THE LAST AIRBENDER Super Bowl Spot

[filkertom]

I really, really don't know. There has been much made of how the background characters are mostly Asian, but the leads have been cast as non-Asian. There's the fact that I don't think M. Night has the chops (no pun intended) for a half-martial-arts action film. There's the fact that, in the first teaser, the Hero's Big Move was blowing out candles.

To me, the real clincher is how very dark the film seems. Not merely the photography; the tone has Heath Ledger running through my head, yelling Why so serious?

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a fantastic series, very serious when it has to be and very grim when it needs to be... but it's also filled with hope and humor and lots of bright, powerful emotion. And everything I've seen about this screams that it doesn't get that.

Thoughts?

Comments

[mythochromos]

M. Night, at least based on the movies I've seen, is a one-trick pony playing off of the twist ending that doesn't really lend itself to rewatching the movie. I really hope he didn't write the script.

io9 rounded up some reviews of the test screenings that make me hopeful but I'm still concerned about how well it'll translate to live action. Changing the style a bit would be fine with me, but only if they can sell it with that new style.

[filkertom]

Wrote, produced, directed. I think we're hosed, myself.

[mythochromos]

...yep, we're hosed.

[bryanp.livejournal.com]

When I heard who was making it I thought "Whaaaa?? Are they kidding?"

I'll try to keep an open mind and see what they've done with it, but I'm not expecting much.

[peachtales.livejournal.com]

M Night to me mostly means AVOID these days.

I've not seen the show, and please don't suggest I watch it unless you will be coming over with dvds. If you are, I promise I will make food. :D

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

I'm right there with you. We're big fans of the original show. Watched them all as they aired and bought up all the DVDs as they've been released. There is a certainly look and tone to the show that makes it charming and entertaining and I've seen none of that in what little we've seen of the film. I don't like the look of the cast, I don't like the effects.

You've nailed it.. its too dark, too serious.

And while we've not seen the characters in action much, from what I've seen of the cast, I'm not impressed.

I'm still willing to give it a shot, but I'm not holding by breath.

[mouser.livejournal.com]

I'm not getting the dark and gritty vibe. I'm thinking they have two hours to tell the story instead of three seasons so they probably couldn't do as much serious and humor and etc. Certainly not cut down to a 30 second ad.

I thought candles thing was actually from the original.

As for the OMG why aren't they all Asian thing, this isn't like John Wayne playing Gengis Kahn - it's from a cartoon world.

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

This is only one trailer, targetted to the Super Bowl. Males 18-49, sports crowd, hard action film audience. You know as well as anybody how a trailer can be manipulated from the whole film's worth of footage.

The greater story is a pretty grim situation. It's the moments of friendship and humor that keep it from falling into unrelieved despair. Rather like real life, no?

The scenery and action show that he studied his source material well. But he does have kids, the show has been in the house all this time hasn't it? :-)

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

Most of the leads in Dragonball: Evolution were non-Asian, and that was a gigantic turdy flop, from what I've read.

[pandoradeloeste.livejournal.com]

Aaaaagh so much wrong with the casting of the movie. We have the heroes (all of them white), saving the Earth Kingdom (whose actors are all people of color, apparently mainly brown and black) from the Fire Nation (almost entirely Asian). White people are the heroes, people of color are the aggressors and the victims. That spells a big damn racial clusterfrak.

although Avatar state!Aang looks really freakin' cool - the glowing tattoos and eyes contrast really well with the very dark palette of the trailer

[banjoplayinnerd.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to wait to see what happens with it. I agree that the trailer doesn't necessarily bode well, but I hope I'm wrong.

The other trailer I saw, with the Fire Nation ships, was kinda impressive.

[banjoplayinnerd.livejournal.com]

Well, if you can talk someone into bringing the DVDs over, it's quite worth it IMO, but keep in mind that it's a three-season story arc, which is a lot of DVDs.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

My kids love the show; I've seen a few eps and it's not at all bad. But M. Night is bad news; I've been trying to cushion the expected blow of a poor adaptation. I suspect I'll wait until I've (a) seen more of the series and (b) gotten the DVD.

(We're also waiting with bated breath for The Lightning Thief, but I've had even more pre-comfort words about Chris Columbus and his inability to make a great story into a halfway decent movie.)

[skemono.livejournal.com]

it's from a cartoon world.

Yes. A cartoon Asian world.

[tikiera.livejournal.com]

Am not going to see the film, am not going to watch the trailers. I loved the cartoon, and am angry that now there won't be a film that does it justice.

[fredhuggins.livejournal.com]

WHY in God's name is anyone still allowing M. Night to make movies? Much less a franchise flick that fans already have emotional stakes in. Seriously, I'd like an answer. Is there some movie exec who just flat-out hates money? "Hmmm...we've got sixty million dollars lying around. Who can we get to make it simply evaporate into thin air? How about that guy who made a bit too much money with 'Lady In The Water', so he learned his lesson with 'There Seems To Be Some Kind Of Happening Happening!'?"

[fredhuggins.livejournal.com]

This is a true story, by the way: when M. Night showed the Disney execs his "Lady In The Water" script, their response was "We don't understand this at all, but we'll make it anyway." M. Night responded, "NO! You have to UNDERSTAND IT!" And he took it to Warner Bros., who responded "Sure, Sixth Sense guy! We understand it juuuuuuust fine!"

[kosaginolegion.livejournal.com]

I plan on borrowing it from the library a year or so from now and watching it without my sons.

The racefail on this one still torques me off. The dark and grim aspect doesn't make me feel any better.

They shoulda got Tsui Hark.

[berimon.livejournal.com]

Disclosure One: I like most of M Nights movies, although I haven't seen The happening.

Disclosure Two: I know precisely nothing about the animated series.

I think the trailers for this movie look very, very cool indeed, like the earth wall to block the fire in this trailer.

It's very odd however, nearly every time I've heard anything about this movie it's been some kind of #racefail rant. Then I go watch a trailer and go "Damn, that looks cool".

Maybe I'm just the target audience, I dunno.

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

Slightly OT here--I'm not watching the Superbowl. Don't normally; not into sports enough to bother faking it at the last minute as with many fair weather fans.

But for those who do follow it, I hate to tell ya, I understand CBDS decided to air an anti-abortion (or anti-choice) ad by Focus on the Family (for $+2 million) although to date they've refused to air other kinds of partisan ads by anybody else.

Back OT here: during all the racefail flamewars I've heard a lot of problems with M Night responses on Airbender's casting. You can find a lot of details posted back a month or two ago on gwailowrite.

SO not going there for several reasons.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Now, Tom, not ALL the principals are white. The bad guy - the palest member of the animated cast - is being played by a POC.

Isn't there enough golly-gee racism in SF/F already?

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

A thing: They are planning three movies, one per season.

[dragon-avatar.livejournal.com]

Bah, I lost faith in M.night long ago, and when I saw he was directing Airbender,(DAMN you Cameron!) I cried myself to sleep that night. I'll give him a shot, but with all these remakes flying around lately Airbender might go to a GOOD director.

(Can anyone see Quentin doing this? *drool*)

[dandelion-diva.livejournal.com]

*nod* This is why I'm not going to see it. Because I really do love the series and I'm pretty damn offended by the casting and the message it sends.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Quentin is an interesting choice, and I think a good one. But I think the best choice would have been Spielberg. He gets dark, he gets whimsy, he gets action. The biggest thing he'd have to get is a script that captured the vibe of the series.

It could be worse. We could have Chris Columbus. Or [shudder] Uwe Boll.

[dragon-avatar.livejournal.com]

Uwe? NOOOOOOOO!
I would like Spielburg to do it, but I think Quentin has the flair and the panache to get it done in a way not to get him mauled by "fanboys" aka ME! (plus I just looked to see what Spielburgs working on...http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000229/ ) wait, what do I see there...TINTIN??? while Quentin has a few less. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000233/

and thats if M.Night screws Airbender up ROYALLY. (what a Twist!)

[lutehawk.livejournal.com]

I am keeping an open mind about the movie. If you follow the progression of the animated series they changed it from a "kids" sillier format to more of a mature theme as they discovered that Adults found the series a good watch. I can hope there are moments of humor but alas this is just a single movie not several animated episodes. Like reading a book and comparing it to the movie you will see a lot of content will be left out.