M. Night Shymalan ventures away from his typical movie genre to bring us The Last Airbender on the big screen adapted from the Nickelodeon cartoon. This was a movie that I did not see in theaters because so many had panned this film and the story line. After seeing this film I really have to wonder why critics were so hard on this movie and what were they really expecting from this movie.
Although the movie was a distinct movie in a different direction for Shymalan from past movies there were elements that he used that everyone will recognize from previous movies. He kept his trademark of appearing in his films, while this is one of his trademarks, I can not help but think of how this trademark is really a twist on the Alfred Hitchcock shadow trademark. Also he brings a great amount of imagery to the film with some great sweeping panoramic shots to help us see this great world. I know a big criticism that was out there for the film was that it did not hold true to the cartoon. While some may see this as a detriment I enjoyed the fact that he took this film and transformed it into his own. Not to mention it is hard to take 8 hours of animation story of the water book and condense it to make everyone happy.
For me the part of the movie that was successful was the acting. It is refreshing to watch a movie that has fresh faced actors. Noah Ringer in the role of Aang of course is what makes this film. The training he has had in martial arts is not only the reason he was selected for the role, but it makes the scenes work with such a fluidity. While a big criticism for his role is that the Avatar needs to be more happy like in the cartoon. I enjoyed this portrayal because it gives us some true emotion as he was trying to come to grip with the fact that no one he knew to be alive anymore and the guilt he feels for running away when told he was the Avatar. Shaun Taub in the role of Uncle Iroh shines. The direction and leadership he provides for the disgraced prince of the fire nation is perfect. He gives the audience someone that you do not want to succeed and you are rooting against from the get go.
The artistry in this film is really what drew me in. The fluidity of movement that is used for the different bending is so reminiscent of Tai-chi. The artistry for bending makes a lot of sense because one would definitely feel that in order for one to bend and control elements they must be able to focus and clear their mind. Also with this control it seemed to hit the right feelings with the decision to limit the fire control so that only the higher level benders can create fire with only their chi's. It worked so well for the fighting sequences in that it gives the film a great feel for Asian fight sequences.
I know one of the biggest complaints from fans of the animated series is the supposed mispronunciation of many of the names. Having never seen the animated series to me this was no big deal because I did not know what the pronunciation should be in comparison. For me this was made a big deal for no reason at all especially since there are some that have never seen the animated series.
While everyone has seemed to pan this movie, I found it to be a very enjoyable popcorn eating type movie that allows you to relax and simply put off the troubles of the world. The fresh faces on the acting was very nice and while none of the acting was groundbreaking it was sufficient to tell the story. I am giving The Last Airbender two and three quarter buckets of popcorn out of five. This is a movie that everyone may not want to own, but is worth the price of a DVD rental.
-The Movie Man
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