The Last Airbender - Grading & Discussion

[Saquist]

As I've said many times, I agree with the principle of the protestors such as Racebending.com, and I initially shared their concerns about this movie, but I think the facts that have since come out demonstrate that the concerns in this particular case were exaggerated. The film's cast is actually reasonably diverse, and the actors getting the most praise are South Asian while two of the three main white actors are barely a significant presence in the film. So I don't think this film will make nonwhite viewers feel marginalized. Not to mention that this film is likely to disappear quickly from the cultural landscape and not have that great an influence anyway.

Vigilance is good, but continuing to criticize in a case where the criticism turns out to be undeserved is a misuse of energy. Indeed, I'd say making too much of a fuss over this movie one way or the other is a misuse of energy. Let's just let it fade away and refocus our attention on the brilliance that was the animated series.

Wiser words have never been spoken; wish that the hyperactive, hypercritical, and hyper fanatical bunch at Racebending and at Racialcious would wise the frack up, calm down, and listen. But of course, they won't.

Chris isn't flogging these people for their view. Let's not be excessive in agreement.

Although I found the first impression of the film inaccurate from previews...It clearly had much bigger issue. This racial issue is so over used on the internet that it's become an obsession that I've found myself within as well.

 

[Tulin]

As for that Racebending person - if you want to be considered American, why do you insist on calling yourself an "Asian American"?

Typical of the PC nitwits. They want it EVERY way and depending on which way the wind is blowing that day, they want you to understand whatever mood they're in or whatever whim is taking their fancy that day.


*Goes back to watching Benny Hill playing the Chinese man saying "sirry iriot"*

 

[DarKush]

^
Does calling oneself Asian American make them any less American? I can't speak for that person, but I am an African American and I have no problem calling myself that. I think the African American experience is an unique part of the overall American experience and I would like it to be remembered, talked about, honored, and at times celebrated. And if not by everyone, then by African Americans themselves.

I don't get why people should have to extinguish their cultural heritage to become an "American" (i.e. a white American, and generally adopt WASP culture). Our country is bigger than that and it can and should reflect all of its diverse members.

Let's be real, when you're talking about "American", you're seeing white people as the default Americans, and white culture as the norm. It's the 'real' Americans of Sarah Palin and FOX News. Now some white folks don't believe they have a culture, that their experience is universal, that they don't engage in 'identity politics', but I don't believe that's the case. White Americans are just one thread in our national quilt, not the whole sheet.

 

[Christopher]

The whole nature of America is that it's not just one thing. E pluribus unum -- one from many. And there's nothing wrong with being proud of both your American heritage and your other heritage. People who think it has to be one or the other don't understand what America is.

 

[exodus]

As for that Racebending person - if you want to be considered American, why do you insist on calling yourself an "Asian American"?

Typical of the PC nitwits. They want it EVERY way and depending on which way the wind is blowing that day, they want you to understand whatever mood they're in or whatever whim is taking their fancy that day.


*Goes back to watching Benny Hill playing the Chinese man saying "sirry iriot"*

So much for St. Patty's Day, "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" buttons, Columbus Day, the San Gennaro festival in Little Italy, Chinatown, The Puerto Rican Day Parade.....

Nope, Americans have never gone out of their way to distinguish their cultural heritage. It's something brand spankin' new created by the souless minions of orthodoxy.

 

[Saquist]

^
Does calling oneself Asian American make them any less American? I can't speak for that person, but I am an African American and I have no problem calling myself that. I think the African American experience is an unique part of the overall American experience and I would like it to be remembered, talked about, honored, and at times celebrated. And if not by everyone, then by African Americans themselves.

I don't get why people should have to extinguish their cultural heritage to become an "American" (i.e. a white American, and generally adopt WASP culture). Our country is bigger than that and it can and should reflect all of its diverse members.

Let's be real, when you're talking about "American", you're seeing white people as the default Americans, and white culture as the norm. It's the 'real' Americans of Sarah Palin and FOX News. Now some white folks don't believe they have a culture, that their experience is universal, that they don't engage in 'identity politics', but I don't believe that's the case. White Americans are just one thread in our national quilt, not the whole sheet.

Prefer black.
It's more accurate because I've no idea where I come from. It maybe that the majority of my DNA is European as some like Oprah have found out. Black Hair and skin are extremely dominant traits but it doesn't mean that it's the majority of my ancestry.

Black is the only thing can accurately say about myself. I have a American modified Spanish First name that goes back 4 Generations, my mother's family is from Louisiana who have Indian traits. I haven't the foggiest idea what I am.

 

[exodus]

^
Does calling oneself Asian American make them any less American? I can't speak for that person, but I am an African American and I have no problem calling myself that. I think the African American experience is an unique part of the overall American experience and I would like it to be remembered, talked about, honored, and at times celebrated. And if not by everyone, then by African Americans themselves.

I don't get why people should have to extinguish their cultural heritage to become an "American" (i.e. a white American, and generally adopt WASP culture). Our country is bigger than that and it can and should reflect all of its diverse members.

Let's be real, when you're talking about "American", you're seeing white people as the default Americans, and white culture as the norm. It's the 'real' Americans of Sarah Palin and FOX News. Now some white folks don't believe they have a culture, that their experience is universal, that they don't engage in 'identity politics', but I don't believe that's the case. White Americans are just one thread in our national quilt, not the whole sheet.

Prefer black.
It's more accurate because I've no idea where I come from. It maybe that the majority of my DNA is European as some like Oprah have found out. Black Hair and skin are extremely dominant traits but it doesn't mean that it's the majority of my ancestry.

Black is the only thing can accurately say about myself. I have a American modified Spanish First name that goes back 4 Generations, my mother's family is from Louisiana who have Indian traits. I haven't the foggiest idea what I am.

Many Blacks that endured the American slave trade have Native American blood in them due the intermixing of races during slavery. Oprah and many other African-American's that had ancestors that endured the slave trade also have European DNA due to the raping of slave women by their slave masters. The West-Indian slave trade introduced Asian DNA into their gene pool due to the intermixing of races by the West Indies being a main port of trade/importing & exporting.

My grandfathers heritage is from Trinidad, while my grandmothers is southern American. So I contain the DNA of Asian, European & Native American as well African. My last name is German, most likely given to my family because it was probably the last name of one of my ancestors slave master. However, I still consider myself African-American due to my being born here but I see my origin as African due to the fact that most slaves brought to American & the West Indies were taken from Africa. Me personally don't use "Black" as a discription for myself due to there also being Black Hispanic. I see "Black" as a discription of skin color, not as one of cultural heritage.

Despite Oprah's findings of European DNA, the world at large will not see her as such. They will see her always as an African-American. However, I can empathize with you. Many Blacks feel as you do due to 400 years of the brainwashing & stripping of culture done to our ancestors. That's why I prefer "African"-American as a first step to reclaiming some of a cultural heritage stolen from us.

 

[DarKush]

^
I refer to myself as both black and African American just to add my two cents. Based on the context, I use them interchangeably, but at other times, I think of the black experience as broader and global, whereas the African American experience is generally tied to the United States.

Good points about St. Patrick's Day, etc.

 

[stj]

The diversity of the spear carriers is secondary to the main cast. Unless I'm grossly misinformed (if I am, ignore the conclusion,) of the four benders, three are now "white," while the one remaining is, ursurprisingly, not. The movie has a race problem in my book.

As to the success or lack of it for the movie, despite the complete disdain for the box office on the rest of the planet, we won't know until those returns are in. "Bombing" in the US does not mean the film will lose money. My notion is that if it doesn't lose money, it's not a bomb. Unless it's a stink bomb, i.e., a movie widely vituperated by critics and/or some vocal group.

 

[Captain Craig]

^^
It can't bomb already. Its made nearly $80m in 7 days. It will be at or just over $100m in 11 days after this weekend. On a budget of $150m its well out of BOMB range.

A BOMB, from a budget vs take perspective, is a movie like Speed Racer. Where even after it's over seas tally misses its budget by a long margin.

TLA is so not a bomb. I'd wager its not even an underperformer or dissapointment after its all done with.

 

[Gaith]

^^ Which makes my ass hurt. They botch the adaptation worse than even Golden Compass, and are already rewarded by a bigger domestic take. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Compass underperformed in the US due in large part to the fact that the protagonist and villain were both female.

 

[CaptainCanada]

^^ Which makes my ass hurt. They botch the adaptation worse than even Golden Compass, and are already rewarded by a bigger domestic take. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Compass underperformed in the US due in large part to the fact that the protagonist and villain were both female.

TLA has the advantage of 3D, which means that most of its tickets can several dollars more than Compass' would have. That boosts its performance (and those of all 3D movies) a good bit.

 

[Captain Craig]

The dailies are in for Thursday and TLA pulled in another $4m for third place bringing its total in 8 days to just over $83million.

This will be its first normal weekend and if it should have a typical summer drop of 60% based on the $53m for the 3-day opener it'll draw in around another $21million give or take.

 

[Trekker4747]

Cracked on M. Night. and The Last Airbender.

 

[Gaith]

^^

Wow... that's pretty lame...

 

[Agent Richard07]

Cracked on M. Night. and The Last Airbender.

He left out The Village.

 

[Mr Light]

OK, finally saw the film! The series quickly became my favorite animated series ever. And while the movie was certainly disappointing on many levels, it certainly wasn't the utter crap storm the online reviews had prepared me for. Yes it's bland and lifeless and rushed but it could have been worse!

I think the change that bothered me the most was the unnecessary ones. MNS really had to change the pronunciation of almost every single character? Right down to the "Ah-vatar"? Fire benders can't create fire on their own? What is the point of these changes?

Also, Iroh isn't an old fat bastard? WTF?

And the performances aren't nearly as bad as I thought they'd be. They're not great but they're not terrible either. The kid who plays "Ah-ong" was alright. I think that bothered the most about the kids is their physical age gaps. When Zuko fights Aang it looks like a 30 year old man abusing an 8 year old boy. And "Soh-cah" looks like he's 30 too.

And of course there's the fact that the characters' personalities are the polar opposites of their animated incarnations. Aang is a morose little emo boy instead of a fun loving kid. Sokka is a deadly serious protector (who's 30 years old) instead of a silly klutz. Katara just stands around looking really, really earnest about things rather than being their bossy mom. Iroh makes no jokes whatsoever. Zhao is a conflicted ass forced into the final plan by his leader. Yue makes a touching sacrificed that I'm sure brought a tear to everyone's eyes after her five lines of dialogue.

And the ending! Aang doesn't get possessed by the spirit monster and destroy the Fire Nation fleet and kill Zhao. Bull. If he could create that big tidal wave on his own power then isn't he already invincible at this point? I bet I know they did that though. They didn't want the hero to be shown killing thousands of soldiers, even if it's under spiritual possession. I admit when I first saw the episode that certainly gave ME pause.

No but really, I didn't think it was that bad! I kinda liked it

 

[opali]

*snip*...
I don't want to see the travesty Shymalan would make of Toph.

Maybe he will turn her into a massive, buff guy who "sees" by releasing a sonic wave with his mouth and screaming at the top of his lungs.

That episode was hilarious.

 

[Skywalker]

The Last Airbender pulls in $17 million, a 58% drop, and falls to fifth place for the weekend. Ouch.

 

[Trekker4747]

So, pretty much, M. Night's train of fail contines.