Movie Review: The Last Airbender

I think I jinxed myself last night during my mid-year review write up. I said I had not seen a film so far that I did not least marginally enjoy. Lets just say that The Last Airbender abruptly put a halt on that streak. 2010 had a good run leading up to this 16 films in a row that I enjoyed that is good.


The plot (if you could call it that) centers around a 12-year old boy named Aang(Noah Ringer). Aang is the latest reincarnation of the Avatar who can bend all the elements. Aang is discovered frozen in a block of ice by two members of the Southern Water Tribe Katra(Nicola Peltz) and Sokka(Jackson Rathbone). Upon melting Aang is kidnapped by the firebenders who soon discover he can only bend air. After Aang escapes and joins Katra and Sokka on a quest to master the remaining three elements starting with water.


This film is an absolute mess from top to bottom. I know it is just a summer blockbuster and it is a family-oriented film but that doesn't excuse from its absolute horse-shit script. This is honestly some of the worst writing I have seen in a film in a while. I mean I tend to just take a blockbuster for what it is for the most part and not over analyze it but The Last Airbender is just plain stupid. The plot is all over the place and a lot of scenes make little to no sense. There are plenty of random moments that will make you laugh out loud at how dumb they are. It also suffers from terrible miscasting. I wasn't that big of a fan of the show growing up but the main character is not white. I don't understand why they cast a white kid in the role of the Avatar. Apparently this and Prince Of Persia must of had the same casting director and apparently both of those casting directors are blind.(I apolgize for the rant about the casting it just really bugged me) The only positive in the whole film would be the effects. The effects are gorgeous especially in one of the final sequences where Aang learns to bend water.


The Last Airbender is easily the worst film I have seen this year. Its misguided,poorley written and at times laughable. It is hard to believe M.Night Shamalayn would decline so rapidly after "The Sixth Sense". He really does not know how to write anymore and I think the only reason I would see the sequels to this is to laugh. Avoid The Last Airbender unless you want to laugh or you are picking between this or the new Twilght film.


1.5/5 Stars