It's pretty cool to see so many ATLA fans on here--I never realized there were so many! I'm actually a huge
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[closet]
2 years ago my best friend told me I should watch the show and by now I've seen all the eps a few times. After seeing The Boy In The Iceberg for the first time, I thought it was pretty stupid, but my friend kept insisting that it got better, and boy was she right. 
I got hooked pretty quick and was drawn into all of the extreme fandom...(things like drawing fan art and making Katara necklaces, Toph headbands, etc. ). Anyway, I'm not obsessed now, but I still love the show. It's so much more complex than your average animated TV series. My friends who haven't really watched much of it make fun of me for being childish. (hence me being a closet fan)
I remember the day when The Boiling Rock came out, I was freaking out because I thought it was the coolest thing ever. It's still probably one of my favorite episodes.
Oh my, the Sokka humor. They must keep at least some of it in the movie. Haha, Valia, you're right, it's not stupid humor, although it comes just close enough to be hilarious.
I don't know if I'll end up seeing the movie in the theater because nobody else in my family will want to see it.... maybe I can work it out with my friend.
Favorite characters? Mine was Katara for the first two seasons, but for some reason, in season 3 I just didn't like her as well. Her character had changed so much... she's still just as responsible and mature of course, but just she doesn't seem as loving -- or something. I don't know, something about her wasn't as inviting. Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way though.
Posted : June 30, 2010 6:31 pm
Mmhmm, my biggest concern is probably the humour as well, FK. The show was hysterical without resorting (well, very much) to stupid or gross humour (I guess the humour was more character-driven and plays on words and such?). I don't expect (or even hope!) the film to be near as funny, but I would like them to keep in some of it.
Same here, the show was funny a lot, and though I would like the movie to capture some of this humor, I also hope it's downplayed a little- for the movie's sake. Not sure it'll work the same.
EDIT:
So, I never put much thought into what critics have to say about movies. Airbender currently is 6% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, not good at all. How does this affect you all? For me, I'm still just as excited to see the movie but I can't deny being a *little* worried now. 
Tomorrow night however I will be watching it at the theater.
Posted : July 1, 2010 1:54 am
Favorite character in the animated series? It’s kind of hard to choose just one, as there are a number of memorable characters. But I’d choose Uncle Iroh – sure, he comes across as a lazy old goofball in the first half of season 1 (I’ve rewatched the first 12 episodes now), but already there are hints of much more to his character. He’s eventually revealed to be a fun, wise, caring old character, forgiving when appropriate but a fierce firebender when necessary. I think it’d be great to have an uncle like him.
Toph comes in next, though it’s kind of hard to put my finger on exactly why. She seems like a spoiled whiny brat when she first comes on the scene, but eventually there’s more to see under that crusty arrogant exterior.
Season 2 contains a couple of my favorite scenes (not episodes) from the series. The first comes in “The Chase,” in which
Spoiler
Iroh and Toph share tea in a chance encounter. The background scenery is beautiful and it’s a chance to see these two characters from opposing ‘sides’ interact. Iroh shares his wisdom with her, but she’s able to give something in return. Lovely.
The other comes in “The Tales of Ba Sing Se.” *ducks tomatoes and waits for boos to subside*
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Sure, this episode is generally dismissed as filler by fans, and to the extent that it stops the season’s momentum, that’s true. But Iroh’s tale is, I think, a wonderful homage to his voice actor, the late great Mako. It depicts him going about his day in the city, helping random strangers and giving advice. But at the end he mourns his beloved son, lost in the siege on the city, and wishes he had been there to help him.
I just returned from the new movie! I'm formulating a detailed review as we speak. 
But all night, Aslan and the Moon gazed upon each other with joyful and unblinking eyes.
Posted : July 1, 2010 1:27 pm
Oh I like this topic! lol! I watched the cartoon series not too long ago and I LOVED THEM!
Favorite Character? Oh! That is almost an impossible choice for me!
I love Uncle Iroh! Loves Sokka's humor! Anng is just fun! and so on!
Can't wait to see what some of you say about the movie!
--Benjamin
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Posted : July 1, 2010 1:53 pm
Comments on the new film The Last Airbender – ‘ware spoilers!
(You may wish to avoid the spoilers here before watching the movie! 
)
Fans and critics
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are almost universally panning this movie. It's been quite educational reading some of the Avatar fan forum threads.
Overall impressions:
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I really wanted to like this movie; the source material is among my favorite shows – it has good casting, character development, depth of plot, humor, and beautiful animation.
We talked about how the movie couldn’t capture all this, so I went in with lessened expectations. To that extent, I liked the movie. Lots of beautiful scenery - especially with the North and South poles and the air temples - a great steampunk look to the Fire Navy ships…but virtually no humor (and let's face it, Sokka's a funny guy!) or character development. We really don’t have any reason to care about these characters or their quest. Probably because of how much had to be cut, it jumps around a lot. The guys behind me weren't familiar with the series, and things were unclear to them. For example, why bother going to the North Pole anyway?
I liked the look of the bending in general - though nearly all the great bending shots were in the trailers. And the earthbending left me a little dry...it took 5 earthbenders forever to move one little rock. Toph could do more than that with her little toe . But it seemed like both water and earth benders had to do all sorts of moves before their elements would respond. The Siege of the North all too quickly degenerated into another sword-and-spear battle rather than an epic battle between water and firebenders - even after the Moon Spirit was restored. Why?
To be fair, the bending connection to martial arts was clear. There’s a nice scene with Katara and Aang practicing their forms at the North Pole – though they’re not bending at the time. The motions they go through look much like a friend of mine practicing his tai chi.
Some scenes - like the Blue Spirit - were lifted almost directly from the show while others were missing. There was stuff to like – the opening ‘benders’ scene much like the show (though the TV show's opening scenes with Katara’s voiceover would have worked better than text scrolling on the screen), some nice martial arts moves – yet so much was missing. The humor and fun side of the characters was mostly absent…it was much too serious. Biggest problems? Too much exposition was used to skip over things. Remember, ‘show, don’t tell’! Choppy and rushed pacing – no time to get to know the characters
Half an hour could have been added to flesh things out without a problem. A few nits are:
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They visit Kyoshi Island but the warriors – and Suki! – aren’t to be seen, despite appearing in the earlier trailers. No fortune teller – a character that I wouldn’t have missed had there not be a credit for her. No Mechanist at the Northern Air Temple – instead, the hall of avatar statues is there, and holds a trap. Ironically, the iconic South Pole shot (Sokka and Katara side-by-side, holding a lantern), doesn’t appear but was in the trailer. No Koh, no Avatar Roku.
Casting:
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Katara’s portrayal was okay. I was disappointed in Iroh’s – though that’s less a criticism of the actor than of the screenplay. There was little opportunity for his good humor or wisdom to shine. He wasn't the right 'size' to play Uncle (and, as shastastwin pointed out earlier, that size was used in his favor in the series)...Though even Mako – the late great actor who voiced Iroh in the series - didn’t have the correct ‘body shape’ to play this character in live-action
Acceptable changes:
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The firebenders needing a source makes sense with how this was written. The Sozin’s Comet deadline (given by Ozai in his ‘commissioning’ of Azula) is 3 years out and is tied to the firebending source issue – as is Uncle Iroh. But it still turns the whole firebending thing down a notch for everyone. When Yue gives her life to restore the Moon Spirit koi fish, her hair turns from light to dark. Nice touch
Pronunciations:
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While it seemed odd to hear the names mispronounced, it was easy to overlook since I knew it was coming. There was one change I didn’t expect: Agni Kai = Agni Kee (long ‘e’). No biggie, but I still find myself thinking that the series’ creators should know how the words are pronounced. Then again, if someone offered to make one of my creations into a movie I might be willing to bend on pronunciation too.
Conclusion?
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With the right expectations, this is enjoyable enough. This review may sound harsher than I intended. I suspect my opinion eventually will be similar to how I think of the latest Prince Caspian – an enjoyable enough movie but lacking as an adaptation. The show is better…so much better.
But all night, Aslan and the Moon gazed upon each other with joyful and unblinking eyes.
Posted : July 2, 2010 9:12 am
The Last Airbender movie,
I went in knowing it couldn't capture everything from the show, and I went knowing about the casting controversy (which doesn't bother me at all), the pronunciations of some names I didn't expect and was bothered by just one of them
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Aang
The movie I agree SHOULD have been at least half an hour longer to flesh it out,
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I felt like was watching the beginning of the show, and in just a blink of an eye I was watching the ending show's first year.
The opening scene
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while it was in the spirit of the show, and to that extent I can accept it being in there, I didn't quite like it but I didn't hate it either
The ending I thought was great. I liked Aang, Noah, I think he did a fairly good job. I enjoyed the movie well enough, when the dvd comes out- I'd like the option of an extended cut because I am sure much was filmed that didn't make it.
The show is much MUCH better, I agree, the movie wasn't spectacular but it wasn't as bad as the critics make seem- it was OKish.
Posted : July 2, 2010 3:34 pm
Well I decided to watch The Last Airbender even though I heard a lot of bad things about it on some reviews... So here is my review after watching it.
There will probably be several spoilers in here so beware .
Just a plain overview on it...
I did not dislike it as much as I was expecting, for I had heard some pretty bad things about it! And I knew it would be really hard to capture a whole season in 1 hour and 45 minutes...
Alright that is all for now, I need to go...
--Benjamin
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Team Hoodie!!
Posted : July 3, 2010 12:31 pm
Well,
I started watching Book 2: Earth
I have seen only the first three episodes and of course it just picked up where the first book left off. Loving it so far. Of these 3 episodes my favorite is definitely "The Cave of Two Lovers"
Spoiler
I loved this one so much, not because of Aang and Co but because of Prince Zuko. Even from season one I have thought that there is some good in him. It seems all he wants is to be restored to honor, of course his methods are inexcusable and that makes him a villain. But now with this episode, him seeing life from the other end, he clearly thought twice about some things. Best part was when he left and stole the animal. I go with the uncle, after all the hospitality they were given he shouldn't have done that- this shows that though he did think twice on things he still wants his honor back most of all, but the touch is there and I look forward to seeing how it will play out later. It might not be anything but it's still worth paying attention too. About that moment when Zuko took the animal, the saddest part was that the girl was still looking through the door and saw him take it, when she clearly has some faith in him (don't think she knew who he was though, but still...)
Posted : July 3, 2010 12:52 pm
I heard that there is going to be an extended edition on DVD that'll have Suki and more humor! 
(I don't know this for sure. My sister told me and she read it somewhere that she didn't tell me. But still!)
"The Cave of Two Lovers" isn't one of my favorite episodes, narnian1, but I find the "hippies" absolutely hilarious.
Katara:Is this real or a legend?
Chong: Oh, it's a real legend.
and
Chong: (singing) Two lovers, forbidden from one another, war divides their people, and the mountains divide them apart. Built a path to be together - (talking) Yeah, forget the next couple of lines but then it goes - (singing again, rocker style) SECRET TUNNEL! SECRET TUNNEL! Through the mountain! SECRET, SECRET, SECRET, SECRET TUNNEL! Yeah!
. . .
Chong: Hey, I remember that line of the song! (Gets his banjo and stands in the front of the cave and sings) AND DIE!!
and of course
(Sokka and Chong's group have been reunited with Aang and Katara outside the cave)
Katara: (to Sokka) Sokka, why is your forehead all red?
Chong: (to Katara and Sokka) Nobody react to what I'm about to tell you... (points to Aang) I think that kid might be the Avatar!
Sokka: (slaps forehead, red mark gets bigger)
Oh, and another quote I really liked was:
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Aang: What?! I'm saying I'd rather kiss you than die! That's a compliment!
P.S."Brooklyn!"
Posted : July 3, 2010 5:29 pm
I've noticed that a common remark on the Avatar fan forums is that the film is better on a second viewing - likely, at least in part, to reduced expectations about a faithful adaptation.
There seems to be a lot of debate out there about the 25 minutes apparently filmed but not included in the theatrical release, and whether this material would make it onto a DVD/Blu-ray release.
Here are some comments from M Night regarding cutting the Kyoshi Warriors and about his elimination of the slapstick humor (apparently a gradual process in the editing):
...“The single most difficult decision was [cutting] the Kyoshi Warriors,” [Shyamalan] said of a chapter in the story that involves Aang, Sokka, and Katara encountering a group of female warriors along their travels.
“We shot [the scene] and they were amazing, and we spent an unbelievable amount of time choreographing them,” he explained. “And they just distracted from the movie, because the movie wasn’t about them.”
According to Shyamalan, the decision to edit out the Kyoshi Warriors had a lot to do with their lack of involvement in the final chapter of the first season — and therefore, the finale of the film itself.
...“So I made the very difficult decision of pulling them from the movie and introducing them in the second movie if we have the opportunity,” he added.
Along with the removal of the Kyoshi Warriors, Shyamalan also admitted to cutting much of the slapstick humor of the story.
“I did it naturally in the first draft, and as the drafts went on, I kept on doing it more,” he said of cutting out the jokey side of the trio’s adventure. “Then when we shot it, I did it even more, and then when we were editing it, I kept on reducing it.”
“What I found was… the audience wants to take this seriously,” he explained. “They want this to be real and important to everyone, and if a character is being too silly, they go, ‘Okay, I guess he’s not very upset. I guess there’s not a big threat. I guess the fact that an entire culture’s been wiped out is not a big deal.’”
“When everyone has the same threats and value systems going on, you really start to lean in more,” continued Shyamalan. “You have to be really careful — a slapstick moment can really drain a movie.”
narnian1, I found "The Cave of Two Lovers" a little annoying the first time I watched it, but since then have come to enjoy it quite a bit more. It's an example of the slapstick humor in the series, and Ryan's done a good job in selecting some of those humorous quotes. And it provides the earliest (I believe) view of the earthbending badgermoles in the series.
Since it was way too hot outside today and I felt like being a couch potato, I watched the last 6 episodes of the series this afternoon ("The Southern Raiders," "The Ember Island Players" and the 4-part finale). Good stuff.
And Sokka's review of the Players' performance has become a popular line in regards to the new movie, I see: But the effects were decent.
But all night, Aslan and the Moon gazed upon each other with joyful and unblinking eyes.
Posted : July 3, 2010 6:04 pm
Ooh, I hope that rumour is true, Ryan!
Interesting, gazer. I suppose, also, that the second time around, you're prepared for the 'clunky' spots and can enjoy all the good bits more. Maybe?
I just wanted to say quickly that I went and saw the film in 3-D yesterday afternoon. I liked it, though I wasn't blown away by it. It did have some problems, no denying that, but it also had some really good bits. I've been trying to work on a review/collection of my thoughts to post, but I find myself going through almost every scene in the film and it's getting quite lengthy. I'd like to see it again a second time and see how my opinion changes on the film, since I'll have a slightly better idea of what to expect (I kept my expectations low on purpose, but then I wasn't really sure what to expect). That, and I keep remembering more and more little touches that I liked and less and less of the clunky spots as I go on.
Some days you battle yourself and other monsters. Some days you just make soup.
Topic starter
Posted : July 3, 2010 6:30 pm
Oh Yeah! And I saw The Last Airbender in 3D, and it was my first time seeing a movie in 3D. Though my brothers said that it was not a good 3D movie, meaning the 3D was not good.
Well,
I started watching Book 2: EarthI have seen only the first three episodes and of course it just picked up where the first book left off. Loving it so far. Of these 3 episodes my favorite is definitely "The Cave of Two Lovers"
Oh I love that episode also! lol!SpoilerI love the gypsies! And their songs!
I hope you like the the rest of the season!
I heard that there is going to be an extended edition on DVD that'll have Suki and more humor! (I don't know this for sure. My sister told me and she read it somewhere that she didn't tell me. But still!)
I hope that is true!
--Benjamin
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Posted : July 4, 2010 4:17 am
I watched some episodes of the cartoon. The hard thing with cartoons is that they're not as "organised" as live-action series who usually have a new episode ready every week. I would have liked to watch the cartoon from start to finish but I didn't have time to go back and watch episodes in order. I am looking forward to seeing this movie though. I love the theme of the cartoon/film. What they did with elements and the idea of "bending" and different tribes and so on is so interesting. It inspired me to start a fantasy novel, which I stopped when I realised that it was too similar to Avatar
The film's settings look gorgeous as well. Since I barely know the cartoon I won't be disappointed to see changes in the story. I haven't seen an episode of Avatar in so long, I barely remember what goes on, and since I didn't exactly see them in order, I have no idea of what the story-line is, apart from basic plot elements.
"'I say that if one could know what will happen after death, then not one of us would be afraid of death....One's afraid of the unknown, that's what it is.'" -- Tolstoy, War and Peace
Posted : July 4, 2010 10:38 am
I saw the movie today and well I have to say I'm disappointed. The cartoon series was definitly much better. My dad though thought otherwise. He was all like "we have to get that on DVD". He hasn't seen the cartoon series yet.
Oh and speaking of Narnia at the theater to see the movie I saw the huge cardboard poster of Voyage of the Dawn Treader It was soo awesome I just HAD to take a picture of it!
Team Edward and Team Jacob are overrated. I'm Team Avatar!
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Posted : July 6, 2010 5:00 pm
I went into The Last Airbender tonight knowing very, very little about it. I looked up a review to check for content, but besides that, zip. I've never watched the tv show, never looked it up on wikipedia.
So I suppose my review should be interesting.
Spoiler
First off, I really enjoyed the story. The whole idea of the would being inhabited by all of these nations was really interesting, and it really did make sense that the fire nation acted up when the avatar disappeared. It seems almost like the Avatar was just a shield to hold the nations in check--more like the threat of a weapon to be used rather than a weapon that was actually utilized. When the shield was gone, the fire nation took advantage of the fact that they wouldn't be punished for starting a war.
As for character development, I was relatively unimpressed, except for with Prince Zoku (I think that's the name). I got to learn bit by bit why he acted as he did, and he made me wonder if I would do the same if my father told me I wasn't enough of a jerk to come home, and I had to capture some person in order to come home.
I mean, if Zoku sat back and actually looked at the situation with a clear head, I think he could see that his dad is a total jerk--but he's way too emotionally involved. I think that the fire people seem to be hotheads (pun intended ), and they are ruled by emotions in some ways. Maybe that's just Zoku, but whatever.
I would have liked to know more about Iroh, seen more depth to Katara, and gotten to know Yue and Sokka better. But oh well.
As for the acting? Ugh. The only one that did alright was Sokka, and sometimes he was intense and didn't need to be. Katara was bland and didn't have an independent character. I bet she acts like that in real life, sans the waterbending. Same for Aang.
What else? The whole buddhism spirituality thing was a little weird, but the main thing that bothered me was the reincarnation of the avatars. Strange. It's not just that these people are born in every generation, independent of the old people; they ARE the old people. 
Even so, though, the good guys were really trying to do good things. Themes of self-sacrifice and love and kindness and mercy flowed through how the good guys acted, and the bad guys were cruel, dishonorable, and all that. There was a line drawn, even though there was room for characters to "convert", so to speak.
As for humor vs. seriousness, as a non-show watching person, I was glad that there wasn't humor. It would have broken the mood. I agree with Shyalaman. I really got into the movie and I wanted it to be serious. I think I would have been disgusted if they had added it.
"Let the music cast its spell,
give the atmosphere a chance.
Simply follow where I lead;
let me teach you how to dance."
Posted : July 8, 2010 4:59 pm