THE LAST AIRBENDER
US, 2010, 104 minutes, Colour.
Dev Patel, Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
Reading the vociferous and negative comments on The Last Airbender by would-be reviewer bloggers on the Internet Movie Database, I was glad that I had never seen an episode of the animation series on which this live-action film is based. It was entitled Avatar, but James Cameron must have been quicker to obtain the movie copyright on that title.
Whether it lives up to the television series or whether it is a desecration of it, I cannot say and am rather glad that I have not seen it so can comment on the film as a film. Actually, that is even a bit hard because the writer-director, M. Night Shyamalan, has been falling further and further out of critical and public favour with each film that he makes. He did hit the jackpot with The Sixth Sense which has become a classic of psychological thrillers. Since then he has directed Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, Lady in the Water, The Happening and The Last Airbender. Generally, I have quite enjoyed his films as I did this one, allowing that this is geared towards a niche audience, say 8-14 year olds. The other thing one has to make allowances for is some of the cornily inappropriate contemporary American expressions (with the Waterbenders shouting ‘Hey, guys...’ and everyone checking out the situation with ‘OK?;). Since the Firebenders look and speak like Indians (which the main actors are, as is, originally, the director himself) and they are the villains, then it makes the goodies sound very American. Oh, and there is another allowance to be made. The film was converted to 3D after production so there is minimal 3D effect.
That said, it is a fantasy that relies heavily on eastern religions and traditions rather than Christianity (as does the Narnia series with which there are some comparisons). The young Avatar himself (Noah Rigger) looks very much the head-shaven young Buddhist monk, even looking like Kundun and those stories of the search for the present Dalai Lama. He is also adept, as are some of the other benders, in martial arts. It would be interesting to hear from Buddhists whether the connections are deep or only surface resemblances.
We are in a world of four nations, Air, Earth, Fire and Water. The Fire Nation is conquering Earth and Water, having vanquished the Air Nation, except the young boy who has run away and been hidden for a hundred years and now emerges, the Avatar, the one who has links with the spirit world and is Lord. While he becomes the Lord by the end of the film, the sequel (the Fire Nation strikes back) is clearly heralded.
Not that much of a plot as the nations do battle and the Fire Nation tries to destroy or control the Avatar. A Fire prince (Dev Patel, the Slumdog Millionnaire) wants to capture the Avatar to make an impression on his father who has wiped him off as a weakling. The Avatar is rescued and saved by a young man and a girl from Water.
So, chases and fights, special effects, especially fire battling water, some strange creatures and an excursion into a fantasy land which is somewhat different from the better known worlds of recent cinema imagination.
It won’t capture a large audience of adults or older teenagers, though they might like it.
1. An entertaining action-fantasy? Popular? The critics condemning it?
2. The fantasy world, landscapes, sets and decor? The division of the world, Air, Fire, Earth, Water? The desolation? The aggression of the Fire Nation? The inability of the other nations to fight back?
3. The special effects, the action sequences? Musical score?
4. The work of the director, the popularity of many of these films, critical hostility?
5. The title, the Airbenders, bending the elements by telekinetic force?
6. The Avatar, the Buddhist tradition, reincarnation, the ability to bend all the elements, Saviour of the world?
7. The brother and sister, in the area of Northern Water, releasing the Avatar, the young boy, in prison, the ice?
8. The story of the monks, training the boy, the massacre, the question of the Fire Nation?
9. The trio going to the villages, urging support against the Fire attacks?
10. The Fire Lord, his court, the various officials, planning? The decision to go to battle against the Water Nation?
11. The Avatar, lack of confidence, the incomplete training, concerned about his abilities for the power to defend against the Fire Nation?
12. The brother and sister, their role? The confrontation with the Fire leader?
13. The character of the Fire Nation chief, evil personified, the defeat of the Fire Nation?
14. Peace for the world – a United Nations of so many cultures, races and traditions?
