changes in this movie, which aren't too bad. The special effects really truly did show bending must be like had they been real. The costumes and sets really did bring the world of "Avatar" to life.
The basic events are pretty much true to the show despite some deviations. I have no doubt that Shyamalan is a genuine fan of the series. So this makes this a good adaptation, doesn't it?
Unfortunately, when trying to get the world and mythology of "Avatar" right, Shyamalan failed with the PRESENTATION of it. The original show had a story that was concise and made sense, but here, the pace is too fast, one suddenly jumps into another, and there is basically no flow. New characters (like the lemur-bat Momo) are introduced too quickly and almost never seen again. To someone who hasn't seen the show, I've no doubt that they'd find some scenes random and awkward. The movie acted more like a summary of the show rather than an adaptation. Scenes that were powerful and effective don't have the same effect here. Shyamalan got the story right, but he doesn't know how to tell it, and this affects the film's value as a stand-alone movie.
The characters in the show had so many interesting personalities that made them likable, but none of that is to be found here. In here, they are basically drones whose only purpose is to move the plot forward, but no attention is given to them as characters.
These characters weren't helped by the actors, whose performances are a mixed bag. I won't argue about the race of the actors, and heck, I won't even argue about the wrong pronunciation of the characters' names. But I do want good actors.
Perhaps it's too harsh to judge the young main actors, such as as Noah Ringer in the lead; for a first-timer, he's okay--but the school-play kind of okay. He has his share of cringe-worthy moments, as with Nicola Peltz. Jackson Rathborne, although not Oscar material, is okay, but seems somewhat amateurish. Now I loved Dev Patel in here, but this isn't his best performance. A really competent director (and script) could have really gotten phenomenal performances out of these young actors. The best performances, obviously, are from the adults, mainly Shaun Toub and Cliff Curtis as the villains, who are more menacing in the show.
The original show had wonderful dialogue and so many memorable quotes--unfortunately, none of them is in this movies. Instead, we get conversation that sound like lectures, some even preachy. I know that, being a long series, not everything can be included in the movie, and some parts have to be explained by the dialogue. But here, they either explain too little or too much. The story is spoon-fed to us without giving a chance to appreciate it. The narration made sense in the beginning, but in others, it was redundant, even unnecessary. We're told that they've arrived in the Northern Water Tribes when that's exactly what we're seeing. We're being told that they're learning bending, but we don't see their struggles. The story of Prince Zuko's disgrace and banishment (told in flashbacks like in the show) just happens to happen at the most random moment.
I know that adaptations can't always surpass their original source material. But they should at least be as good as the original, and if not, as I've said before, they should be good in their own right. Well, in the case of "The Last Airbender," the original show is superior. What's more, this movie can't stand on its own.
For fans, the only suspense that this movie has to offer is seeing your favorite characters and scene be reenacted in real-life, with the help of some really special SFX. I was really thrilled by the final battle scene in the end--but only because I knew what was going to happen, and the fact that all of this was happening on the big screen and in high def, and in 3D no less. In the end, why not stick with the show? Non-fans can get excited because this is a story they've never heard before, but this isn't the best telling of the story.
As a summer blockbuster, this is nothing special.
It's a shame, because this had so much potential. I give in 5 stars out of 10 though, and not a 1, because there were things I liked.
I won't have time to explain what show is about (a quick Google will do), but it's considered to be one of the best to come out of the program. With a source material like that, can "The Last Airbender" be the long-awaited Messiah of cartoon show-based live-action films?
It's hard not to compare this movie to the original cartoon. If anything, it's necessary: That will judge the film's value as an adaptation (and ultimately, as a movie). And for all you "Avatar" lovers out there (myself included), I'm pleased to say that this movie is basically faithful to the original series--events-wise, that is. There are some slight changes in this movie, which aren't too bad. The special effects really truly did show bending must be like had they been real. The costumes and sets really did bring the world of "Avatar" to life.
The basic events are pretty much true to the show despite some deviations. I have no doubt that Shyamalan is a genuine fan of the series. So this makes this a good adaptation, doesn't it?
Unfortunately, when trying to get the world and mythology of "Avatar" right, Shyamalan failed with the PRESENTATION of it. The original show had a story that was concise and made sense, but here, the pace is too fast, one suddenly jumps into another, and there is basically no flow. New characters (like the lemur-bat Momo) are introduced too quickly and almost never seen again. To someone who hasn't seen the show, I've no doubt that they'd find some scenes random and awkward. The movie acted more like a summary of the show rather than an adaptation. Scenes that were powerful and effective don't have the same effect here. Shyamalan got the story right, but he doesn't know how to tell it, and this affects the film's value as a stand-alone movie.
The characters in the show had so many interesting personalities that made them likable, but none of that is to be found here. In here, they are basically drones whose only purpose is to move the plot forward, but no attention is given to them as characters.
These characters weren't helped by the actors, whose performances are a mixed bag. I won't argue about the race of the actors, and heck, I won't even argue about the wrong pronunciation of the characters' names. But I do want good actors.
Perhaps it's too harsh to judge the young main actors, such as as Noah Ringer in the lead; for a first-timer, he's okay--but the school-play kind of okay. He has his share of cringe-worthy moments, as with Nicola Peltz. Jackson Rathborne, although not Oscar material, is okay, but seems somewhat amateurish. Now I loved Dev Patel in here, but this isn't his best performance. A really competent director (and script) could have really gotten phenomenal performances out of these young actors. The best performances, obviously, are from the adults, mainly Shaun Toub and Cliff Curtis as the villains, who are more menacing in the show.
The original show had wonderful dialogue and so many memorable quotes--unfortunately, none of them is in this movies. Instead, we get conversation that sound like lectures, some even preachy. I know that, being a long series, not everything can be included in the movie, and some parts have to be explained by the dialogue. But here, they either explain too little or too much. The story is spoon-fed to us without giving a chance to appreciate it. The narration made sense in the beginning, but in others, it was redundant, even unnecessary. We're told that they've arrived in the Northern Water Tribes when that's exactly what we're seeing. We're being told that they're learning bending, but we don't see their struggles. The story of Prince Zuko's disgrace and banishment (told in flashbacks like in the show) just happens to happen at the most random moment.
I know that adaptations can't always surpass their original source material. But they should at least be as good as the original, and if not, as I've said before, they should be good in their own right. Well, in the case of "The Last Airbender," the original show is superior. What's more, this movie can't stand on its own.
For fans, the only suspense that this movie has to offer is seeing your favorite characters and scene be reenacted in real-life, with the help of some really special SFX. I was really thrilled by the final battle scene in the end--but only because I knew what was going to happen, and the fact that all of this was happening on the big screen and in high def, and in 3D no less. In the end, why not stick with the show? Non-fans can get excited because this is a story they've never heard before, but this isn't the best telling of the story.
As a summer blockbuster, this is nothing special.
It's a shame, because this had so much potential. I give in 5 stars out of 10 though, and not a 1, because there were things I liked.