Roger Ebert on 'The Last Airbender': Phony 3-D at its worst

It's no secret that Roger Ebert hates 3-D movies. The dean of America film critics took to the pages of Newsweek recently to make his case, calling 3-D "a waste of a perfectly good dimension." It has also dawned on Ebert, as it has others of us, why Hollywood studios have been falling over each other to convert their films into 3-D, even when it was something of an act of artistic suicide, as with the awful-looking "Clash of the Titans." As Ebert put it, the studios' mania for 3-D "is driven largely to sell expensive projection equipment and add a $5 to $7.50 surcharge on already expensive movie tickets."

So I guess it's not a surprise to see Ebert come out swinging again in his new review of M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender," which opens at theaters around the country Friday. The film, based on a popular Nickelodeon TV series, takes place in a dystopian future when man survives only in the form of beings endowed with magical powers that enable them to control air, earth, water and fire. (Dev Patel, pictured here, plays Prince Zuko.) Ebert ends his review by saying that he hopes the film's title will prove to be prophetic, but not before taking a whipping stick to the whole misguided project, especially its quasi-3-D elements. You can read the whole review here, but this is the core of Ebert's brief against the film:

" 'The Last Airbender' is an agonizing experience in every category I can think of and others still waiting to be invented. The laws of chance suggest that something should have gone right. Not here. It puts a nail in the coffin of low-rent 3D, but it will need a lot more coffins than that. Let's start with the 3D, which was added as an afterthought to a 2D movie. Not only is it unexploited, unnecessary and hardly noticeable, but it's a disaster even if you like 3D. M. Night Shyamalan's retrofit produces the drabbest, darkest, dingiest movie of any sort I've seen in years. You know something is wrong when the screen is filled with flames that have the vibrancy of faded Polaroids. It's a known fact that 3D causes a measurable decrease in perceived brightness, but "Airbender" looks like it was filmed with a dirty sheet over the lens.

Ebert isn't alone on this one. "Airbender" currently has earned an abysmal 6 at Rotten Tomatoes, which if that number holds could make it the worst-reviewed major studio film of the year. The critics have dinged it for its incomprehensible plot, laughable dialogue and -- oh yes -- horrible 3-D effects. My favorite jab came from the Detroit News' Tom Long, who got so worked up about the film's general overall stupidity that he said the picture looked as if it "could have been made by the spoiled son of a studio mogul willing to waste gobs of money."

We'll see what audiences think, but I fear that this cheesy attempt to exploit higher 3-D ticket prices will only put another nail in the 3-D coffin by generating even more public cynicism (or justifiable skepticism) about the real motives behind the 3-D revolution. Either way, the film represents another critical drubbing for Shyamalan, whose stock has continued to plummet after the phenomenal success of "The Sixth Sense," which is looking more and more like a flukish bolt of inspiration from a Hollywood hack, not a polished gem from a game-changing filmmaker.

Photo: Dev Patel at the premiere of "The Last Airbender" in New York earlier this week.

Credit: Peter Kramer / Associated Press

Comments

[Javan Childs]

This is by far the worse movie I have ever seen. Shyamalan is a crook for making such a disaster and owes everyone who has been a fan of this cartoon and all who could have become fans if the movie was worth a pot to piss in, an apology as well as a refund. If Shyamalan had actually done his research properly he at least would have pronounced the characters names correctly. He is worse than a student director, he left major characters out the movie that will have a huge part in book 2 and book 3; I am praying that there are no sequel or trilogy plans. This is easily worse than other disaster movies such as Street Fighter and Dragonball Z. Shyamalan road the success of the cartoon to steal millions of dollars from fans. He deserved to be tortured by being made to watch this film that he made over and over. He ruined any future gigs for these kids that he had to pose as actors.

[beecozz]

It is sad that the producers of this movie and the creators of the Avatar: The Last Airbender allowed this great story, and potentially great trilogy, to be hacked to pieces by a so called "gifted" director.
Told right, this story could have been HUGE at the box office and gained a new following of fans!!!
It's really a rip off for Noah Ringer, as Aang is his soul mate!!!
If another segment of the story is made, FIRE Shyamalan!!!
Get Peter Jackson to direct it!!!
NO BRAINER!!!

[A. Kendrick]

I can't believe that I waited in anticipation and took a day of vacation for this! This is the worst portrayal of one of the best cartoons of all times. The creators of Avatar, the Last Airbender should be angered at Shyamalan's lack of creativity and insight. Though I purchased every dvd collection of the cartoon the week of its release, I DO NOT plan to pay another penny to see the other books that are slated for release on the big screen unless there is a new director with a true knowledge of this awesome story design. No one was excited or talking when they left the theater. There was just an embarrassing silence as you looked at the other fools who like me, paid to watch this movie. Please, please don't continue this downward spiral for the remaining books! Stop the madness.

[R. Fenster]

I got to say, this movie is nowhere near as bad as the critics are making it out to be (or way better than the collective 5% it's pulling on RT) . Definitely can be more appreciated by fans of the show and though the film is far from being excellent, I would say it's a 6/10 and I didn't shell out the cash for the 3-D. It is worth a look.

[Gary]

They should have cast an Asian kid instead of one that looks two weeks shy of his bar mitzvah.

[Arthouse64]

Well, Mr. Goldstein you focused plenty on the 3D which I agree with Ebert on but you conveniently left out Ebert's criticism of changing the race of the characters which has been a huge issue for over a year.
"His first inexplicable mistake was to change the races of the leading characters; on television Aang was clearly Asian, and so were Katara and Sokka, with perhaps Mongolian and Inuit genes. Here they're all whites. This casting makes no sense because (1) It's a distraction for fans of the hugely popular TV series, and (2) all three actors are pretty bad. I don't say they're untalented, I say they've been poorly served by Shyamalan and the script. They are bland, stiff, awkward and unconvincing."
Roger Ebert

[Rodriguez]

It seems Shyamalan should save his biggest apology for his 7-year old daughter. Because she was the one who got him "hooked" on the carton. Shyamalan said his daughter made them watch as a family, and he thought "this would make a killer movie". But apparently not with him as the director.

I don't see how Shyamalan can recover from this. His reputation was already tainted with a string of duds - the mere mention of his name associated with a movie in production, was enough to doubt the success of the project. And now he's taken this very prominent project -with all the money behind it- and, it seems, he's lived up to his beleaguered reputation.

Next time his name comes up attached to a movie, it's a safe bet it'll be a dud -- and what movie studio will be willing to bet against such proven odds?

[Sheldon]

While I agree that Shyamalan's stock has plunged steadily over the years [the man should not be allowed to make another movie. full stop.] he gave us more than just The Sixth Sense. A lot of movie buffs - and critics for that matter - think Unbreakable was his best film and that Signs was pretty decent.

And, as bad as The Last Airbender might be, it's not as bad Lady in the Water. Really.

But MNS should probably quit now. It would be for the best.

[Randy]

WOW. I was excited to watch the movie... but it sounds like mnight shamala ruined it!. the 3 d was an afterthought? i saw clash of the titans and will not sit through that horrible 3d again!!!!! im not wtching this movie!!1 PROTEST!!!.

[Roberta Rojas]

WOW! THIS MOVIE IS NOT AS BAD AS THE CRITICS ARE MAKING IT! MY NEPHEWS & I LOVED IT! THE STORY WAS GREAT & WE CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE!