Pajiba

Hmmm. Looks most decidedly unShymalalian unShaymalamalaian unShaymalamadingdongian good.

Okay, reality is restored. That was weird.

I was all ready to be disappointed in this, but that trailer actually looks promising. I just ordered the Avatar set from Amazon, and I can't wait to watch it again.

I am completely unfamiliar with the source material, but this actually looks like something I would enjoy watching. I'll keep an eye out for it.

THIS. LOOKS. SO. COOL.

I'm trying to keep my expectations low, because adaptations of cartoons are normally so bad, but...damn this looks cool. As long as they keep some of the lightness of the original story (one of the best things about it was that the kids were KIDS) while also bringing in the awesome, it should be fantastic. Don't fuck this up, M. Night.

OH MAN. SO COOL.

Theoretical question: In the animated series, waterbenders can can bend blood on the full moon. They can also manipulate sweat, I believe. Extrapolating, can we say from there that they can manipulate semen? So, for instance, could a waterbender impregnate someone without the knowledge of either parent?

Also, do you think a waterbender could pee without having to actually go to the bathroom-- just by bending their urine? Because that would be the coolest power EVER.

(for the record, I'm sober. And, apparently, crazy)

The best part? The lead character is supposed to be twelve years old and he is actually being played by a twelve year old.

That's cool and all, but I think this picture sums up pretty much everything I want to say about Shyamalan's casting. C'mon!

Posted by: esme at February 11, 2010 12:20 AM

I'm not sure how that would work, as they can't really appear or disappear water, katara carries a jug of it around when she's not near a handy body of water. If someone randomly started bending semen out of me there's only one place for it to come out and I'm pretty sure I'd notice. Same goes for urine, though you could probably have it bypass your clothes at least if you couldn't be bothered making a gap yourself.

My only concern is that the trailer looks overly serious, but I'll take a serious Avatar as long as it's good. Also the lily white sokka and katara are a little worrying. I was kind of hoping that they'd bring Toph in early, because she's easily my favourite character from the series, but I guess I can live with them adhering to the story's timeline.

Also the Avatar State looks totally badass, I can't wait to see it on the big screen.

Yeah Chugga- Toph is my favorite too, I was really curious to see who they cast, but I guess we have to wait...

Okay,while that film looks sort of fucking incredible, watching this trailer without sound makes it...actually, even more fucking amazing because I have no idea what in crikey fuck is going on

Is it possible to have a post about an M. Night Shyamalan project without someone mentioning a twist ending? Please?

Well I'd just be happy never to hear the "dingdong" thing again.

Yup, still whitewashed, still suck.

I mean, come on, the one concession they made to making the cast as diverse as the original show? Make the villains Indian. Yeah. Great. It's like Indiana Freaking Jones and the Temple of Doom all over again. Except there's no Short Round.

Oh joy, RACEBENDING again.

If the story revolved around African culture, would it be okay to make a bunch of white kids do this movie in blackface? No. That's why I'm going to cock punch Shyamalan if I ever see him. Fucking race traitor.

I am SO F-ING EXCITED to see this!!!!!!

I was so worried that the film couldn't come close to capturing the awesomeness that was the show, but this trailer has done a lot towards assuaging my fears. Can't wait!

But on the plus side Zuko is the most interesting character with the biggest arch and he still has some color.

Not quite? I always pictured Zuko as distinctly Japanese, from his armor to the fact that the Fire Nation is primarily a volcanic island.

I view the Avatar world as such:

Air Nomads= Tibetan Monks
Fire Nation= Japanese
Earth Kingdom= Chinese
Water Tribes= Inuit

Indian and other southeast asian cultures really aren't featured too prominently in the series, which I always thought was strange.

I was a huge fan of the animated series, but I'm not planning on seeing it in the theaters. I'm already a bit miffed at the casting (and the casting director, who clearly has her head VERY far up her ass). But every shot we see of Katara here, she's either crying or on the verge of tears, when in reality her character was a ballsy chick who could be a straight-up beyotch when she wanted to be. I have a bad feeling we're going to see "sad, weepy, in jeopardy" Katara instead of the girl who pretty much drove the agenda for all three seasons of the show.

That, and they've eliminated EVERY reference to Chinese, which was the written language for the show. Instead, they've gone with a made-up "fantasy" language. Chinese was a huge part of the show - everything they ever showed that was written was written in Chinese - that taking it out of the movie is like removing Elvish from Tolkien's mythology.

Also, Zuko's scar is pathetic. It looks like a birthmark, not a hideously deforming reminder of a very public humiliation. (Early reports also say both Aang and Sokka are SRS BIZNS throughout the film, which is just... all kinds of wrong.)

And, because it bears repeating, the casting director - DeeDee Ricketts - HAS HER HEAD UP HER ASS. Sorry, but I feel pretty passionately about this one.;)

Looks cool. I think Dev look awesome as Zukko, despite those who wish the cartoon be made flesh with nary a blue line out of place. I think his scar actually looks believable and realistic, considering anything worse would have rendered the eye useless (I'm talking to you Harvey).

My daughter called me to tell me all about the horrible travesties they've visited upon her beloved characters. I've got one question:

If ethnic accuracy is what it's all about, why weren't you all crying about Zukko not looking one bit Chinese in the cartoon? Srsly, the only characters that look even slightly Asian are Zukko's uncle and his father, the Fire Lord. Everyone else is rather Disney generic, or at best, look Indian just like frikkin Dev.

Well, it's a lot of a matter of personal perspective, but I always thought Zuko looked the MOST Asian of the main characters. Seriously, he's always drawn with almond-shaped eyes, as is his sister, Azula. The Fire Nation royal family were among the most "Eastern Asian" looking of the primary characters.

Plus, it should be noted that Shyamalan's first choice was Jesse McCartney. JESSE. FREAKIN'. MCCARTNEY.

"this looks like garbage and i cant believe shyamalan's signing his name to it" As opposed to pretty much everything else he has done. "I see dead people" WTF. To bad I didn't realize he was attached to this project, and I had some nice expectations. oh well, back to the animated show.