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I take no joy in this. I don't share in the inordinate amount of schadenfreude aimed at director M. Night Shyamalan, nor do I take any pleasure in noting the alarming downward spiral in the quality of his films. But whether one regards his last few efforts as an aberration of his talents, or an exposure of the lack of same, the fact remains: The Last Airbender is shockingly inept.
I have chosen my words carefully: it is not shocking that The Last Airbender is a bad film, it is shocking to see the ways in which it goes bad. This film violates basic tenets of screenwriting so often and so blatantly that it is difficult to reconstruct the thought process that produced it. All the elements for an engaging fantasy are here, but Shyamalan, unlike his characters, just can't control them.
The premise is that there is a world containing four nations, one for each of the primary elements (Fire, Water, Earth, and Air). Each nation specializes in "bending" (controlling) one of these elements, and they are united by an "Avatar" -- a constantly reincarnated being with the ability to bend all four, as well as speak with their governing spirits. As the film opens, the Avatar is missing and the Fire Nation is attempting to subdue the other nations through force. The Avatar, by the way, has a tattoo on his head in the shape of a giant arrow. It glows when he gets angry, or when there's construction ahead.
Note the paragraph above, in which I have described the premise of the story to you because I have no way of showing it to you. The Last Airbender is not so restricted, yet it does the same thing: it simply tells you what's happening. It does this first with scrolling text, then with an unnecessary title card, then with narration, and then with more expository dialogue than the end of an Agatha Christie novel.
Characters start long, exegetic sentences by saying "As you know," and then telling the person the thing they already know. All that's missing is for each of them to turn to the camera, tap on the lens, and tell the audience to listen carefully. Shyamalan seems to have forgotten that, in any film, talking to your audience is the same thing as talking down to them.
The double miscalculation of excessively explanatory dialogue and a running time too short to do the tale justice indicates that Shyamalan may have been trying to make the film highly accessible to young children. If so, he has considerably underestimated them, given the length and complexity of other recent films, such as those in the Harry Potter series. It is ironic that a director known for showcasing precocious children in his fiction would so greatly underestimate them in reality.
Films meant for children work best when they aim above what their audience can comprehend. The visuals will entertain either way, but it is the hint of something more, something we don't yet understand but know is important, that inspires us to grow. Great storytelling does not stoop to meet us where we are, it beckons us to come further.
A sporadic and entirely unnecessary narration spoils many a scene, some which figure to have been quite powerful if done wordlessly. At one point actions are narrated while we're seeing them happen. The narration doesn't explain what's going through anyone's mind, or add anything to the events we're seeing; it just describes them. It's often said that a good story shows and does not tell, but telling alone would still be better than doing both simultaneously. If you are blind, and having this review read to you, you may appreciate these scenes. Otherwise, they act as a sort of pointless cinematic braille.
The film's lone strength is the look and feel of the nations and their cultures. For all its flaws, The Last Airbender manages to depict a vibrant world that anchors its fantasy in a believable reality. The elements are often beautifully rendered, and the size and scope of the climactic battle is fairly exciting.
But even in the action condescension rears its ugly head. Whatever excitement exists is undermined by the decision to shoot most of the action sequences in slow motion. One of them is not, but unfolds slowly enough that it may as well have been. Just as the characters' back stories and motivations are spelled out for us, so too is every kick, punch, and Tai Chi flourish.
It is difficult to accept that the same director who made the minimalist Signs would later construct a film whose only strength is its visuals. Though The Last Airbender may be lovely to look at, it's difficult to watch.
I have chosen my words carefully: it is not shocking that The Last Airbender is a bad film, it is shocking to see the ways in which it goes bad. This film violates basic tenets of screenwriting so often and so blatantly that it is difficult to reconstruct the thought process that produced it. All the elements for an engaging fantasy are here, but Shyamalan, unlike his characters, just can't control them.
The premise is that there is a world containing four nations, one for each of the primary elements (Fire, Water, Earth, and Air). Each nation specializes in "bending" (controlling) one of these elements, and they are united by an "Avatar" -- a constantly reincarnated being with the ability to bend all four, as well as speak with their governing spirits. As the film opens, the Avatar is missing and the Fire Nation is attempting to subdue the other nations through force. The Avatar, by the way, has a tattoo on his head in the shape of a giant arrow. It glows when he gets angry, or when there's construction ahead.
Note the paragraph above, in which I have described the premise of the story to you because I have no way of showing it to you. The Last Airbender is not so restricted, yet it does the same thing: it simply tells you what's happening. It does this first with scrolling text, then with an unnecessary title card, then with narration, and then with more expository dialogue than the end of an Agatha Christie novel.
Characters start long, exegetic sentences by saying "As you know," and then telling the person the thing they already know. All that's missing is for each of them to turn to the camera, tap on the lens, and tell the audience to listen carefully. Shyamalan seems to have forgotten that, in any film, talking to your audience is the same thing as talking down to them.
The double miscalculation of excessively explanatory dialogue and a running time too short to do the tale justice indicates that Shyamalan may have been trying to make the film highly accessible to young children. If so, he has considerably underestimated them, given the length and complexity of other recent films, such as those in the Harry Potter series. It is ironic that a director known for showcasing precocious children in his fiction would so greatly underestimate them in reality.
Films meant for children work best when they aim above what their audience can comprehend. The visuals will entertain either way, but it is the hint of something more, something we don't yet understand but know is important, that inspires us to grow. Great storytelling does not stoop to meet us where we are, it beckons us to come further.
A sporadic and entirely unnecessary narration spoils many a scene, some which figure to have been quite powerful if done wordlessly. At one point actions are narrated while we're seeing them happen. The narration doesn't explain what's going through anyone's mind, or add anything to the events we're seeing; it just describes them. It's often said that a good story shows and does not tell, but telling alone would still be better than doing both simultaneously. If you are blind, and having this review read to you, you may appreciate these scenes. Otherwise, they act as a sort of pointless cinematic braille.
The film's lone strength is the look and feel of the nations and their cultures. For all its flaws, The Last Airbender manages to depict a vibrant world that anchors its fantasy in a believable reality. The elements are often beautifully rendered, and the size and scope of the climactic battle is fairly exciting.
But even in the action condescension rears its ugly head. Whatever excitement exists is undermined by the decision to shoot most of the action sequences in slow motion. One of them is not, but unfolds slowly enough that it may as well have been. Just as the characters' back stories and motivations are spelled out for us, so too is every kick, punch, and Tai Chi flourish.
It is difficult to accept that the same director who made the minimalist Signs would later construct a film whose only strength is its visuals. Though The Last Airbender may be lovely to look at, it's difficult to watch.