Comments | racebending: The Last Airbender: Differences from the Cartoon

whosdamike in racebending

The Last Airbender: Differences from the Cartoon

Jun 30, 2010 11:25

The Last Airbender: Differences from the Cartoon

http://www.racebending.com/v3/general/the-last-airbender-film-changes-from-the-cartoon-series/

I tried to document the differences from the cartoon in as neutral a manner as possible.

As with any movie adaptation, there are bound to be changes. However, fans are always interested in what’s ( Read more... )

Comments 6

Error sighting! fanfare June 30 2010, 18:34:28 UTC

ORIGINAL:
Aang wins over the hearts of the young children in the Water Tribe. He explores an abandoned Fire Nation ship with Katara and inadvertently sets off an explosion/flare. Sokka demands that Aang leave the village. When the Fire Nation arrives, Sokka is easily defeated by Zuko. Aang allows himself to be captured, then escapes. In the process, he uses the Avatar State. Katara and Zuko leave the village with Appa and help save Aang. Katara helps Aang escape by freezing several Fire Nation soldiers. They escape on Appa.

FILM:
The Fire Nation arrives almost as soon as Aang awakens. He allows himself to be captured. Iroh performs a test where he sets four items, one of each element, before Aang. Each object’s element reacts to Aang’s presence, proving he is the avatar. Aang uses his airbending to escape. There’s some fighting, then Aang flies away from the ship and meets Katara and Zuko on Appa.

Re: Error sighting! whosdamike June 30 2010, 19:00:22 UTC

Thanks for the correction! :)

Re: Error sighting! mirai17 June 30 2010, 19:08:12 UTC

Which proves that Dev Patel would have made an awesome Sokka :D

jade_sabre_301 June 30 2010, 19:50:27 UTC

question: How was the Blue Spirit handled? Do we find out it's Zuko? (Is it even explained why he has hair? :-b)

also, kudos to you for your neutral tone. I mean, I think fans of the series can identify with the subconscious rage, but the fact that you were able to make such direct statements of fact without inadvertently showcasing attachment shows you will be a great Avatar a great deal of restraint on your part. :-)

whosdamike June 30 2010, 22:15:21 UTC

It's shown that the Blue Spirit is Zuko. It's not explained why he has hair, I think that was just another change to try and make things look less specifically Asian.

The escape scene where the Blue Spirit and Aang escape is atrocious. It was supposed to be one of the most epic fight scenes in the film and it was just completely terrible. They spent a lot of time arranging to block Aang's face (to avoid showing the bad CG replacement for the stunt double).

As great a director as M. Night proved to be with suspense/thrillers, action is not his strength. It doesn't help that one of the main action choreographers is a military expert, which is all wrong for a martial arts epic... sigh. So much missed potential.

puffysanjo July 19 2010, 02:03:47 UTC

Would it also be beneficial to list the racial implications of the movie as well, or would that just backfire and cause detractors to think Racebending.com is "overreacting"? I was deeply disturbed by the four white Waterbenders killing brown Zhao, instead of the magical Ocean Spirit doing the deed like in the show. Yet when I point this out, people say I'm being politically correct or some nonsense.

(Even with race aside, the fact that Zhao drowning and his lifeless body falling to the ground is actually shown on screen is very unsettling! This is a kids' movie???)