The Last Airbender

[cloudy]

I really got into this cartoon series, thanks to the youngest son. He loved it, and I got sucked right into it.

The live action movie is supposed to be out this summer, and if the trailer is anything to go by, it should be really good.

Any other nickelodeon geeks out there?

 

[Stella_Omega]

I really got into this cartoon series, thanks to the youngest son. He loved it, and I got sucked right into it.

The live action movie is supposed to be out this summer, and if the trailer is anything to go by, it should be really good.

Any other nickelodeon geeks out there?

The movie that has all white child actors playing Asian heroes, and Dev Patel, the token non-white, playing the villain?

Sorry, but everytime I think about it my head blows up.

The cartoon series though-- that's amazing!

 

[jomar]

I really got into this cartoon series, thanks to the youngest son. He loved it, and I got sucked right into it.

The live action movie is supposed to be out this summer, and if the trailer is anything to go by, it should be really good.

Any other nickelodeon geeks out there?

Back in the day when the kids were coming up had fun with Doug, Hey Arnold, Dexter's Laboratory, and a few others.

 

[cloudy]

The movie that has all white child actors playing Asian heroes, and Dev Patel, the token non-white, playing the villain?

Sorry, but everytime I think about it my head blows up.

The cartoon series though-- that's amazing!

I know, but I'll still have to go see it...just because.

You're right, though...the cartoon series was so well done, and had such an intricate storyline. I wonder if they'll be able to even come close to it in only two hours.

 

[PoppingTom]

The producer is the one of "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable". That sounds good.

 

[IrezumiKiss]

The movie that has all white child actors playing Asian heroes, and Dev Patel, the token non-white, playing the villain?

Sorry, but everytime I think about it my head blows up.

This pisses me off whenever I think about it, but I know I will go spend money to see this when it comes out anyway, enabling the machine to further marginalize non-white culture and representation where it really matters. And I have a feeling I'll enjoy watching it, too, because this is the type of summertime popcorn movie I enjoy watching.

It's not easy, being human!

 

[kimbalee]

I really got into this cartoon series, thanks to the youngest son. He loved it, and I got sucked right into it.

The live action movie is supposed to be out this summer, and if the trailer is anything to go by, it should be really good.

Any other nickelodeon geeks out there?

Im looking forward to it as well... hubby loved the series and I also got sucked into it. I'll be going to see it with him. sigh. There should be cool special effects, at least I'm hoping there will be some.

 

[Salvor-Hardon]

I loved the cartoon, and watched it even more than the kids did. there's an element (sorry) that draws me and I can't quite explain but I like the possibility of "bending".

Not sure if I'll see the movie, but sign my name to the charter of nickelodeon geeks. I even go back far enough to remember "You can't do that on television" and Danger mouse

 

[cloudy]

Here's another trailer for the movie, and another (I think this one is my favorite).

 

[manyeyedhydra]

The producer is the one of "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable". That sounds good.

Those were a long time ago.

His more recent effort, "The Happening", is not quite the same quality.

 

[Miss_Pixie]

The Movie is fantastic, I took my nephew to see it yesterday and he loved it.

I was always a big fan of invader zim. Gir is my faveorite, I have a bunch of clothes with him on it lol

 

[3113]

The producer is the one of "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable". That sounds good.

Also The Village, Signs, The Happening, Lady in the Water.... I'm afraid that two out of six isn't good odds. You can't rest on the laurels of one great movie (I don't consider Unbreakable all that wonderful).

 

[rgraham666]

Tomorrow it's The Sorcerer's Apprentice for me.

 

[cloudy]

We went to see it last week. As a whole, the movie was ok, but the martial arts sequences were absolutely beautiful.

 

[manyeyedhydra]

Also The Village, Signs, The Happening, Lady in the Water.... I'm afraid that two out of six isn't good odds. You can't rest on the laurels of one great movie (I don't consider Unbreakable all that wonderful).

I liked Signs and Unbreakable, but his radar's been way off from the Village onwards. From the first films I thought he'd go on to be a modern day Hitchcock, but in the latter films he seemed to completely lose his grasp on basic fundamentals of storytelling.

I've not heard much positive about the new one, either. I don't pay much attention to reviews, but even my friends have told me not to bother on this one.

 

[3113]

I don't pay much attention to reviews, but even my friends have told me not to bother on this one.

Local reviewer said that it was very much aimed at 10 and under and that kids that age might like it but adults probably wouldn't. I don't know how accurate that is, but there ya go.

 

[Guest]

. . . .

 

[Weird Harold]

Local reviewer said that it was very much aimed at 10 and under and that kids that age might like it but adults probably wouldn't. I don't know how accurate that is, but there ya go.

One online reviewer said that it was an OK movie unless you were a fan of the original anime series; like all too many Hollywood "interpretations," the source material provided not much more than the title.

 

[Handley_Page]

I wonder when these films will turn up over here ?

 

[manyeyedhydra]

A friend saw it, suggests it would be better to go and see "Despicable Me" twice.

We've seen Despicable Me, and loved it! (Stay for the credits.)

Yeah. Despicable Me is a lot of fun. I want minions

 

[Guest]

. . . .

 

[ShyChiWriter]

My kids and I are huge fans of the TV series. It is wonderful!

The movie...just an odd thing from start to finish.

First off, I am NOT a big 3D fan. Yes, I thought they got it right in Avatar - but I still say 3D is the emperor's new clothes of technology and is mainly a chance to upsell audiences $2.00 per flick.

Worse, with The Last Airbender, they added the 3D after the fact. They did the same thing with the remake of Clash of the Titans and I truly thought I needed to get new glasses because the visuals were so bad in that movie.

In terms of the casting - I'll be honest, I have a hard time dredging up too much outrage over the fact that they cast anglo actors in a movie adaptation of an animated series that was created by two Yanks with Italian and Russian/Slavic ancestry that was voiced primarily by American actors.

Would I have rather seen Asian actors? Absolutely. However, if I was going to get outraged I could go the other direction and criticize Hayao Miyazaki and so many other groundbreaking Japanese animators for inking characters with more round-eyed, Western features in so many of their films.

The Last Airbender movie was just a poor effort from start to finish. Casting, or post-adding 3D, or direction, or acting by a cast of primarily newcomers - all of those factors added up to a big disappointment.

The good news - the original creators have signed up for a new Avatar series with Nickelodeon. It won't be the 4th season of The Last Airbender, but a new series set in that Universe. That is something to look forward to!