My Movie Review: The Last Airbender

My Movie Review: The Last Airbender

2.5/5

Opening Statement: Based on the popular Nickelodeon anime' series. M Night Shaymalan shows us his action/adventure roots in The Last Airbender. The story of a young boy saved from the ice only to find out it is hundreds of years in the future, in a world where the fire nation reigns supreme. They say this boy is an Avatar which means he can bend all four elements Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. This movie is book one, where he journeys to learn how to bend water.

What's Good: Not as bad as the people let on. As a person who has never seen an episode of the Nickelodeon series, I found The Last Airbender a fairly entertaining action/ adventure film. Without the ruining of 3D the effects are compelling, and at sometimes suprisingly beautiful. I think the best thing about The Last Airbender is its story, not necessarily this movie, but the whole picture. The world of the elements and the history of these characters is nice. But that is where Nickelodeon did its job good. Not the people behind this.

What's Bad: Too much unfortunately. Let me start off with the dialogue, this movie would've been better if no character ever talked and it was just the action and effects. They lead the overall story down the right path in explaining what the characters are doing, but it feels to mechanical, to fake. Bad dialogue would be fine, but it is being said by untalented actors. It is kind of unfair of me to judge such young actors, because they are still learning. And with the dialgoue and things they were directed to say and do, honestly bad acting is not there fault. The effects do well, but at times they are a bit show-offy. This movie needed to tone its ego down a little bit. I feel similar about this movie with Eragon...there is a really interesting back story to these characters, and they live in an interesting universe, but i'm not pulled into that universe. With the Star Wars and Harry Potter movies the first movie brings you into there universe and keeps you there, then begins showing off more things the universe is about. The Last Airbender has an intriguing universe, but the whole time I felt myself begging for this movie to pull me into it. For a kids movie, this is too long. My young ADHD self wouldnt've been able to tolerate it. The middle of the movie gets boring, and you find yourself drifting in and out. It does pull itself together a bit towards the end.

Consensus: A bit underrated, mildly entertaining summer blockbuster. The Last Airbender fails to pull you into its ever so intriguing universe. In the end you find yourself wishing that the movie gave you more.