Last week we got a small tease of what was to come in the Superbowl TV Spot but now we've got the full thing and it's pretty decent. There's a little bit more of a backstory in this (for those that aren't familiar with the show) but then it gets right into the action following that.
Based on the hugely successful Nickelodeon animated TV series, the live-action feature film is set in a world where human civilization is divided into four nations: Water, Earth, Air and Fire.
The Fire Nation is waging a ruthless, oppressive war against the other three nations. The film's hero, the reluctant young Aang (Noah Ringer), is the "Last Airbender" -- the Avatar who, according to prophecy, has the ability to manipulate all of the elements and bring all the nations together. Aided by a protective teenage Waterbender named Katara (Nicola Peltz) and her bull-headed brother Sokka (Jackson Rathbone), Aang proceeds on a perilous journey to restore balance to their war-torn world.
But Zuko (Dev Patel), prince of the Fire Nation, has but one goal - to destroy Aang. He is aided by his Uncle Iroh, a retired Fire Nation general. Also on the hunt for the Avatar is Commander Zhao, an ambitious and hot-tempered Fire Nation commander.
Have a look at the trailer below and let us know what you think.
The effects look great, and as a huge fan of the show I hope for this to be a successful adaptation. A few things bother me about this trailer though is that we never get to here Aang talk (is Ringer's acting any good?) and that Sokka and Katara look nothing like they did in the show. Look at the comparison image of the main actors and their animated counterparts below. Notice any differences?
Yeah, they made them white. Zuko has lighter skin than either Sokka or Katara, yet Dev Patel is darker than both Nicola Peltz and Jackson Rathbone by a lot.
I don't mind whitewashing a lot since films are meant to be fictional. Jake Gyllenhaal isn't Persian, yet he is playing one in "Prince of Persia." This is based off a game where the prince didn't look Persian at all. So no problem there. The film is taking straight from the source material. In "The Last Airbender" the source material is getting slapped in the face a little bit.
I knew somewhere this film wasn't going to hold up to my expectations. A little thing like this only from the trailer already lowers my hopes for how epic this film might be in theaters.
What are your thoughts on the trailer? Does the whitewashing in this film disrupt your enthusiasm at all?
"The Last Airbender" is set to be released in theater on July 2.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Latino Review, First Showing
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