The Last Airbender
Starring: Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz and Jackson Rathbone
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Opens July 2, 2010
Based on the hit Nickelodeon animated series, an American creation influenced heavily by East-Asian martial arts and anime traditions, Airbender takes place in world divided into four civilizations, each aligned to one of four elements: Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. After a century of despair under brutal Fire Nation rule, a gifted warrior named Aang (Ringer) endeavors to turn the tide and finally restore balance between the elements.
What We Think: Anime-inspired films have a dismal record thus far (think Dragonball, Speed Racer, etc.), and Shyamalan is currently nursing a streak of three consecutive flops. Though neither trend likely matters much to Airbender’s pre-teen target audience, they definitely make us wary.
Cool to Know: The glowing arrow on Aang’s head signifies that he is a master airbender, capable of flying and manipulating the wind, and grows brighter when he is wielding his powers at their fullest.
