Avatar - one who can bend Air!. Review on The Last Airbender Movie

Yesterday I finished one more Hollywood flick which is the 9th directed movie of Indian origin American Director-Producer-Writer Manoj Knight Shyamalan and it is named "The Last Airbender", but I didn't knew about it. I happen to know about this movie because of the famous 'Golden Raspberry Awards'. The film won 5 of those in 2010, and if you know about the awards, you can guess what kind of movie it should be. Golden Raspberry Awards are not those kind of awards which everybody like to have, since it is presented to the WORSTS of Hollywood cinema. TLA won Worst Picture award of 2010. The 'Golden Kela Award' is the Indianized version of the awards (last year's worst picture award went to Ra.One). So, I too want to see this worst picture of 2010, and I recorded it when I came to know that it is coming on HBO. I watched and I must say that do not go on these things, see for yourself and then decide. This movie is a total visual treat to your eyes, since it has one of the best SPECIAL EFFECTS, I don't remember if I have seen the same quality of special effects anywhere, and I will match it with the quality of "Lord of the Rings". Many have quoted the comparison between the special effects of this movie and James Cameron's Avatar. Highly panned by critics (just 6% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes) and facing too much of controversy (racism and casting), this movie comes out as 20th highest grossing Hollywood film of 2010. Lets first see the story-:

There are 4 nations on Earth - Fire, Water, Earth and Air. Fire Nation is the most powerful, and the rulers has captured many villages of Earth Nation. They have killed everybody from the Air Nation - reason, they feared of an Avatar. All nations have a power - the people belong to particular nations have bending abilities, means then can bend fire, water, earth or air by the movement of their hands. Fire Nation rulers has ban any bending in Earth Nation, and they want to capture whole world, all nations. Movie starts with water bending practice of a 14 yr old only surviving water bender girl named Katara (Nicola Peltz) alongwith her brother Sokka (Jackson Rathbone). They find someone trapped in a ice sphere. It is a boy named Aang (Noah Ringer) and his pet flying bison. They come to know that he is the Avatar, and he ran from his Air Nation when he discover the truth about himself. He is the most powerful person on earth. An Avatar is a person who can bend air, and is a reincarnation of previous avatars. He is the last surviving airbender, but he still has to learn bending other elements. Fire Nation headed by Fire Lord Ozai (Cliff Curtis) and he has banished his son Prince Zuko (Dev Patel) from the kingdom since avatar has escaped from his and his uncle Iroh (Shaun Toub) ship, and he has to find this Avatar. Commander Zhao (Aasif Mandvi) of Fire Nation is against Prince Zuko and he wants to find the avatar before him. Aang, alongwith his new-found friends Katara and Sokka went to Earth kingdoms, and raise the mutiny among them against Fire Nation, and in the end everything comes to the South Water Kingdom, where the last war happens between Fire and Water Kingdoms. In the end Fire Kingdom loses to Aang, he now know all bending skills, and is best bender now. But the movie ending shows that 2nd part is awaiting.

Manoj Knight Shyamalan is best known for his film "The Sixth Sense", and I have watched some movies of him like 'Unbreakable', 'Signs', 'The Happening' and 'Stuart Little' (credited as writer). I liked the 'Unbreakable' but he has an image kind of similar to what image RGV has in Bollywood, his movies are flop except 2-3, and he also used to make what he likes, but I must appreciate his work in this one, not only the story looks good, but the movie is a total visual treat, full of extraordinary special effects. You can see the live action bending fights where some are bending (flowing) fire, some are bending water , air and earth by the action of hands, the fighting scenes come good, though they are less, and which increases the boringness to a bit, I expected a little more of fight using such a nice concept. Then there are beautiful and pictursque locations, and many locations including ice-castle looks the good work of special effects. I can certainly say that this movie is equivalent to the special effects of 'Lord of the Rings'. Industrial Light and Magic headed by Pablo Helman (who also worked on Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of clones) has done the major visual effects for the film. This movie is based on 1st season of a Nickelodeon animated series named 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'. The best work is done by the lead actor Noah Ringer. Dev Patel also look good. The movie is highly panned by critics and seen many controversies. But if we just want to enjoy, it is a really good movie, although it falters in between. Some questions remain unanswered and some logic looks absurd, for eg, Prince Zuko want to capture Avatar Aang, but he rescued him from Commander Zhao's prison, and then he just left him like that.

I will say that you can watch this movie for once, and if you're a lover of special effects then this film is for you. I will mark it as 3.5/5.

GRuchirG.

Wait for 'Bol Bachchan' Review today nite.... if I can be able to write here on MS :P

Jai Raam ji ki :)