Several of my friends an I met for dinner. We wanted to see a terrible movie that would probably have an empty theater. As we are all fans of the original series, it was decided that we would go to see The Last Airbender. (There may have been some discussion of bending in the aisles of the theater was empty. I roll with a cool crowd, obviously.)
I can report that the film was horrible. If I hadn't watched the cartoon, I would have been completely lost. I'll seek to answer some questions about the movie in this post. Feel free to respond with any questions you might have.
1. Why does the Fire Nation hate everyone?
The royal house of the Fire Nation is known for its crazy. It all begins with Fire Lord Sozin and continues to Azula, princess of the Fire Nation. They decided to start grabbing for land and resources. Avatar Roku died twelve years before the War began. Aang was twelve when Fire Lord Sozin started the War. It is traditional not to inform the Avatar that they are indeed the Avatar until they are in their teens, but the onset of the War prompted the monks to act. When Aang found out he was the Avatar, he ran away, leading to the Aang-sicle we are introduced to in the beginning of the film.
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Aang likes avoiding responsibility.
The Fire Nation wants to catch the Avatar to prevent him from doing his job. If they hold on to him and destroy the Water Tribe, then the next Avatar will be a Fire Bender. No word on their plans for the Earth Kingdom, but they've got 100+ years to work on that contingency plan.
2. Why is Katara the only waterbender in the Southern Tribe?
Fuck if I know. We never get a good explanation for this in the tv series, though it is probably because the Fire Nation culled the waterbenders from their tribe and bending ability is a genetic trait.
3.Why are Sokka and Katara white?
Because the studio or M. Night decided that films starring people who aren't white aren't bankable.
4. Why can't the Avatar have a family?
I really have no answer for this one. Canon says that Avatar Roku is Zuko's great grandfather. Roku's marriage is even featured in an episode. No one says shit to him about having a family.
In the tv series, Aang is understandably vexed by the weight of the responsibility of being the Avatar. He's only a young boy, and the pressure is intense. When he fails at anything or anyone gets hurt, it grades on him. I don't know why they tweaked his motivation in the film.
5. What is Appa?
Appa is an air bison. The Air Nomads rode them.
6. What the crap is with the dragon?
I can only assume that Aang is going into what is called 'the Avatar state'. It is a sort of spiritual plain where he can seek out the advice of previous Avatars. The dragon is a stand in for Avatar Roku, the last Avatar before Aang.
7. Who are these women? They are on posters and on my Happy Meal toys, but not in the movie!
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Let's not get into the fact that their makeup looks like it was done by drunk clowns.
Those are the Kyoshi Warriors. They are a group of all female fighters who kick ass and take names. Suki, their leader, is an important character in the rest of the series. M. Night claims that he loved them too much and that they will be in the next film. It seems to me that he just didn't want girls kicking ass.
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Also prohibited from kicking ass: Katara.
8. What is with Ba Sing Se? They said that name like 1000 times.
Ba Sing Se is the capital of the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation attempted to seize it in a 100 day siege about a decade before this movie takes place. Iroh was the first in line for the throne at the time and considered by all to be a great military strategist. Luzon, his only son, was killed during the siege. Iroh had a nervous breakdown and retreated, resulting in a major loss for the Fire Nation.
Look for the Gaang to travel to Ba Sing Se in the next film.
9. What is Zuko's malfunction?
![]()
He only wants to be loved.
Take your pick. His father disfigured and disowned him. His sister is batshit crazy. His grandfather ordered him killed. His mother, the only person in his family aside from his uncle Iroh who loved Zuko, disappeared into thin air without a warning to him. The boy is just trying to get back his honor. Zuko can't make his family love him, but he can regain his honor. If M. Night is faithful to the resource material, Zuko will become just as important of a hero/anti-hero as Aang. As Iroh said, their destinies are connected.
![]()
I will die a happy woman if they make Dev Patel's Zuko do this.
10. Who was that girl in the last scene?
Her name is Azula. She is Zuko's sister and the heir apparent to the Fire Nation throne. She is certifiably crazy and possibly more evil than her father.
11. Why three years?
The television series only covers about 8-10 months. It was probably changed to three years for the films because you can't make child actors stay young, no matter how much you pay them.
12. What is with the annoying voiceover?
M. Night couldn't find a way to show, not tell. Katara narrates the opening in the tv series, but nothing else.
13. The names...
I doubt that anyone involved with this film ever watched the tv show.
14. Why is Sokka even there?
In the film? To mack on the ladies. He is the only sane man and the comic relief of the tv series.
15. Why should a see the next film?
![]()
I don't know where this is from, but it speaks the truth.
I can't really give you a good reason. It'll still be terrible, racist, and unintelligible.
16. Is there anything that would dissolve my hatred for this movie?
Apart from watching the actual series? I would recommend watching Avatar Abridged. If you can make it past the PMS jokes, it is quite entertaining.
Suggested watching list if you are familiar with the series
School Time Shipping This is one of three shorts made by Nickelodeon. All of the characters are chibi and it is set in a school AU.
Avatar: The Last Puppetbender--Hot Air Zuko, Sokka, and Aang have a misunderstanding. This short recognizes the sexism in the marketing of tie-ins.
The Adventures of Cabbage Man: Buying a New Hat Cabbage man is a cabbage merchant in the animated series who reappears. The Gaang is constantly destroying his precious crop. He tries to escape them, but they keep showing up and smashing his leafy green bounty.
No Avatar for Old Men Avatar clips remixed to make a trailer for No Country for Old Men.
West Side Story as preformed by the Avatar cast
I can report that the film was horrible. If I hadn't watched the cartoon, I would have been completely lost. I'll seek to answer some questions about the movie in this post. Feel free to respond with any questions you might have.
1. Why does the Fire Nation hate everyone?
The royal house of the Fire Nation is known for its crazy. It all begins with Fire Lord Sozin and continues to Azula, princess of the Fire Nation. They decided to start grabbing for land and resources. Avatar Roku died twelve years before the War began. Aang was twelve when Fire Lord Sozin started the War. It is traditional not to inform the Avatar that they are indeed the Avatar until they are in their teens, but the onset of the War prompted the monks to act. When Aang found out he was the Avatar, he ran away, leading to the Aang-sicle we are introduced to in the beginning of the film.
Aang likes avoiding responsibility.
The Fire Nation wants to catch the Avatar to prevent him from doing his job. If they hold on to him and destroy the Water Tribe, then the next Avatar will be a Fire Bender. No word on their plans for the Earth Kingdom, but they've got 100+ years to work on that contingency plan.
2. Why is Katara the only waterbender in the Southern Tribe?
Fuck if I know. We never get a good explanation for this in the tv series, though it is probably because the Fire Nation culled the waterbenders from their tribe and bending ability is a genetic trait.
3.Why are Sokka and Katara white?
Because the studio or M. Night decided that films starring people who aren't white aren't bankable.
4. Why can't the Avatar have a family?
I really have no answer for this one. Canon says that Avatar Roku is Zuko's great grandfather. Roku's marriage is even featured in an episode. No one says shit to him about having a family.
In the tv series, Aang is understandably vexed by the weight of the responsibility of being the Avatar. He's only a young boy, and the pressure is intense. When he fails at anything or anyone gets hurt, it grades on him. I don't know why they tweaked his motivation in the film.
5. What is Appa?
Appa is an air bison. The Air Nomads rode them.
6. What the crap is with the dragon?
I can only assume that Aang is going into what is called 'the Avatar state'. It is a sort of spiritual plain where he can seek out the advice of previous Avatars. The dragon is a stand in for Avatar Roku, the last Avatar before Aang.
7. Who are these women? They are on posters and on my Happy Meal toys, but not in the movie!
Let's not get into the fact that their makeup looks like it was done by drunk clowns.
Those are the Kyoshi Warriors. They are a group of all female fighters who kick ass and take names. Suki, their leader, is an important character in the rest of the series. M. Night claims that he loved them too much and that they will be in the next film. It seems to me that he just didn't want girls kicking ass.
Also prohibited from kicking ass: Katara.
8. What is with Ba Sing Se? They said that name like 1000 times.
Ba Sing Se is the capital of the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation attempted to seize it in a 100 day siege about a decade before this movie takes place. Iroh was the first in line for the throne at the time and considered by all to be a great military strategist. Luzon, his only son, was killed during the siege. Iroh had a nervous breakdown and retreated, resulting in a major loss for the Fire Nation.
Look for the Gaang to travel to Ba Sing Se in the next film.
9. What is Zuko's malfunction?
He only wants to be loved.
Take your pick. His father disfigured and disowned him. His sister is batshit crazy. His grandfather ordered him killed. His mother, the only person in his family aside from his uncle Iroh who loved Zuko, disappeared into thin air without a warning to him. The boy is just trying to get back his honor. Zuko can't make his family love him, but he can regain his honor. If M. Night is faithful to the resource material, Zuko will become just as important of a hero/anti-hero as Aang. As Iroh said, their destinies are connected.
I will die a happy woman if they make Dev Patel's Zuko do this.
10. Who was that girl in the last scene?
Her name is Azula. She is Zuko's sister and the heir apparent to the Fire Nation throne. She is certifiably crazy and possibly more evil than her father.
11. Why three years?
The television series only covers about 8-10 months. It was probably changed to three years for the films because you can't make child actors stay young, no matter how much you pay them.
12. What is with the annoying voiceover?
M. Night couldn't find a way to show, not tell. Katara narrates the opening in the tv series, but nothing else.
13. The names...
I doubt that anyone involved with this film ever watched the tv show.
14. Why is Sokka even there?
In the film? To mack on the ladies. He is the only sane man and the comic relief of the tv series.
15. Why should a see the next film?
I don't know where this is from, but it speaks the truth.
I can't really give you a good reason. It'll still be terrible, racist, and unintelligible.
16. Is there anything that would dissolve my hatred for this movie?
Apart from watching the actual series? I would recommend watching Avatar Abridged. If you can make it past the PMS jokes, it is quite entertaining.
Suggested watching list if you are familiar with the series
School Time Shipping This is one of three shorts made by Nickelodeon. All of the characters are chibi and it is set in a school AU.
Avatar: The Last Puppetbender--Hot Air Zuko, Sokka, and Aang have a misunderstanding. This short recognizes the sexism in the marketing of tie-ins.
The Adventures of Cabbage Man: Buying a New Hat Cabbage man is a cabbage merchant in the animated series who reappears. The Gaang is constantly destroying his precious crop. He tries to escape them, but they keep showing up and smashing his leafy green bounty.
No Avatar for Old Men Avatar clips remixed to make a trailer for No Country for Old Men.
West Side Story as preformed by the Avatar cast