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(I wrote this almost right after seeing and discussing the movie)
Dear Mr. Shyamalan,
Mr. Shyamalon, I have a bone to pick with you.
I understand that you have created some amazing films in the past. The Sixth Sense used to scare the living daylights out of me and Unbreakable is incredibly filmed(if not as critically claimed as The Sixth Sense or Signs). That is where the praise stops, sadly.
You, good sir, have created an abomination that not only spits in the face of an incredible show and its fans, but that of the entire film making industry.
Before we start, I do have one question for you Mr. Shyamalon. Did you ever watch the show? This might seem odd, seeing to as how you were the writer, director and producer of the film but as a fan I could not help but notice some teensy tiny, itty bitty differences between the show and the movie.
Creative license you say! Only two hours to create the magical world of Avatar: The Last Airbender you protest! It is impossible to create such a movie and still have it have a flowing, smooth storyline! Au contraire Mr. Shyamalan! Just look at the Harry Potter movies. Or Narnia films. Or the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Or how about almost any other film set in a world of fantasy or magic. Do those directors also have only about two hours to create a universe that is not only mystical but also somewhat believable? Yes, some flop and also become laughing stocks of the cinematic world, but many if not most create a world that is both interesting AND entertaining.
But The Last Airbender was interesting AND entertaining, you claim. There are beautiful landscapes, dramatic fight scenes, character development, moments of drama and tension and a musical score to bring is all together!
Musical score aside- I did rather enjoy the music. Being able to close your eyes during a movie and STILL enjoy your favorite part of the film should NOT be okay-you are sadly, sadly mistaken Mr. Shyamalon. Here, let me take your hand and lead you (as you so metaphorically did with your wonky, austere plot that is literally told to the audience) through the movie and all your irreparable mistakes.
1)As you have probably noticed by now, I have misspelled your name a number of times throughout the beginning of this letter. What does this make me appear to be? Dumb? Rude? Like I did not do enough research to actually spell your name right? Welcome to the Avatar-fans' world, Mr. Shyamalan. I, and many like me, went into the film knowing there were going to be some changes to the world we know and love. What we did not expect is to have three out of the five main characters' names changed. Only a syllable difference you say. Creative license. We wanted the film to have a different feel from the show! You could have changed the costuming Mr. Shyamalan, and THAT would have given the movie a different feel from the show. By saying the names incorrectly, you not only make yourself look deficient as a writer/producer/director, but you had almost every Avatar fan cringing as their beloved characters' names were butchered on screen. Over and over and over again. As a side note, please tell all your movie land friends this. POST PRODUCTION 3D EFFECTS ARE USELESS! Stop charging me extra money so I that literally three minutes of the movie can be in 3D. If you want to add 3D then take the time during the film to add scenes where it can be used properly. Stop just throwing it in willy-nilly so you can add the words "Now in 3D" at the bottom of the commercials. Fans aren't stupid, we know when we are being ripped off.
2)Now this is a testy subject, but it is one that needs to be addressed. Why, dear Mr. Shyamalan, did you change all of the races of the cast? You switched almost every color and creed to fit what you wanted. And, might I add, why did you add only about five Chinese/Japanese/Korean(their nationality are unknown) characters to the whole movie but made the ENTIRE FIRE NATION Indian-Asian? Although I am not one to pull the race card, you, much like the Fire Nation, seem to have some superiority issues. With this, there is one redeeming factor. The show Avatar did not showcase any black people. You did add some to the cast which I felt was both appropriate and fair. Namely, Monk Gyasto who seemed to retain many of his old traits. This cannot be said to 95% of the cast.
3) Although The Last Airbender is supposed to be an action film, most of the action is slow and repetitive. Mr.Shyamalan, no one should have to watch twenty seconds of martial arts moves to see see one ball of water be formed. The fight scenes were dull and lifeless and the bending was minimal at best. The fighting(much like the plot line) lacked flow and the battles seemed some contrived and pointless. But people LIKE to see martial arts performed, you say. And the bending styles are based off of different styles, which we wanted to show case. Sadly, Mr. Shyamalan, you missed your mark. Instead of show casing the forms and styles related to bending the elements, you made them lifeless and dull. No one wants to see a Bruce Lee film where all the characters do is swing their fist and legs into the air to show how incredible they are at their particular form. Also, might I point out, Mr. Shyamalan, that whenever a really exciting or innovative bending move was about to be implemented on a fighter's enemies, they fall back. Every move that actually caught people's attention were just for show and did not do the fighters any good. What was the point of Iroh bending fire through his arms if all it was for was intimidation? (We will not go into the fact that Fire Benders cannot create fire, that would take an entire letter unto itself.)
4) This is the finale and most horrendous crime you have committed to the Avatar universe. In this series, the essence of a person is often shown through their bending element or fighting prowess. Aang is relaxing and easy going like a light summer breeze, but can be as powerful and brutal as hurricane winds. Katara is healing and can see many ways around an obstacle like a brook or river but can push and destroy like flood water. Zuko is powerful and angry like a burning inferno but can control his heat to create a kettle of tea for his uncle. With each bender, nay, with each PERSON there is more than one side. Even in the first season, there is an understanding that there is more than meets the eye. And that is where you failed so horribly as the writer/producer/director of this film. You lost all character development. All the interactions that define them were gone. What was left was empty shells, speaking lines on a screen and showing no heart or emotion. Aang was not the easy going fun Air Nomad, Sokka not the sarcasm and plan guy, Katara(when she even spoke) only seemed to be able to spew out plot points and never seemed to make any connection with Aang-a major problem considering she is his love interest. Too difficult you affirm! There is no way to give that much detail to any character in the span of one movie! But I ask you, Mr. Shyamalan, did not the creators of Avatar do it within one or two episodes? Did they not create a world of wonder and incredibility in just the pilot? You, with millions of dollars, and a show to base your entire script on surely could have done better than the make-shift, amateur movie that you presented the general public with.
All in all Mr. Shyamalan, this movie was terrible. A simple letter saying "**** You" could have sufficed and would have summed up my feelings about this colossal failure of a movie but much like the time and money I wasted on watching it, I wanted to take away some of your time as a writer/producer/director in the hopes that you might lose interest in ever making another Avatar movie. Ever.
I would try to place a curse upon you, saying that every movie you will make from now on will be a failure, but if you keep writing/producing/directing movies in the fashion you have made this one, then that curse would not be needed, because they will all bomb anyways.
Sincerely,
Abyss
Dear Mr. Shyamalan,
Mr. Shyamalon, I have a bone to pick with you.
I understand that you have created some amazing films in the past. The Sixth Sense used to scare the living daylights out of me and Unbreakable is incredibly filmed(if not as critically claimed as The Sixth Sense or Signs). That is where the praise stops, sadly.
You, good sir, have created an abomination that not only spits in the face of an incredible show and its fans, but that of the entire film making industry.
Before we start, I do have one question for you Mr. Shyamalon. Did you ever watch the show? This might seem odd, seeing to as how you were the writer, director and producer of the film but as a fan I could not help but notice some teensy tiny, itty bitty differences between the show and the movie.
Creative license you say! Only two hours to create the magical world of Avatar: The Last Airbender you protest! It is impossible to create such a movie and still have it have a flowing, smooth storyline! Au contraire Mr. Shyamalan! Just look at the Harry Potter movies. Or Narnia films. Or the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Or how about almost any other film set in a world of fantasy or magic. Do those directors also have only about two hours to create a universe that is not only mystical but also somewhat believable? Yes, some flop and also become laughing stocks of the cinematic world, but many if not most create a world that is both interesting AND entertaining.
But The Last Airbender was interesting AND entertaining, you claim. There are beautiful landscapes, dramatic fight scenes, character development, moments of drama and tension and a musical score to bring is all together!
Musical score aside- I did rather enjoy the music. Being able to close your eyes during a movie and STILL enjoy your favorite part of the film should NOT be okay-you are sadly, sadly mistaken Mr. Shyamalon. Here, let me take your hand and lead you (as you so metaphorically did with your wonky, austere plot that is literally told to the audience) through the movie and all your irreparable mistakes.
1)As you have probably noticed by now, I have misspelled your name a number of times throughout the beginning of this letter. What does this make me appear to be? Dumb? Rude? Like I did not do enough research to actually spell your name right? Welcome to the Avatar-fans' world, Mr. Shyamalan. I, and many like me, went into the film knowing there were going to be some changes to the world we know and love. What we did not expect is to have three out of the five main characters' names changed. Only a syllable difference you say. Creative license. We wanted the film to have a different feel from the show! You could have changed the costuming Mr. Shyamalan, and THAT would have given the movie a different feel from the show. By saying the names incorrectly, you not only make yourself look deficient as a writer/producer/director, but you had almost every Avatar fan cringing as their beloved characters' names were butchered on screen. Over and over and over again. As a side note, please tell all your movie land friends this. POST PRODUCTION 3D EFFECTS ARE USELESS! Stop charging me extra money so I that literally three minutes of the movie can be in 3D. If you want to add 3D then take the time during the film to add scenes where it can be used properly. Stop just throwing it in willy-nilly so you can add the words "Now in 3D" at the bottom of the commercials. Fans aren't stupid, we know when we are being ripped off.
2)Now this is a testy subject, but it is one that needs to be addressed. Why, dear Mr. Shyamalan, did you change all of the races of the cast? You switched almost every color and creed to fit what you wanted. And, might I add, why did you add only about five Chinese/Japanese/Korean(their nationality are unknown) characters to the whole movie but made the ENTIRE FIRE NATION Indian-Asian? Although I am not one to pull the race card, you, much like the Fire Nation, seem to have some superiority issues. With this, there is one redeeming factor. The show Avatar did not showcase any black people. You did add some to the cast which I felt was both appropriate and fair. Namely, Monk Gyasto who seemed to retain many of his old traits. This cannot be said to 95% of the cast.
3) Although The Last Airbender is supposed to be an action film, most of the action is slow and repetitive. Mr.Shyamalan, no one should have to watch twenty seconds of martial arts moves to see see one ball of water be formed. The fight scenes were dull and lifeless and the bending was minimal at best. The fighting(much like the plot line) lacked flow and the battles seemed some contrived and pointless. But people LIKE to see martial arts performed, you say. And the bending styles are based off of different styles, which we wanted to show case. Sadly, Mr. Shyamalan, you missed your mark. Instead of show casing the forms and styles related to bending the elements, you made them lifeless and dull. No one wants to see a Bruce Lee film where all the characters do is swing their fist and legs into the air to show how incredible they are at their particular form. Also, might I point out, Mr. Shyamalan, that whenever a really exciting or innovative bending move was about to be implemented on a fighter's enemies, they fall back. Every move that actually caught people's attention were just for show and did not do the fighters any good. What was the point of Iroh bending fire through his arms if all it was for was intimidation? (We will not go into the fact that Fire Benders cannot create fire, that would take an entire letter unto itself.)
4) This is the finale and most horrendous crime you have committed to the Avatar universe. In this series, the essence of a person is often shown through their bending element or fighting prowess. Aang is relaxing and easy going like a light summer breeze, but can be as powerful and brutal as hurricane winds. Katara is healing and can see many ways around an obstacle like a brook or river but can push and destroy like flood water. Zuko is powerful and angry like a burning inferno but can control his heat to create a kettle of tea for his uncle. With each bender, nay, with each PERSON there is more than one side. Even in the first season, there is an understanding that there is more than meets the eye. And that is where you failed so horribly as the writer/producer/director of this film. You lost all character development. All the interactions that define them were gone. What was left was empty shells, speaking lines on a screen and showing no heart or emotion. Aang was not the easy going fun Air Nomad, Sokka not the sarcasm and plan guy, Katara(when she even spoke) only seemed to be able to spew out plot points and never seemed to make any connection with Aang-a major problem considering she is his love interest. Too difficult you affirm! There is no way to give that much detail to any character in the span of one movie! But I ask you, Mr. Shyamalan, did not the creators of Avatar do it within one or two episodes? Did they not create a world of wonder and incredibility in just the pilot? You, with millions of dollars, and a show to base your entire script on surely could have done better than the make-shift, amateur movie that you presented the general public with.
All in all Mr. Shyamalan, this movie was terrible. A simple letter saying "**** You" could have sufficed and would have summed up my feelings about this colossal failure of a movie but much like the time and money I wasted on watching it, I wanted to take away some of your time as a writer/producer/director in the hopes that you might lose interest in ever making another Avatar movie. Ever.
I would try to place a curse upon you, saying that every movie you will make from now on will be a failure, but if you keep writing/producing/directing movies in the fashion you have made this one, then that curse would not be needed, because they will all bomb anyways.
Sincerely,
Abyss
