The Last Airbender

[Reverend Jax]

The only thing greater than Takei's voice is Takei's voice as a villain.The show has some talented voice actors. Besides the regular cast, whom are all great, you have Jason Issacs as Commander Zhao, Mark Hamill as Fire Lord Ozai (Zuko's father), Clancy Brown as a villain in season 2.

[Mr. Hakujin]

New trailer;

 

 

I like the detail on Aang's tats (almost looks like a Celtic Cross on his back), and it looks like they're putting in the escape from Zuko's ship--I hope we get to see Aang running along the walls all Matrix-y like in the show.

 

I'm still slowly working through S1 of the show. I think I'm around ep. 8 or 9.

[Reverend Jax]

The Winter Solstice Part 2 is a good episode, it was number 8. The Storm (#12) is one of my favorites from the first season. The Blue Spirit (#13) is a fan favorite, it one of the s1's better episodes. The Great Divide (#11) is almost universally every fan's least favorite episode of the whole series. I really dig The Fortuneteller (#14) because I identity with Sokka's skepticism throughout the episode. But it's the last 3 episodes at the Northern Water Tribe that are the best part of the first season.

[Mr. Hakujin]

Finished S1 and am seven episodes deep into S2. At first I thought "The Love Cave" was going to be another "Great Divide," but it won me over in the end. "Swamp" was a little meh, bit it served the purpose of moving the story fed and I did dig how they showed water bender cultures exist outside of the two poles. I lobe the homage to wrestling in "The Blind Bandit." I was laughing so hard when the fire nation version Nikoli Volkov started singing the fire nation anthem. Hilarious! Favorite thus far is ep 7 though. It'll be interesting to see if any of these little life lessons will end up having any effect on Zuko and his myopic view of the mission he's on. My guess is no since there are another 30+ episodes to go in the series.

 

Also, I dig how Sakka is the skeptical "Scully" of the group, but just like on the X-Files I van see myself getting bored with that repetitive stance when the show's philosophy is so clearly set against such skepticism. No what I mean?

 

And Jax, have you read any of the new Immortal Iron Fist series? If you dig ep like "Avatar Day" then you should love the book. A lot of parallels between this show and that book. I wonder if Brubaker was inspired by this series or vice versa. it'd be interesting to compare start dates for both...

[Reverend Jax]

"Please to rise for Fire Nation National Anthem! Fire Lord! My flame burns for thee!"

"Go back to the Fire Nation!"

 

Anyway, I really do think the group dynamic is better once Toph joins the group. How did you like the Siege of the North (Season 1 finale)?

 

And Jax, have you read any of the new Immortal Iron Fist series? If you dig ep like "Avatar Day" then you should love the book. A lot of parallels between this show and that book. I wonder if Brubaker was inspired by this series or vice versa. it'd be interesting to compare start dates for both...

 

I have not, I'll look into it.

[The NZA]

aw haku, take that shit to the Iron Fist thread! i just got the brubaker Omnibus (dude on half sold it for $11!), looking forward to the Immortal Weapons TPB.

[Mr. Hakujin]

Brubaker Omnibus? I didn't even know such an item existed. It must be hefty cuz that is a rather prolific writer, not so much as Bendis, but everything I've read by him has been quality.

 

I was a little mixed on the S1 finale, Jax. Killing the spirit of the Moon? It was a great way to showcase the philosophy of the show and introduce the importance of balance and harmony and how the Avatar is the guardian of said harmony--very Jedi. Not sure if it really made for a logical plot though. They kept talking how the water tribe was stronger at night, but the first night they didn't attack. And why wouldn't they just send benders out on like guerilla type attacks to pierce the hulls with icebergs and sink the fire nation ships before they reached the walls of the city. I could let a lot of it slide though b/c it's still at it's heart a show meant to appeal to kids; so I can excuse a lot of the white-washing and simplification and repetition the show has b/c of that fact. But the connection to the princess and Sakka's little subplot w/ her was great. All in all the good outweighed the bad for me and I'd say it was about 70-80% awesome.

[Reverend Jax]

I was a little mixed on the S1 finale, Jax. Killing the spirit of the Moon? It was a great way to showcase the philosophy of the show and introduce the importance of balance and harmony and how the Avatar is the guardian of said harmony--very Jedi. Not sure if it really made for a logical plot though. They kept talking how the water tribe was stronger at night, but the first night they didn't attack. And why wouldn't they just send benders out on like guerilla type attacks to pierce the hulls with icebergs and sink the fire nation ships before they reached the walls of the city. I could let a lot of it slide though b/c it's still at it's heart a show meant to appeal to kids; so I can excuse a lot of the white-washing and simplification and repetition the show has b/c of that fact. But the connection to the princess and Sakka's little subplot w/ her was great. All in all the good outweighed the bad for me and I'd say it was about 70-80% awesome.

 

Well, they did send waterbenders out, but not all of them were as powerful as Pakku and Katara and Aang, plus there were hundreds of ships (remember how Zhao said they'd need a massive invasion force), and you can't send all your waterbenders out, you'd be defenseless. Anyway, hopefully it's flow more logically for you in the movie (the movie is just season 1).

[Mr. Hakujin]

Yeah, apparently they're planning on making a film out of each season, which seems appropriate. Unless of course the first one is massively successful then they might be able to put a fourth or fifth one out. I just hope M Night. Shamalamadingdong doesn't fuck it up.

[Iambaytor]

Yeah, apparently they're planning on making a film out of each season, which seems appropriate. Unless of course the first one is massively successful then they might be able to put a fourth or fifth one out. I just hope M Night. Shamalamadingdong doesn't fuck it up.

 

That is the big factor here. The man's got some good ideas in his head-brain, that's for sure, but what he lacks is the ability to lace them together into a story. Fortunately this thing comes fully written and doesn't require him to shoe-horn in a "tweest" ending. However, the man's a terrible director by substance and though he manages to cobble together a fairly decent effort for somebody who obviously has no clue what they're doing, he has an uncanny ability to draw the most bland soul-less weak performances from actors who are so much better than that. Zooey Deschanel's soul-less woman robot from The Happening comes to mind. I didn't even knew Paul Giamiati knew how to give a bad performance, but yet Lady in the Water still happened. He's gottne shit work from Joaquin Phoenix, Paul Giamatti, Mel Gibson, Zooey Descanel, and Mark Wahlberg. The best he's gotten were Haley Joel Osmet, Bruce Willis, John Leguizamo, and Samuel L. Jackson and Leguizamo is the only one I've seen yet that didn't seem to be doped up on benadryl as he read his lines.

 

So far this looks really good, and the deck is stacked in Shyamalan's favor. Good actors, good budget, and most importantly: He didn't write it. However, if his actor dampening forcefield still holds over this movie it could hurt it. Here's hoping.

[Reverend Jax]

Side by side comparison of the theatrical trailer and corresponding clips for the show. Pretty hard to argue this will not be as faithful as can be without looking ridiculous.

 

 

The only odd difference is that the TLA trailer had Sokka kissing Yue, and the ATLA clip he used was of Sokka kissing Suki, even though there's a perfect clip for the show of Sokka kissing Yue

as she becomes the moon spirit

. I'm really glad someone make the effort to make this though.

[Mr. Hakujin]

The only odd difference is that the TLA trailer had Sokka kissing Yue, and the ATLA clip he used was of Sokka kissing Suki, even though there's a perfect clip for the show of Sokka kissing Yue

as she becomes the moon spirit

. I'm really glad someone make the effort to make this though.

I agree. This looks really promising! I totally missed that scene of Yue rising in the trailer until I saw the comparison. I'd have liked it if they would've kept it a little closer to the source w/ uncle Iroh. He needs to have the gray and age on him to pull off the wise sage roll in my opinion. I've never heard of this actor playing him either. Too bad Mako is too old to play the part. That would've been epic. Also I wonder why they haven't shown Appa in any trailers yet? Maybe his CGI isn't done yet. Pulling off a white flying bison that doesn't look silly in a "realistic" setting will be another feat I'm curious to see if they can pull off.

 

I also think Sokka & Yue kissed on the bridge that night they first met. Or was that an almost kiss? I've watched nearly 40 episodes in the span of a week so stuff is beginning to blend... I know in S2 the night she

helped them cross the Serpent's Pass, Suki tried to kiss Sakka but he pulled away. He kissed her and they made out--which I thought a bold scene to keep for a kid's show--the next day though.

 

*Edit*

Just watched the S2 episode "Tales of Ba Sing Sei" and confirmed it on IMDB--Mako died in 2006. Sadness. So if he's not too old to play Iroh in the film, but too dead.

 

That is the big factor here. The man's got some good ideas in his head-brain, that's for sure, but what he lacks is the ability to lace them together into a story. Fortunately this thing comes fully written and doesn't require him to shoe-horn in a "tweest" ending...

 

So far this looks really good, and the deck is stacked in Shyamalan's favor. Good actors, good budget, and most importantly: He didn't write it. However, if his actor dampening forcefield still holds over this movie it could hurt it. Here's hoping.

I agree. I always said the worst part of Night's movies was the writer--him. He has an interview w/ the ATLA series creators on you tube (which I may have posted in this thread earlier) in which he talks of his passion for the source material and it seems genuine. As Jax pointed out in his post above about the series and film comparisons this seems to be headed toward being a "Harry Potter" and not a "Golden Compass" level of adaptation. ALthough, that's not an accurate comparison as those films were based on books and not kids TV series. . .

 

Can anyone think of a great TV show-to-film comparison?

[Reverend Jax]

I'd have liked it if they would've kept it a little closer to the source w/ uncle Iroh. He needs to have the gray and age on him to pull off the wise sage roll in my opinion. I've never heard of this actor playing him either. Too bad Mako is too old to play the part.

 

The actor playing him has been in alot of movies. He was in Iron Man (the scientist trapped in the cave with Tony Stark that helped him build the first suit so they could escape. He was in The Kite Runner, Charlie Wilson's War, Crash, and he's played character roles in dozens o TV shows from Lost to Seinfeld to The Sopranos, ER, Lois & Clark, to as far back at Matlock and Columbo and Married With Children.

 

Also I wonder why they haven't shown Appa in any trailers yet?

 

Go to the Super Bowl spot at 0:07 and look at the top left corner.

 

As Jax pointed out in his post above about the series and film comparisons this seems to be headed toward being a "Harry Potter" and not a "Golden Compass" level of adaptation. ALthough, that's not an accurate comparison as those films were based on books and not kids TV series. . .

 

Well, the comparison to Harry Potter vs Golden Compass makes sense because we are talking about fantasy series with a child protagonist and several child and young adult supporting actors. That similarity seems to make it a valuable comparison. Alot of people on the internet are talking about it comparing it to Dragonball Evolution because it animesque, and Dragonball Evolution is the only major anime to be made into a live-action Hollywood picture so far (except for Speed Racer, but no one seems to compare it to that, maybe because Speed Racer isn't martial arts and fighting focused). Harry Potter and the Golden Compass (and The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe) seem like better frames of reference than Dragonball Evolution.

 

Can anyone think of a great TV show-to-film comparison?

 

Asked the man with a Spock avatar....

 

Well, there are some good ones essentially made by the same people as the show, like The Simpsons Movie, Borat and Bruno (I've not seen Ali G Indahouse, but I heard it wasn't that great), Serenity, the Star Treks, South Park, the Muppet movies, The Naked Gun, Wayne's World, . As for movies adapted by a different cast and crew, The Fugitive, Maverick, The Untouchables, Mission: Impossible, The Addams Family...Charlie's Angels was alright. Looking at all those, you get the sense that most of these don't seem like apt comparison to Avatar, at least not as apt as fantasy books like Harry Potter, The Golden Compass and the Narnia books.

[Mr. Hakujin]

Wow. Jax you are hardcore into ATLA! The only place I've noticed Appa was in that vid for the toys. I'll go back and check the trailer...ah, I see him. They even put in a handy box around him on the you tube vid back one page. Still more of a glimpse than a hard look at how he looks with live actors. I'm optimistic though...

 

OK, so this guy playing Uncle Iroh in the film has some credits, but I'm going in w/ lowered expectations on him until I see more film on him in the roll. One of the great parts of Iroh is he's this powerful firebender, a master, but his appearance and manner is one of a jolly old fatman. It makes him endearing. Nothing endearing about what I've seen in this actor thus far...

 

. . . Asked the man with a Spock avatar....

And not to squash my own great comparison, but I should've clarified as to any good children's TV series-to-film comparisons. I thought of the Dragon Ball Z film, but I never watched the series or film as they both looked incredibly lame. ATLA does have a lot of story content similarities w/ Potter and Golden Compass, but I think it's in the unique position of (possibly) being the first successful translation of a children's TV show to film.

[Mr. Hakujin]

AICN.com has three reviews of an early screener. I skimmed them and they're all negative on the acting and dialogue. However, all three seem to be people who aren't real fans of the show either. One did say the theater erupted into cheers when it was over.

 

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/44143

[Reverend Jax]

Several other reviews have also surfaced. The count is about 5 negative, 4 positive. But what they were showed was evidently a cut of the film that's only about 90 minutes, without about 30 minutes not edited in. That would certainly explain the complaints about the pacing being too rushed. Rumor is the are also re-shooting some scene, particularly some of Zhao's. Another rumor has an international trailer just around the corner.

 

This movie's a real question mark right now. No telling if it's going to be great or awful.

[Mr. Hakujin]

I'm still VERY optimistic about the film at this point. The trailers have me feeling hopeful and those neg reviews seemed to be coming from non-fans. Plus those screeners are an unfinished product and there's , what--four months?--until the film is released. I'm still firmly in the hopeful fanboy camp for now.

[Mr. Hakujin]

It's gonna be in 3D.

 

... and ultimately the choice to 3D or Not laid in M Night's judgment - and frankly that does encourage me. M Night is a details kind of director and if they do do it right, like with NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, it could be quite a spectacle. This is something they've been working at for a while now, but they just got to the point where they feel confident in letting the world know that M. Night's THE LAST AIRBENDER will be airbending in 3D.

 

...You'll all be seeing a new trailer for THE LAST AIRBENDER on IRON MAN 2, it is pretty incredible looking. Unlike anything we've ever seen from M Night. This is a very big looking movie.

[Newtype]

[Reverend Jax]

Movie-Momo:

For comparison:

 

Movie-Appa:

For comparison:

[Mr. Hakujin]

i like what i see. also, the wave 1 toys are out. not so keen on them though:

 

 

[Thelogan]

Movie looks to be cool, despite the fact that I've never seen the show. The toys look like a pile of puke.

[The NZA]

little Appa's claws are too long.

/movie ruined CONFIRMED.

[Reverend Jax]

little Appa's claws are too long.

I thought that too, but those are Southern Water Tribe children hanging on to his feet.

 

Logan, not sure if you like watching movie adaptations before seeing the source material or not, but at some point, you'd probably enjoy watching the show.

[The NZA]

yeah, watch it, logans. i will now retroactively have endorsed the show since '06 or so.

also, to maintain e-cred and ensure a comfy seat towards the front of the bandwagon, im changing my vote to "little appa's binocular vision = /movie ruined CONFIRMED". according to the theory of organic web shooters™, it is infinitely cooler/smarter to preemptively hate on things and be eternally pessimistic in hopes of pleasant surprises/never ever being disappointed, as this is a happy way to live somehow.

 

 

am i doing it right