Anywho, I was lucky enough to win and get into a screening of M. Night Shyamalan's adaptation of The Last Airbender, based on Nickelodeon's pseudo-anime tv show. We got there an hour early, which is typically generous for screenings, and the theater was packed. In preparation for the movie, like any good nerd would do, I watched the show. I was only able to make it through the first season, Book 1: Water, which is basis for the movie. (Disclaimer: I do have Books 2 and 3 at home and will watch them soon; I promise!)
Long review:
As someone who reads many books, and reads many just because there is a movie being made from it, I have been disappointed over and over again for film adaptations. I went into this knowing it would be different than the show, especially since you cut hours and hours and hours of a tv show into a movie that is an hour and a half. The big screen and a cartoon on Nick are two very different mediums, and Shyamalan has not done an adaptation before.
Saying that, I was very impressed. The landscapes and graphics are quite impressive, creating a setting that extends beyond the physical land and into a world of benders. Shyamalan's story is much more serious, which adds the humanity to the new human characters. One plot point that I do think was well done was the introduction of Azula, Fire Nation Princess. Most importantly, I do think that the spirit of the story was the same. Several of the shots and language were taken from the story, including an opening sequence.
Now, the not so good. Little things irked me, such as instead of calling them Benders they also called them Nomads. It was disappointing that they only glazed over their journey north, although I understand why it had to be done. There were a few plot points that felt forced, like "We have to explain this! Let's just stick it in there." An unfortunate side effect of squeezing the story into the shorter time but still awkward. Sokka also had a much more subdued part. In general, humor was very rare. There were a few laugh-out-loud moments which were appreciated, but the light-hearted humor, Sokka's goofiness, and Aang's playfulness were missing.
*Minor spoiler below*
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Except for the humor, the only thing I really missed was the acclaim of Katara as a water bender. They did not include the girls-not-allowed-to-bend issue and she was just another student who happened to be friends with the Avatar.
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*End spoiler*
Overall, a fantastic adaptation. I left giddy and was quick to tell the people that work for Paramount (embarrassing Husband a bit, I'm sure). Now I can't wait for the DVD to see if there are additional scenes! There are many more little things to gush about and to nit-pick, but it stands as one of the best adaptations I have seen. Avatar: The Last Airbender fans will not be disappointed, and newcomers to the story will enjoy the drama, (non-graphic) action, and adventure of this world.
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