The Last Airbender

I admit I haven't watched much of the TV show.  I plan to fix that.  But I did watch the movie, "The Last Airbender," and I found it mostly....harmless.  Given M. Night's efforts of late, isn't that the best anyone could hope for.

The Story of the last airbender as he and his friends fight the Fire Nation, is fairly easy to follow despite the best efforts of the director.  Children should really like the action.  It has some nice sets. 

Um....ok that's about it.

So what's wrong with it?  Well, the acting is pretty bad.  Like child pageant bad.  No one came out well in that department.  Not everything hangs together well narratively or as a matter of character motivation.  The dialog could be so leaden as to hold down the good year blimp.  The flying ox thingie doesn't look charming as it does in the stills I've seen of the TV series, but rather creepy.. like "where the wild things are" mutated with child stalker creepy.

Finally, as I said I don't watch the TV show.  But I know ONE thing, and it must just have driven the fans into a tizzy.  God Hopping Harry Mr. Shamalamadingdang, why change the pronouncation of the main character's name?  It must just grate against the true fan everytime they muck up his name.  It would be like watching a Dracula film where they keep calling the main character "Coont Drecula."

But on the whole, mostly harmless.