M. Night Shamalan's The Last Airbender?

[alphatroll]

Has anybody heard anything about this? I ran across mention that Night was making this movie (casting calls for extras, etc, including martial artists). I'm presuming it's the same basic stuff Aaron worked on, considering Night's comic book obsession..... anyone know anything else?

[Teim]

I've been sort of following this seeing as I love the show.. But it hasn't been looking so good since they started releasing info on the cast.. and then the guy they got to play Zuko turned out to be a bonehead and fucked up some sort of interveiw and got recast..

The two reators of the show have been working on the film too though so there's that.. It's going to be an adaptation of the first series..

Fangirl reaction is that it's going to rock, everyone else thinks it'll be a steaming pile of shit..

[snemmy]

I had heard they found some martial arts kid from Texas for Ang and I think it was Aaron Carter (or another of those Disney channel kids) for Zuko. UGH!

I have little hope of a good representation... There is just too much Asian inspiration there to cast caucasian kids and have it feel natural. (I have a big problem with people 'Westernizing' anime/Asian films/etc... The benders will probably end up being mutants or something so American audiences can relate better than relating to elemental spirituality/philosophy.

I wrote a rather long post about it on another forum back when the first Dragonball trailer showed up. I may offer it up here if people are interested in reading it.

[Squeek]

this whole deal makes me want to cry a little....

I am absolutely in LOVE with this show...

I personally don't think you should ever make any animation "Live action"
unless you're going to go ALL OUT on it, and do it RIGHT. (Like 'Casshern' for instance)

(pissed about this- if ya can't tell)


Zuko is my favorite character, btw.....*weeps*

[alphatroll]

ok, i don't *know* anything about the show but.....

doesn't the fact that Shyamalan's doing it make any difference? i mean, the guy *is* a total comic geek as well as a master storyteller, tho admittedly even *i* find his films a little hit-or-miss.........

and how the heck would he work in his signature "surprise ending" on an adaptation? tho i guess lady in the water didn't really have one, and that's my favorite of his..... akshly it seems a little odd that he's doing an adaptation at all......... will it really even *be* an adaptation?

once again, from an airbender-ignorant pov.

[Teim]

He's not writing it.

[snemmy]

Here's what I said to someone in reference to the Dragonball movie.

I said nothing to the effect of it being Shakespeare. I meant simply that American film studios (and other ventures) change things for no good reason or on the premise that American audiences can't relate to Asian themes/characters. OH NOES WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND FOREIGN!

For me the lowest common denominator is the studio executives that just want to fill their pockets with cash.

Take for example the cinematic masterpiece of Akira and setting it in Manhattan instead of Neo-Tokyo and changing the names of the characters, thus negating one of the most recognized quotes from the movie (TESUOOOOOOOO! KENAAAADAAAAA!) or the 'in production hell' Evangelion movie having it's EVA units made by the US rather than Japan and American pilots. Often times Japanese names for characters have specific meanings, showing you up front if the character is good or evil or even alluding to an established literary hero/villian.

See also the changing of entire story arcs/dialogue or just flat out slashing out anything Japanese because Americans can't understand it or they bring it over to be marketed to children (maintaining the stupid belief that 'cartoons' are only for children), see One Piece (as seen being released in uncut form by Funimation rather than the 4Kids butchery), Cardcaptor Sakura (edited to the point of incoherence before they gave up), Sailor Moon (they are not cousins!! Which also the last season was never aired in the US on account the Sailor Starlights were male singers that changed to female Scouts, when they were alwasy female but took the male singer disguise to better track down their princess, all girls listen to boybands :p ).

It is a very egotistical and naive view. It frankly does not give their audiences any credit at all. It shows a lack of respect for the source material or the culture that produces it. There are many anime out there that are based around help to enforce Japanese culture, themes and history.
Who, What and WOW! of Japanese Anime is an extremely good book on the subject. Yeah, there are reasons for effeminate boys and big eyes.

As a matter of fact, I think DBZ is a poor example of anime, but still better than a ton of shite that American studios have pumped out...excuse me, contracted Asian studios to pump out.

The story of Dragonball Z is alright, nothing spectacular. Some of the characters are actually interesting and grow, such as Vegeta. There is some pretty decent drama in there (such as when Goku finally goes Super Saiajin when Krllian, his friend from childhood is killed at a whim by Freiza) but overall the entire series could use an editor to cut out 200 episodes worth of recaps and charging sequences.

And yes, were they not just cranking this off in the bathroom for some quick cash, it could indeed make for an interesting movie. I ask of you, how many comic book/video game movies have been changed in major ways and fallen flat on their faces?
I'm not saying do a 1/1 transfer to film, you can change things and still make them interesting and with respect as to the source, Lord of the Rings and Iron Man for example.

When these type of movies come out, it always feels like another Batman and Robin or Catwoman when with a little bit of effort and care it could come out like Batman Begins, and if we are super lucky with the material landing the right hands, we could end up with The Dark Knight.

Just a little rant there.. lol
People kinda stopped talking about it after I posted that....

Kotaku: Why You'll Never Be Happy with Video Game Films has some interesting ideas on a similar subject but I don't agree with some of it.

The fact that M.Night is directing is okay.
I think he can do the drama well but I have not seen much of his action directing. It all depends upon the script writers. Then after that, it depends on the budget. I would hate to think that it could possibly not have the budget for good bending effects.

If it turns into a teeny-bopper infested pile of Disney kids + SciFi channel original... I'll pass. Oh heck, who am I kidding... I'll probably go see it anyway no matter how big of a pile it is....

[Squeek]

I'm just highly attached to the characters and how they're portrayed in the show.....

I don't think any actor could possibly portray them accurately since their personalities
are so dependent on their expressions and movements and all the little "extras" that come into play....
I think the only way for it to be a good adaptation would be to really pour
attention into it, and to study and recreate the characters instead of trying
to make them into specific audience friendly fools..



*I didn't notice snemmy's new post till I'd already posted ;

I like what you said thar, I do.


YOU need to finish that show, sir. IT IS SO GOOD.


please...please if anyone here hasn't watched/ finished the show...
PLEASE PLEASE do so....I really am in love with it...

[alphatroll]

definately hear all that stuff on ignorant execs assuming everyone else is equally ignorant, and lack of respect for the original material. things like that have certainly killed many an adaptation.

'course i'd be inclined to trust Night as far as respecting the material, but i dunno how much control he has....

& as far as "changes" and "not faithful enough to the original", that's really something that has to happen when you change the medium; hardly anything really translates well from one to another. current example of course being Coraline; the movie is definately not the book, though they're recognizably similar, but more importantly BOTH are really good anyway. as attached to the book as i am, i still found plenty to love in the movie too, and the same pretty much applies to almost every successful adaptation. So i hate to a priori rule out the possibility of goodness.

once again, i'm sure there are specific details i don't know enough about to address....... my POV's just as a fan of a couple of the people involved in very different sides of the thing.

[Loki.Metal]

wait what?

Tell me im seriously, not beliving of all the live action anime and vids movies they make...

[alphatroll]

all i've seen is some stuff on a Shyamalan fan group in FaceBook.

[snemmy]

We shall see... o.O

[Squeek]

>>>The Last Airbender teaser trailer<<<






hmmm....so far it looks pretty....
and fairly accurate to the "look" of the animation...
My only question is: Why is the fire nation attacking Ang on that cliff?
I don't remember him ever being surrounded like that in a place like that

This trailer has definitely given me some hope for the movie, however!

[evilmidget]

im sorry, but after the legend of zelda movie trailer, i just can't trust these things. it was one thing for them to have an advertisement at the beginning of a movie for wind waker that looked like a movie trailer, but it was another for IGN to spend money and time on a fake movie trailer and also a making of the fake movie trailer. when i watched it for the first time, i cried...until i saw when it was getting "released"

for those who haven't seen this piece of blasphemy, here ya go:

http://www.youtube.com/v/HBCzkz3gHb8


WORST APRIL FOOLS DAY JOKE EVER!

[alphatroll]

that was odd (not to mention cold)..... there is definately some bizarre illness running rampant through Hollywood though.

I mean, Terminator:Salvation gets zero publicity, lasts about a week, and hardly anyone gets a chance to find out it's the best in the whole 25-year-old series; they hardly bothered to give us any reason to question the prevalent skepticism about Star Trek; Up is lauded but nobody knows what it's about so can't decide if they want to see it; an Alien REMAKE is in the works even though the fanbase is desperate for another SEQUEL; and they're THROWING MONEY AWAY making a well-executed but just plain cruel April Fool's joke about a non-movie with millions of devoted fans.

And who knows how much longer I could go on with just a little more thought?