Avatar: The Last Hairbender & Legend of Korra

[Dasboard]

Not liking the looks of that.

[Jesse]

Girl playing Katara looks like Dawn from Buffy.

[Jesse]

I'm assuming someone has already picked up on the good guys being cast as white, and the evil people being cast as darker-skinned, instead of the other way around.

[Izawwlgood]

To be fair, Aang was cast because that kid sent in a video of him doing a routine with a bo staff that proved to be pretty awesome... As for the absurd casting of Katara and Sokka, I got nothing. Katara looks like the chick who played her in the Fire Nation Play...

[Box Boy]

To be fair, Aang was cast because that kid sent in a video of him doing a routine with a bo staff that proved to be pretty awesome...

So? You don't put the Star Wars Kid in one of the movies, and you don't put a kid intoThe Last airbender because of his skill with a staff.
Besides, at least from what I recall, in the first season most of Aang's fighting style revolved around his bending mixed with fairly simple (and occasionally gliding related) moves with his staff, such as tripping and smacking.
Really, they can learn the right fighting routines, but they can't learn the right appearance.

[Izawwlgood]

My point was I have less of an issue with an actor being cast for a part he doesn't LOOK like because he/she demonstrates something else that fits him to the role, than I do with an actor simply being cast for a part regardless of any affilliation with the character.

Case in point, Nick Fury transitioned from being a white dude, to being a black dude sometime in the last, I dunno, 10 years? Sam Jackson isn't a white dude, but was made for the part.

White kid Aang who has skills with a staff is, to me, better then random Asian kid Aang, who just happens to be Asian.

[Box Boy]

I don't need him to be Asian, I've already said that he looks caucasian to me, but I do want him to bare even a passing resemblance to the character he's playing and not to look about two years younger than he should be when he's not even meant to be a teenager.
I have no problem with the staff thing helping him, I'd just get really annoyed if it turned out that was one of the main reasons he was picked as opposed to the director just thinking it would save them a bit of time.

[Thadlerian]

I'm assuming someone has already picked up on the good guys being cast as white, and the evil people being cast as darker-skinned, instead of the other way around.

Oh yes. Schematically:

[tbpk2099]

At one point Aang can't bend an object. And I had a guess. Is it a plastic? It seems that benders can only bend pure things, mildly disregarding organic materials.[/spoiler][/quote]


that thing could be just part of the lion-turtle's shell. Maybe he can't bend shell?

[tbpk2099]

you guys think maybe the movie is going to be of the first book only? because i didn't see toph and she comes in the second book and just from the looks of the previews it looks just like the story line of the first book...

[Sockmonkey]

The kid playing Aang looks like a zombie. Hardly the irrepressable fellow we love.

[Zohar]

I wonder if in the third movie they'll make Zuko whiter.

[Sockmonkey]

He turns good by then so that would make it worse.

[Izawwlgood]

I believe that may have been his point.

[cephalopod9]

I don't need him to be Asian, I've already said that he looks caucasian to me, but I do want him to bare even a passing resemblance to the character he's playing and not to look about two years younger than he should be when he's not even meant to be a teenager.

Around the IMDB boards (as much as I should know better than to go there in the first place) there seemed to be a lot of people going on about how much he looks the part, which confuses me a good deal. They're both bald?
Tho', it does seems like they back this up with photos unrelated to the movie or it's production...
Then there's people trying to say Sokka's boomerang looks right, and I have to conclude they're making stuff up to mess with me. (also, what's with the awkward photoshop lighting?)

[tastelikecoke]

After I saw the trailer of Avatar: The Last Airbender the movie, I already assumed it was bad.

[Box Boy]

Then there's people trying to say Sokka's boomerang looks righ

Oh, oh fuck.
I didn't know about that one yet.

[Jesse]

Case in point, Nick Fury transitioned from being a white dude, to being a black dude sometime in the last, I dunno, 10 years? Sam Jackson isn't a white dude, but was made for the part.

Bad point. Ultimates Nick Fury was black from the inception of the series, and based on Jackson in the first place, because it was the only way they could make Fury an even more badass version of himself.

[Sockmonkey]

The movie boomerang is actually shaped like a real one (the fancy ones have more artful curves than the basic V shape) but I don't count that as a point in the movie's favor since they probably did it for the sake of messing with it rather than any concern for realism.
Slight correctin to my last post. That actor doesn't make Aang look like a zombie. He makes Aang look like a baby zombie. Blank stare and pudgy, slightly droopy cheeks.

[Izawwlgood]

Case in point, Nick Fury transitioned from being a white dude, to being a black dude sometime in the last, I dunno, 10 years? Sam Jackson isn't a white dude, but was made for the part.

Bad point. Ultimates Nick Fury was black from the inception of the series, and based on Jackson in the first place, because it was the only way they could make Fury an even more badass version of himself.

If Ultimates Nick Fury was the first example of him being black, then my 'I dunno, 10 years?' guess wasn't to far from the mark. And the point was that character changes that go with the spirit of the character instead of superficiality of the character are fine with me; making Nick Fury a black guy is a completely moot change so long as the character/person playing the character maintains his badassitude. Changing Aang to be a white kid because the actor is exceptional with a bo-staff is legit, at least, more legit than keeping Aang Asian simply because he was to in the series.

[Jesse]

Well, yeah, but the Ultimates line was a different continuity from the Universe. If Nick Fury had only ever been a white guy with brown hair, and then in the film he was a black guy, then I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been pleased.

[Box Boy]

I really wouldn't mind Aang so much if they had at least been faithful with the some of the cast, or had good reason to pick who they did. But they don't have a good reason for it, in a few cases one actor could play another better AND look the part such as Zuko's playing Sokka, and the unfortunate implications of making all the good guys white and the evil ones black, which is the exact opposite as to what they have in the series, is a big problem I have with their casting decisions also.
It just makes Aang all the more frustrating as his actor is THE BIGGEST example of this in the movie, looking both wrong and far too young for the role, and that just rubs salt into the wound.
Also, this is more of a makeup and wardrobe issue, his tattoo is crap and he's quite clearly got stubble on his head. He should be completely bald, which would make the tattoo look much better IMHO.

Well, yeah, but the Ultimates line was a different continuity from the Universe. If Nick Fury had only ever been a white guy with brown hair, and then in the film he was a black guy, then I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been pleased.

This also.

[Sockmonkey]

Changing Aang to be a white kid because the actor is exceptional with a bo-staff is legit, at least, more legit than keeping Aang Asian simply because he was to in the series.

No, that's a legit reason to make him a stunt-double. Acting ability is a legit reason to use a white kid as the main actor.
Yes the tattoo looks like crap but the stubble isn't that bad since Aang shaves and isn't naturally bald as long as it's kept at no more than a day or two of growth.

[Minchandre]

I'd just like to echo the sentiment that this is one of the very, very few adaptations out there that I feel it would be okay to age the characters all to their late teens/early 20s (actually, I guess that's true of a lot of anime, manga, and JRPGs, which strike me as having artificially young characters), and I'm bewildered as to why the decision was made to stay with a 12 year old protagonist. I mean, I guess that aging Aang would get rid of a little of his child-like wonder, but c'mon, he was raised in a monastery, he would still be very naive. You also lose some of the problems associated with the actors aging during production of sequels and stuff.

Although Toph being anything aside from a tiny girl would be kinda sad, but I guess it would still work if you cast a sufficiently tiny person of higher age.

[Box Boy]

Midget Toph?


That just might work........

[Atomic Toast]

To tell the truth, I don't really like Avatar, but this movie seems amazing and I am going to see it.
I didn't think M. Night could succesfully pull off a movie like this, but it seems I'm being proven wrong.

You never fail to impress me, you crazy indian.

[Izawwlgood]

Yeah, do you know what sucked? The Matrix. Do you know what was awesome? Jar-Jar Binx as Agent Smith.

[Minchandre]

Midget Toph?


That just might work........

I just meant someone who was like 5'0" and 90lbs, though I guess you could use a midget.

[cephalopod9]

Same here, I just figured she was on the stubby side. She's the same age as Aang, and quite a bit smaller, so I figure she's going to stay shorter than average. (It bothers me a little when fanart has grown up Toph all tall and skinny. I kinda picture her being more muscular and thicker)

I'd just like to echo the sentiment that this is one of the very, very few adaptations out there that I feel it would be okay to age the characters all to their late teens/early 20s (actually, I guess that's true of a lot of anime, manga, and JRPGs, which strike me as having artificially young characters), and I'm bewildered as to why the decision was made to stay with a 12 year old protagonist. I mean, I guess that aging Aang would get rid of a little of his child-like wonder, but c'mon, he was raised in a monastery, he would still be very naive. You also lose some of the problems associated with the actors aging during production of sequels and stuff.would be kinda sad, but I guess it would still work if you cast a sufficiently tiny person of higher age.

Wouldn't that be making a sequel, going forward in time 5 or 10 years? Not that it is going to help anything trying to understand the decision making process, but I really am wondering why they didn't. (It would give them more reason for completely messing up a winning formula, and make it slightly less of a transparent dick-move on the part of the "white or any other ethnicity" casting calls)
Also Aang having the lightest element, and being a lively and spirited kung-fu-action-jesus was kind of a point. That's kind of an important part of the story. (again, slightly less important if they were making a new story)

[animeHrmIne]

I actually agree that they should have aged up the characters. They wouldn't have to make a sequel, just make the story "Aang, a 14 year-old airbender, runs away when he finds out that he's the Avatar. He is found by a sixteen year old waterbender and her 18 year old brother. They are chased by a 19 year old Fire Nation prince ..." Making everyone 2 years older wouldn't change the story much, would make finding good actors to age with their characters easier, and would alleviate some of the "They are TWELVE and FOURTEEN!" squick. Sure, some fans would complain, but they would fall into the "Hermione's dress is blue" camp of fans.

[Sockmonkey]

I agree. A couple years older would be just fine. Heck, we are so used to actors who play kids and teens being a couple years older than the characters they play that a 12 year old playing a 12 year old is going to look too young anyhow.

[Minchandre]

My comment about the sequels was that, if an actor's 18 in one movie, and then 20 in the next, it's not a huge deal usually. If this 12 year old is 14 when they shoot the next movie...

Recall, the entire plot of Avatar (all three seasons) takes place in less than a year. Like, a lot less.

[tbpk2099]

i was disappointed with the cast. prince suko actually had hair... and a crappy scar. and uncle wasn't fat. "/

also, did it bug anyone else how they pronounced almost everything different than in the show?

[sje46]

To tell the truth, I don't really like Avatar, but this movie seems amazing and I am going to see it.
I didn't think M. Night could succesfully pull off a movie like this, but it seems I'm being proven wrong.

You never fail to impress me, you crazy indian.

Funny, it has a 7% on rotten tomatoes.

I'm going to speak plainly in a language everyone can understand. M. Night Shyamalan's THE LAST AIRBENDER is a hate crime against film lovers. No one should ever have to endure what I was unexpectedly put through yesterday afternoon watching this murky 3-D shitstorm of a movie that appears to have been shot through unflushed toilet bowl water, which, upon reflection, seems 100 percent appropriate.

-Aint it Cool

[cephalopod9]

I'm... just a little relieved to see how the insulting changes seem to be just massive amounts of incompetence. (not going to see it, the only good reviews I can find are Shyamalan fans and people spamming "100%" on Rotten Tomatoes) I don't understand why no one in any way intervened over the course of this project, or why sources are saying Shamlan wanted to make the film, like I think I read that the whole thing was his idea.

also, did it bug anyone else how they pronounced almost everything different than in the show?

Shamwow claims he changed them to the correct Asian pronunciations, but considering the Asian people, writing, styles of fighting, etc. didn't seem important enough to keep accurate, it sort of looks more like he got it wrong then decided to convince everyone else that was the right way to do it.

In better news, there's been rumors going around about plans for anew series. (on the t.v., with the creators of Last Airbender) although no one knows anything for fact, and it could be years and years until we get to see it.

[TommyTumnus]

I went to a midnight release showing with a bunch of friends (also fans). It was horrible. That movie was not worth the time it took to watch it, it wasn't worth the $10 ticket, and it was most certainly not worth the hours spent waiting in line. At least the audience in my theater was cool--people would throw out interjections at certain points and we'd all cheer because the movie was that bad.

Although if you look at it as if it's a spoof of all epics, it's a helluva lot better than Epic Movie. It provided many more laughs--particularly that "intense" dialog scene with the super close-up shots of Aang and Sokka.

[novax6]

Amazing review on io9: http://io9.com/5576076/m-night-shyamalan-finally-made-a-comedy

[ArgonV]

In better news, there's been rumors going around about plans for anew series. (on the t.v., with the creators of Last Airbender) although no one knows anything for fact, and it could be years and years until we get to see it.

Zuko looking for his mother?

[Box Boy]

*weeps uncontrollably at the horror*

[broken_escalator]

Oh wow. I was going to see it tonight but... yeah. Thanks for saving me 10$