Last Air Bender

[Zone]

Now I started watching the cartoon a year or two ago and due to pay tv problems only saw the big finale this summer.  I really loved it, clever, well written, decent characters, and most importantly humor.

Now, M. Night (of dubious reputation) has made a live action version for some unknown reason - really, why bother, the original is only a few years old and still much loved, usually you only remake things forgotton or a generation or more old - and 95% of what I've heard tells me it's utterly awful, from mispronounced names, to the exclusion of important support characters, to the excorcising of all humor.  So tell me, geek minions, have you seen it and is it as awful as word of mouth has it?

[APOCALYPSE]

I had heard just about the same as you.

I'm not familiar with the series but I heard that it was pretty bad. So, I decided to wait until it hits DVD then I'll take my chances.

[Jester]

ok, here goes..ahem...my biggest problem was there are 22 episodes in a season. The movie was only 1 hour and 45 mins. The 3D was awful. You couldn't even tell. The acting was even worse. M. Knight said he changed how some of the names were pronounced because that's how you were supposed to say them. I call bull****. I don't care if that's how you're supposed to say them, that's not how they were used in the show. There was not enough bending either. All the cool looking stuff they showed in the previews. The Keyoshi warriors? Not there. Which really ticked me off because Sooki is VERY important at the end of the show. Jet? Nope not there. Very important at the end of the show. He totally screwed up the part where Katara wanted to save the earthbenders imprisoned on the large metal rig. Oh, and forebending, really? Why oh why do they need a source of fire? The cartoon did just fine with all firebenders being able to make it themselves. It helped make them a tough enemy to crack considering everyone else needed a source. And why did they show the firelord's face? It added an air of mystery not showing him until the last season. Made him very scary. I'm telling you right now, if they scew up the next movie just as bad, especially Toph, I will not watch the third.

there ya go, hope that helps.

[Kid_Vid]

My old roommate's wife said "No TRUE Airbender fan would enjoy it, they changed so much," but she was an uptight bitch, so I don't know what you can take from that.

Myself, I enjoyed it. I've watched a lot of anime, but Airbender wasn't one of them. It was pretty, the characters were pretty well developed (not to the point that you would in 22 hours of shows).

I don't understand why people are pissed that the main character is white instead of asian? What I read of the comics and saw of the show, he looked like a white kid. I guess its anime, so all the characters should be asian, but I honestly think Cloud Strife was white, because I don't know any blonde-haired blue-eyed japanese guys.

Anyway, I enjoyed it, but I never watched the show. I might be singing a different tune when they remake Akira as a live-action movie.

  -kv

[Jester]

I'm glad you liked it. But that's because you've never seen the show. I must say your old roomate's wife is correct, bitch or no.

[Kid_Vid]

I would refer you to Rule 0.A: A bitch is always wrong.

I've watched some of the show- it was at the point where I was getting over anime, though, so I didn't watch it as closely as I did others (Cowboy Bebop, Akira, old-school anime), which is why I didn't particularly object to any changes.

Like I said, I heard Leonardo DiCaprio wants to make Akira into a live-action movie set in New York instead of Tokyo, with him as Tetsuo; that I might object to.

So I understand why people would object to changes, but when it comes to indian names, I think you can give him a little leeway in the pronunciation. I think his expertise is sufficient. And I don't think the Avatar looks asian, in any of the books or shows that I saw. He looks like a white kid to me.

But, I wasn't a huge fan, so I didn't have problems with those changes.

  -kv

[Jester]

yea, he looked white in the cartoon too. I'm just too much of a fanboy I guess. Plus M. Night has left a bad taste in my mouth from previous movies he's done

[APOCALYPSE]

I have to agree. He's not my style. Don't care for him much at all.

[Zone]

First off, Avatar: The Last Airbender is not anime.  It borrows an element here and there but trust me, it isn't anime. I hate anime.  It is worth watching though, Kid, and its in the rental place, a season at a time.

Second, I do not understand the fit about actors of various ethnicities.  The story does not take place on this planet.  Their 'races' (a misnomer if there ever was one) are air folk, earth folk, water folk, and fire folk.  There is no exact correlation - has no one ever looked at their map?  Doesn't look a thing like West Covena.  Which brings us to the name thing all ready mentioned - you can't have a way they are 'supposed to be' pronounced other than the way initially cited in the fantasy world in which they originated, when those fantasy people ain't these real people.  I wish I could water bend.

Now do you want to get into the irritating departures from continuity in the Star Trek series  

[APOCALYPSE]

WoW! You seem pretty riled up over this movie/series, etc....

I might have to take a look at it then and see what the differences really are!

[Jester]

trust me I weren't too happy about it either.

[Zone]

Irritation more like - as a writer I really hate departures from established continuity.