'The Last Airbender'

Release Date: July 18
Starring: Jackson Rathbone, Cliff Curtis, Dev Patel

“The Last Airbender” is a fantasy epic adapted from the Nickelodeon cartoon “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” With M. Night Shyamalan writing and directing, it’s hard to see how this project could go wrong.

The story is set in a fantasy world where various tribes have learned to manipulate, or “bend,” the elements. When the Fire Nation attempts to take over the world, the only hope lies with Aang, the last of the Airbending tribe, who has the power to bend all four elements to his will.

Shyamalan is more than a capable director; he can be downright brilliant when he isn’t writing his own story. Adapting an existing work will go a long way toward avoiding the problems that have plagued his last few films. His “Lady in the Water” is a great example of a fantasy tale well-directed, even though the story fell a little flat.

Also encouraging is his use of real children for the roles. I can’t tell you how tired I am of Hollywood turning every 13-year-old into an 18-year-old played by a 25-year-old. The effects look great, with the “bending” providing ample opportunity for stunning visuals.
The trailers feel truly epic, the story is intriguing, and it looks like the start of a solid trilogy. The film seems like it will successfully target the sort of tone and audience that failures like “Dragonball,” “Eragon” and “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” strived for but fell short of. Can “Airbender” go the distance? I think so.

HYPE: 5
EXPECTED QUALITY: 8.5