What I Love About ATLA and Fear About The Movie

[stillthere4me]

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a fantastic series, yet the movie adaptation appears to be focusing on all the wrong things. And this is all aside from the Racebending problems.

Comments

[fleshuncovered]

Thank you thank you thank you! I have been trying os hard to tell people about the series and how the movie wont even cut it. Mind if i Rec this in my journal? you say it alot better than i do.

[stillthere4me]

:) Aw of course! I'd be honored actually.

[sifukatara]

Amen to that!

[toad_senin]

aren't you being a little to critical of the movie? Movie adaptions are never exactly like the original medium anyway.

Expecting them to is always going to let you down.

[stillthere4me]

Oh believe me, I know they usually aren't like the original. I am usually never super critical of adaptations (I'm the one defending Harry Potter movies to my friends about how the adaptations aren't that bad). This movie is an exception, as they are not just doing things a little different, or cutting or reworking things for time. They are taking out good chunks of characters personalities--what makes them who they are. Also Zuko's scar gets me because that's such a little thing that should not be a problem at all. That could've easily been done up to look more serious, but they chose to make it less severe.

So while I admit attacking them for all of this may be me being a little critical, it's the fact that it is ALL of this to critique that is my problem. Small things that could've been changed to make it so much better, makes it the difference between it being an adaptatation, and it being a problem.

[dj_rocca]

I don't want to have this taken the wrong way but you're complaining that Dev's skin is too dark? That's a first with the all racebending going around. In real life darker skin scars different does it not? But you're right I'm sure there was something the make up department could have done. This was insightful and not full on hateful which is a sigh of relief to me. Well said. I will be seeing it so I can form my own opinion and I will be realistic to myself that it will not be perfect but I may like aspects they changed I might not. But anyways, I did think you stated your thoughts without being hateful and a cynic so kudos!

[stillthere4me]

Yeah, I was worried that line was going to come out wrong. But what I meant was that how dark the scar and his skin were, made the combination made the scar was more difficult to see (at least the way the scar was created on Dev's face). And the make-up department didn't seem to want to make the scar any more visable--which I'm sure they could've done. Instead, it just looks like blends into his face, whereas in the cartoon, Zuko's skin was pale and his scar was red-pink, and you could see exactly where it started and ended. The same mistake could've been made with a lighter actor too, if the scar was made too light.

Well yes, there has been plenty of angry rants made about the movie. I just wanted to put out there what made me love the series, and why THAT makes me dissapointed in the movie since it appears a lot of it won't be involved.

:) Thank you very much for reading and commenting.

[dj_rocca]

I'm resisting the urge to hug you because you answered back so politely. I knew what you meant about Dev's complexion and did agree they could have done something but they were probably too lazy too. They just want to make us squint to see it. ;) But seriously your attitude on why this movie could fail is right but you're not shoving it down throats and you're being so kind!

[stillthere4me]

Aw, thanks. :) You just made me smile!

Yeah, I figure people tend to listen more when you're not being too angry. Too much anger can make a person just give up--especially if there is something they disagree with. Just explaining what you are dissapointed with makes people open to discussion on things they have a different opinion on. Or at least, that was my mindset when writing this. XD

[sifukatara]

I totally agree with mostly everything you said. When I first started watching the series, Mbryke did such a good job fleshing out the characters, you forgot it was on a network that was mostly geared towards kids. The show has such realistic situations and the characters are so realistic that it's hard to see it as a kids show. The fan base is so huge that it became something more than probably anyone expected. I still watch the show and I still love it as much now as I did when I first saw "The Waterbending Scroll." I'm not looking forward to this movie at all, but I might give it one chance. Also, I'm vi like Toph. I prefer to listen to episodes of ATLA rather than watch them with the little vision I have. I prefer to do it this way so I can see it more clearly without having to use my vision to do so. I get a better and clearer picture when i listen to them and it makes the show more real to me. I don't know if anyone else feels the same way.

[stillthere4me]

I agree. I still watch the show and am moved by it--some episodes especially are just so powerful. It's easy to forget sometimes that it's aimed towards kids.

That's amazing! Although the voice actors for the show are good enough that I can understand enjoying just listening to them too. :)

[sifukatara]

Definitely! Now of course i have seen episodes as much as I can and i have the characters physical features in my memory for when I listen to them, but other things I can just see without having to see the actual stuff. It's awesome and a lot of fun. I did it when I first saw "The Runaway" and it was incredible! Then when I saw it on TV as much as I could, I found most of my mind pictures matched the actual ones on the screen.

[stillthere4me]

"The Runaway" was a great episode! Toph is always awesome when she's given the spotlight.

And that really is incredible. :) Of course, I am now hearing Toph's speech about seeing with earthbending in my head. ^_^;

But really that's very cool. I suppose it's just like audiobooks? Still impressive though. :)

[aerodactylus]

Utter agreement from this Avatard. This movie has been on the wrong track from day one.

The thing about Zuko's scar has bugged me ever since the first pictures of him were released. The scar is a HUGE plot point in the series; if interpreted the right way it IS the reason Zuko is where he is. It's also the basis for a ton of character development. So all that being said, what reason did M. Night have for downplaying it so much? It's a core part of the character, and he just glossed over it.

[stillthere4me]

YES! I'm not the only one!! XD Almost everyone else I have brought this up to is like "okay, you're upset about THAT?" or "He still has the scar!", but THANK YOU FOR ALSO BEING BOTHERED AND UNDERSTANDING THE SIGNIFICANCE!!!

Zuko's scar is such a big part of who he is, for better for worse. It's how he sees himself, a reminder of his father's feelings and his outcast status, how others see him (because it is IMPOSSIBLE TO COVER UP), and helps to symbolize the duality of his nature. What they gave him in the movie basically looks like a black eye.

What's most infuriating is that, with all the other problems with the movie, this one could've been solved so easily with just a little more work in the make-up department--not need to reshoot or recast or rewrite or anything!!! It could've been so simple to fix! But apparantly Shyamalan didn't really know about the significance of the scar, or didn't care enough to risk making Dev look less pretty by working on it more. :(

[aerodactylus]

This from the man who claimed to be a huge fan of the show and OFFERED to direct the movie out of his own personal interest. Well...yeah.

[stillthere4me]

Yeah. As cynical as it sounds, I'm starting to think he might have been more of a fan of the series' fanbase, than the actual story. >:(