Email
Print
FeedMovie Review: The Last Airbender
Films opening this week:
The Last Airbender - (check listings for 3D screenings) Maple Ridge; Market Arcade; McKinley Mall Dipson; Elmwood, Transit, Galleria, Hollywood Regals; Flix; Transit Drive-In
Micmacs - Eastern Hills Dipson
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - Maple Ridge; Market Arcade; Amherst Dipson; Elmwood, Transit, Galleria, Hollywood, Quaker Regals; Flix; Transit Drive-In
I truly believe critics are bashing M. Night Shyamalan’s newest work unjustly, not taking the time to understand what the film is about, or even that it’s based on an American anime, Nickelodeon program “Avatar”. This is a PG, kid-friendly, adventure flick with a deep mythology and loyal following. You can’t go in expecting anything more than that; if you do it’s your own fault. I’ve never personally seen the original cartoon, but I’ll say right now—I had fun with The Last Airbender.
Shyamalan has always had an idiosyncratic way of writing dialogue. It works in The Village, but it doesn’t fare so well in his other films, including this one. Maybe the prevalence of such repetition is so young children can understand it, maybe it mirrors the show, I don’t know for sure. However, besides this minor gripe, and the fact the performances are sub-par and over-the-top—could be a nod to the equally exaggerated anime overdubbing commonplace in the genre—the movie is very well made. The story itself never talks down, allowing the legend of Air, Water, Earth, and Fire to be uncovered as the characters become familiar with the newly discovered return of the Avatar. And the choreography is stunning. Graceful in its ritualism, flowing in its movements—sometimes even devoid of sharp cuts, showing the technique in full—the action sequences are memorable.
The world itself consists of four nations, one for each element. There are special members of each with the power to ‘bend’ or move the element of their people as an extension of themselves. Only one person, the Avatar, can handle all four, making him the peacekeeper and leader of the rest. Perpetually reincarnated, the God-like being is also the only one able to speak with the spirit world, a gift that brings with it a price. All the world’s creations are his children, all its troubles his duty to rectify.
When siblings Katara (Nicola Peltz) and Sokka (Jackson Rathbone) discover young Aang (Noah Ringer) trapped in ice, they become responsible for protecting the boy, helping him achieve his full potential and take his place as Avatar of the four nations. It is their journey to the Northern Water Region that this first installment in a planned trilogy concerns. The quest is led by Commander Zhao (Aasif Mandvi), right-hand of Fire Lord Ozai (Cliff Curtis), but there is another faction led by the Lord’s son Prince Zuko (Dev Patel), who has been disgraced and banished unless he can gain possession of the Avatar. Zuko is stewarded by his uncle Iroh (Shaun Toub), a man with hidden secrets. The question is if the Prince will turn to the side of good, with Aang, or evil, with his father.
Considering its hefty mythological back story, The Last Airbender manages well as a stand-alone film. Shyamalan does his best to introduce each character and his/her motivations, watching as they fight and befriend, letting emotions overtake them and also patiently relent. Aang must live with the unintentional blood on his hands from his fearful flight; Katara and Sokka must grow into the warriors they’ve been born to grow into; and Zuko must find a voice of his own, moving toward either his his father or his uncle.
Everyone handles their fight maneuvers deftly—each inhabitant of the four nations is well versed in martial arts and bred for the war that’s been waging ever since Aang’s self-imprisonment. Ringer is smooth in his motions, though a bit raw on the acting side of things; Rathbone is almost as stilted as his wide-eyed Jaspar in the Twilight series; and Patel is so earnest you feel as though his head will explode. There are some shining moments, including Peltz’s desire to protect and serve and Toub’s secretive elder statesman—the actor can turn any role into gold. Also, remember that the 3D conversion is probably shoddy, (I have heard this to be true). But pay for it; the cash will increase the possibility of the final two installments actually being made.
The Last Airbender 7/10
photography: [1] Noah Ringer is the heroic Aang in the Paramount Pictures/Nickelodeon Movies adventure, "The Last Airbender." Photo credit: Industrial Light & Magic Copyright (c) 2010 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
[2] Left to right: Dev Patel plays Prince Zuko and Shaun Toub plays Uncle Iroh in the Paramount Pictures/Nickelodeon Movies adventure, "The Last Airbender." Photo credit: Industrial Light & Magic Copyright (c) 2010 Paramount Pictures Corporation.
