The Last Airbender Review by DC Tauntaun

This review is made up of three parts. First, this film is geared for a younger crowd. Younger meaning 8 to 14 (even though the core of fans ranges from 8 to 30). So an older crowd is going to find multiple flaws. Second, this film is short. The TV series is 20 episodes. So there is a major gap in the transition that will find the fan of the TV series disappointed. A whole lot of information is crammed into an hour and 43 minutes. Third, The 3-D actually makes a positive difference if you're already going to see this film.

So do not expect this film to wow you. But to be fair, it does have a "cool" factor to it. The ideas around the story and the characters is the main reason it has such a strong following to the TV series. It is too bad that so much of the story is lost in the shorter timespan. There is really no way Shyamalan was going to reach the expectations of the TV show in a 103 minute film. You will see that the transitions are very quick and he has to grow up real fast and learn how to bend water in a time frame that leaves a lot of holes. This results in anyone who is a fan, to be disappointed. On the flip side I knew nothing about the TV series and found I was able to look past the films faults more and enjoy the "cool" factor more. I did see the 3-D version with a large crowd. That crowd was easier on the film than the 2-D crowd which did not like it at all. This speaks loudly that the 3-D does make an impact in the viewing experience of this film. I thought the 3-D added to the "cool" powers and "bending" of the elements. It's obvious it wasn't filmed in 3-D so there are irrelevent moments of 3-D usage, but when it came to teh fight and flying scenes, it did add to the experience.

So although the film itself is flawed and will be flogged by die hard fans, if you're not familiar with the story but enjoy fantasy, you'll find the film to be "cool" and intriguing to an extent. If you're a fan of the TV series, accept the fact it's length is going to detract, and you'll find you can let some things slip by and enjoy the concept in live action with good special effects. Critically panned, it won't break any records, but it's also not nearly as horrible as some of them are making it out to be. Look through the eyes of a 10 year old and you will see what I mean.