"This is a big budget journey of discovery, punctuated by sprawling battle sequences that relies heavily on spectacle rather than substance or Shyamalan’s famed narrative twists. The writer-director juggles the technical elements but is occasionally let down by unconvincing digital effects. Screens in 3D in selected cinemas but the format was an afterthought, so don’t bother paying the additional prices." THE LIVERPOOL ECHO "In a textbook demonstration of the auteur theory, Shyamalan has taken what could have been a big, flashy, generic Hollywood production and made it wholly his own. The scope is bigger for sure, and the film is filled with astonishing imagery. Here's hoping that, in spite of all the critics/bullies who had decided long before they saw the damn thing that they would pan it just because they have a hate-on for Shyamalan, it's gonna be embraced by audiences and become a big enough box-office hit so we get to see the next two chapters." Kevin N. Laforest MONTREAL FILM JOURNAL "Targeting a very different audience from that of his previous films (notably The Sixth Sense), this action fantasy from M. Night Shyamalan is strictly for kids. Wasted are the excellent production values which include Andrew Lesnie's wondrous cinematography, Philip Messina's striking production design and James Newton Howard's inspiring score." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE "Fantasy works best off linear narrative clarity, while many scene transitions whirl like air in the hands of Aang. Yet, Night ignites the separate moments with visual magic worthy of his mythology." Matthew SorRento BRIGHT LIGHTS FILM JOURNAL "Teeming with Eastern mystical sensibilities and Western special effects lush visuals, The Last Airbender unfolds as a chaotic fantasy world with a mix of ancient and futuristic elements, as antagonistic nations variously embodying Air, Water, Earth and Fire brace for war. An exotic 3D battle of the boys blockbuster, teeming with dazzling, exotic imagery." Prairie Miller NEWSBLAZE

"The Last Airbender feels like the more original movie I’ve seen in years. I know it’s based on something that already existed, but I didn’t know anything about the animated series. To me I was just watching something totally new and it captivated my imagination. That context may not be entirely flattering but it worked for me." Fred Topel CAN MAGAZINE "The Last Airbender, for all its Shyamalan-style grandiosity, is completely harmless and inoffensive, and at the very least, Shyamalan appears to be having a little fun here." Stephanie Zacharek MOVIELINE "I went into this movie with very low expectations since it has the lowest critical rating score of any movie in theaters, but it turns out to be not as bad as they say it is. It is no surprise to me it is doing a better business at the box office than most experts anticipated." Robert Roten LARAMIE MOVIE SCOPE "The two young boys at the media preview I attended give this film two thumbs up. I say that first to give the filmmakers credit for pleasing their target audience, of which I am not one. I can see why the boys like the film, its fantasy elements and spectacle delivering a kind of fairy tale for the 21st century." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE "Epics can be ponderous and plodding, but “The Last Airbender” manages the difficult trick of being both epic and exciting, a fantasy adventure that is visually striking and emotionally accessible. Using the backbone of the Nickelodeon series, Shyamalan succeeds in developing a story with a deep mythology, something he failed to do with Lady in the Water." Sean Means SALT LAKE TRIBUNE "The worst part is undoubtedly the script, which clunks and groans all the way under the weight of it's own exposition: tragically and unforgivably, it fails to tell a good story. The ideas behind The Last Airbender are promising, and star Noah Ringer has good potential as Aang, the airbender of the title." Matt Neal THE STANDARD

The Inside Story On The Making Of The Last Airbender On The 21st of February 2005, Nickelodeon began airing an original animated series, co-created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko called "Avatar: The Last Airbender". The show immediately struck a chord with a wide range of viewers. Soon, 'Avatar' fever had spread to become an international phenomenon with the the show eventually airing in more than one hundred and twenty countries. It soon came to the attention of one of M. Night Shyamalan. Two time Oscar ® nominee Shyamalan ("The Sixth Sense") says it "fell into my lap. It hit me like an epiphany." Shyamalan’s daughters had fallen in love with the series, particularly the character of the young female waterbender Katara, played by Mae Whitman, who recently played Roxy Richter in "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World". Intrigued by their unprecedented fan loyalty, Shyamalan decided to watch the television show alongside them, and then he too was hooked. Clearly, there was cinematic potential in the series. Yet to adapt the thirty some hours of stories into a feature film would not be a task without significant challenge: including the filmmaker’s entry into a genre he had yet to explore in his previous work. "I knew from the moment I put the first words on the page, that to do a movie of this complexity, you have to put work into it." Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who created the 'Avatar' series, spent six years constructing the mythology. "It has been a real eye-opener and interesting learning curve for me to do something of this scale, while still wanting to maintain a level of perfection. I was scared to death every day of shooting, as it could be so overwhelming, and there were so many unknowns. This movie is two and a half times bigger than anything I have ever done." Since the filmmakers of "The Last Airbender" are devoted fans of the original series, they have one ultimate goal that they hope to achieve. "We want to create a film that will not only live up to the fans’ expectations, but also expand it to a worldwide audience in ways that only a full length live-action motion picture can offer," Shyamalan ("The Village") explained. The creators of the series, DiMartino and Konietzko, were extremely helpful with the development of the screenplay, helping to scale down the many stories to feature film size. "I can’t tell you how comforting it was to have them only a phone call or email away when I got in a jam. Their 'Avatar' mythology is so well thought out that they had an answer and a back story for all my questions." Shyamalan had been toying with the idea of doing a franchise type of movie for many years, but never connected with any material. But "The Last Airbender" seemed to have all of the elements that fascinated the filmmaker since he was young, when he first saw "Star Wars" epic fantasy, fueled by an inherent spirituality, and featuring martial arts at its core. "Night has such a signature filmmaking style and a unique way of telling a story," says producer Frank Marshall ("The Sixth Sense" & "Signs"). "He has the ability to touch an audience in a way that is very broad. In this film he is expanding his talent and range, which is an incredibly exciting prospect." Producer Sam Mercer ("The Happening") notes: "Night had been interested in and offered other franchise pictures before in his career, but until "The Last Airbender", he did not find one that he could make his own, organically, from the first words he put on the page." Shyamalan (born Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan) admits, "It’s good to change it up and teach myself something new and do something completely different." As in the television series, Shyamalan's latest film, "The Last Airbender", journeys from the South Pole to the North. To begin tackling such a tale, Shyamalan employed longtime collaborator, storyboard artist Brick Mason, and together the two plotted the film on boards for an entire year prior to the start of principal photography. Once 2002 Oscar ® winning cinematographer Andrew Lesnie ("The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring") signed on (he joined for one last pass at the storyboards) the movie was taken to the pre-visualization phase, working with Industrial Light & Magic and VFX supervisor Pablo Helman ("The Bourne Supremacy" & "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull") who came onboard as Visual Effects Supervisor. At that point, scene by scene real-time animatics were rendered, creating a blueprint that enabled the filmmakers to see animated and edited versions of sequences (more than a third of the film was outlined in pre-viz prior to the beginning of filming). Further down the road, getting to watch pre-viz on-set proved invaluable guidance. Viewing them on iPhones was much easier than huddling around a single monitor. Shyamalan was equally forward-thinking when it came time to cast the film. "I searched for a spectrum of cast members with all different kinds of acting chops. You can’t just choose one scale of actors." The filmmakers were also mindful to people the four nations with diverse ethnicities. The epicenter of that world is Aang, the Avatar, and the search for just the right young performer took six months and covered a lot of territory. When filmmakers received a DVD showcasing a young martial arts champion from Dallas, Texas, serendipity and fate collided. Noah Ringer had begun practicing Taekwondo, the martial art and national sport of South Korea, at the age of 10, his skills later garnering accolades, including the title of American Taekwondo Association Texas State Champion. In fact, his friends and his instructor, all fans of the animated series, noting how much he looked like the television hero, had started calling Noah by the nickname, 'Avatar'. When it was announced that Paramount was conducting international casting calls for "The Last Airbender", Noah: urged by his Taekwondo instructor Eric Pechacek; made a DVD audition tape, even painting the character’s signature blue arrow on his already shaved head. "Noah is Aang. There is no way around it. From the moment we saw his audition tape, we could see the sincerity in those big brown eyes," Shyamalan recalls. "He is dedicated to his craft and he truly cares and wants to work harder every day. His discipline is unprecedented for such a young man." "Night really helped me feel the focus and get that power and energy into my acting, which will help me forever in my life," Ringer said. Having just come off of the highly successful Oscar ® winner "Slumdog Millionaire", leading actor Dev Patel was searching for a role as different as possible from his 'Slumdog' character, Jamal. While publicizing the indie hit, Patel submitted himself on tape for the Prince, and later got 'the call' from Shyamalan, offering him the part. "In actuality, vulnerability is Zuko’s strong suit," Shyamalan offered. "Dev Patel’s sweet spot is vulnerability. Dev was that man-child when we cast him for the part, the perfect combination of anger and compassion." When Ringer and Patel met on the first day of shooting, a mutual respect was formed then and there. Patel remembers seeing "this twelve year old kid come onto the set of this massive film and was surprised to see that he was just unwaverable. His martial arts training had really given him this steadiness and determination to go for it, regardless of the challenge." Young actress Nicola Peltz was called in to read for the role of Katara. Peltz ("Deck The Halls") had become quite familiar with the water-bender character, having faithfully watched the television series with her younger twin brothers. Like Shyamalan’s daughters, little girls everywhere look up to Katara and her strength as a young woman. "She is an amazing role model for girls. Anything she puts her mind to, she’ll do," Peltz says. "She is so physically and mentally strong." Jackson Rathbone, who plays Jasper Hale in the 'Twilight Saga', was cast as Katara’s older brother Sokka. He explained: "In a way, Sokka is a hick from the Southern Water Tribe, and he goes to the big city of the Northern Water Tribe, where he meets this beautiful and sophisticated princess. Their relationship teaches him so much, and he grows up a great deal." To fill out the cast with the tribesmen of the four nations, open casting calls were held all over the East Coast for actors who would be called upon to exhibit a list of skills from many disciplines: martial arts, the military, dancing, gymnastics. Calls were put out for actors of all age groups, including children (ranging from six to fifteen). Men resembling Middle Eastern, Indian, Mediterranean and Italian peoples were cast as Fire Nation soldiers. A mix of men, women and children resembling those of Korean, Japanese, Mongolian and African descent were cast as the Earth Kingdom citizens living under Fire Nation rule. Likewise, hundreds of men, women and children resembling those of Anglo descent were cast as villagers in the Southern and Northern Water Tribes. In the final tally, more than six thousand actors were employed to make up the world of "The Last Airbender". Once cast, Ringer had only had about one month to train as an actor. He was surprised at how much the discipline of acting and the practice of martial arts had in common. "In Taekwondo, you listen to your instructor, and then respond. You do the same thing in acting with your director." Ringer trained with the stunt department for a couple of months prior to filming, incorporating his martial arts moves in complicated, choreographed fight sequences. Peltz had played ice hockey for many years, and was thinking about playing professionally before she made the decision to pursue acting. Her athletic skills came in handy when training for the role of Katara, which included a regimen of martial arts training that started five months before filming began. "I started training on my own in Brooklyn and learned Kung Fu, which is a style of martial arts that is force against force. Then, a couple of months before we started filming, I went to Philadelphia and began training in Tai chi, then putting the choreography of the fight scenes together with Noah and Jackson." Shyamalan has always been a big fan of martial arts and martial arts films. "I am a huge martial arts freak. I am one of those guys that has a statue of Bruce Lee in my office and has seen "Enter the Dragon" dozens and dozens of times." While leads Noah Ringer and Dev Patel both hold black belts in Taekwondo, the style of martial art from Korea, they would need to work on transforming their moves to fit with those called for in the film. The world of "The Last Airbender" uses the Chinese martial art known as Wushu, which incorporates several fighting styles. In the original animated series, four styles of Wushu were used to differentiate the four types of bending: Baguazhang for airbending, Tai chi for waterbending, Hung Ga for earthbending, and Northern Shaolin Kung Fu for firebending. The film utilizes the same styles. and the actors and stunt performers spent months training prior to shooting. Shyamalan even had Ringer watch the 1973 Robert Clouse film, "Enter the Dragon" (starring Bruce Lee) for reference. What It's All About

The world is engulfed by the fires of war, and no one has the power to stop the inevitable destruction: until now. For nearly a century, the Fire Nation has waged its deadly campaign for global domination over its fellow tribal nations of Air, Water and Earth. They offer but one choice to the tribes who fall to their might: complete surrender, or complete annihilation. As the villagers vainly attempt to defend themselves, they stand behind the chosen few who can command their nation’s element and 'bend' it to their will. Backed by enormous armies and weapons of destruction, the firebenders have already eliminated every airbender on the planet. Now, they turn their attentions to the Water Nation, headquartered in their northern fortress. Young waterbender Katara is out practicing her skills with her brother Sokka when they discover a young boy named Aang. As Aang’s airbending skills become apparent, Katara and Sokka realize that they have found more than just the last airbender. As the prophesied Avatar: the only one who can control all four of the elements; the young airbender is the lone weapon that can restore balance to the war-torn world.

The Verdict "In 1999 writer/director M Night Shyamalan stunned the cinema world with "The Sixth Sense". It grossed a massive US$672,806,292 worldwide. In 2000 he won fans over with "Unbreakable". It's box-office take was US $248,118,121 worldwide. That was followed in 2002 by "Signs" with US$408,247,917 worldwide. With production budgets of US$ 40million, 75million & 74million they were big money earners. Since then it's been a downward spiral for the once acclaimed writer and director. "The Village" (2004) didn't do too bad. It earned US$256,697,520 (budget US$60 million). "Lady In The Water" (2006) was a shocker! It cost US$70 million to make, earning a miserly US$72,785,169. "The Happening" (2008) lifted the returns factor a little. Costing US$48 million, it returned US$163,403,799 at the worldwide box-office. So how is his latest film faring? First the dollar figures. "The Last Airbender" cost US$150 million to make. It evidently has a reported promotional budget of US130 million. Since opening on the 1st of July 2010, it has so far returned US$308,152,380, after an opening weekend in the U.S.A. of US$40,325,019. Savaged by the critics "The Last Airbender" has copped a hiding in the media. Fact is, there was a lot riding on this production, which only covers the fire and water aspects of the storyline. Wretched executives at Paramount Pictures as well as gnashing their teeth, must be wringing their hands in abject, despair. So what is wrong with Shyamalan's latest? In too many instances, with the exception of "Slumdog Millionaire" star Dev Patel and a few other cast members, the performances are wooden. The dialogue delivered by Ringer, Peltz and Rathbone is even worse. It's almost 'kissie-speak' at six year old level. The 3D, evidently a post-production add-on, is in the main, totally ineffective and for most of the time goes virtually unnoticed. Having to pay a premium to see "The Last Airbender" 3D is a bloody disgrace! So, is there anything good that can be said about "The Last Airbender"? Yes there is. The SFX , VFX and the CGI generated imagery are at times spectacular: especially in the closing chapter when the Firebenders wage war on the ice world of the Waterbenders. And there are some standouts in the cast, including: Patel as Prince Zuko, Shaun Toub who plays his Uncle Iroh, Cliff Curtis as the menacing Fire Lord Ozai, Aasif Mandvi as Commander Zhao and Seychelle Gabriel as Princess Yue. Best experienced in standard format. Fans of the TV series may be disappointed. Going in with low expectations should lift your satisfaction level. 2 1/2 STARS." Who Is Playing Who?

Noah Ringer Dev Patel Nicola Peltz Jackson Rathbone Shaun Toub Aasif Mandvi Cliff Curtis Seychelle Gabriel Katharine Houghton Francis Guinan Damon Gupton Summer Bishil Randall Duk Kim John D'Alonzo Edmund Ikeda John Noble Kevin Yamada Ted Oyama Georgie DeNoto J.W. Cortes Erica LaRose

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Aang Prince Zuko Katara Sokka Uncle Iroh Commander Zhao Fire Lord Ozai Princess Yue Katara's Grandma Master Pakku Monk Gyatso Azula Old Man in Temple Zhao's Assistant Old Man of Kyoshi Town The Dragon Spirit Earth Kingdom Prisoner Kyoshi Villager Jet Fire Lord Attendant Zula

The Crew Directed by M. Night Shyamalan Written by M. Night Shyamalan Produced by Scott Aversano/Frank Marshall/Sam Mercer/M. Night Shyamalan Original Music by James Newton Howard Cinematography by Andrew Lesnie Film Editing by Conrad Buff Casting by Douglas Aibel Production Design by Philip Messina Art Direction by Robert Fechtman/Gerald Sullivan/Patrick M. Sullivan Jr Supervising art director Richard L. Johnson Set Decoration by Larry Dias Costume Design by Judianna Makovsky Run Time 103 minutes Rated PG [AUST] Copyright ©2010 - Paramount Pictures - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2010 The Movie Pages & impact Internet Services. All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian and International Copyright. Trademark Laws and Intellectual Property Rights apply.