Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You Analysis and Review (Spoiler Alert)

"Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You" is the twentieth Pokemon movie. That's right, the twentieth. Find me a film series that goes as long as Pokemon of all things. There are also currently 20 seasons of the anime, with nearly 900 episodes at this point. Why has this show gone on for so long? In America, it kinda frizzled out, but in Japan it's still a monster franchise. There's been a new Pokemon film released every year since 1998, and for the franchise's 20th anniversary, OLM and Toho (the studios responsible for pushing out 20 damn years of Pokemon films) decided to go back to it's roots and explore what made the series work from the beginning in the first place: the relationship between Ash and Pikachu.
This new film "I Choose You" kinda works as a reboot of the Pokemon anime in an alternate universe. The title of the film is exactly the same as the very first episode: "I Choose You".
The film opened nationwide in Japan, but here in the United States and much of the rest of the world, it's getting a very limited release and even more limited showtimes. It's being distributed by Fathom Events which specializes in one or two nights events like performances of the Metropolitan Opera and sporting games so they can be viewed in movie theaters for the average schmoe. They also do the occasional anime release, like this film, and they're currently in the middle of re-releasing all of Hayao Miyazaki's films like Howl's Moving Castle coming up. I also attended some Fathom Events screenings of the first Naruto movie and the live action Death Note films. But regardless, Fathom Events had screenings of "Pokemon: I Choose You" for Sunday, November 5th at 1pm, then the next day Monday at 7pm. I went to the Monday show and it was packed. The turnout of the previous shows must've pressured them to add more showtimes, because they added two more for the following Saturday and Tuesday. On top of all that, Disney XD announced they will air the movie on November 25th. Don't let the quick TV airing take you away from the theatrical experience of this film, because it really was a wonderful experience seeing this in the theater. Most of the audience members were people like me in their twenties, people who grew up on the franchise and very few actual kids!

Ho-Oh drops his rainbow feather for Ash, setting the film's events into motion.

(By the way, I'm going to spoil a lot of the movie, so if you don't want spoilers you should know that I do recommend the movie if you are a Pokemon fan, especially a Gen 1 fan. This movie is catered to the nostalgic sensibilities of the very first fans of this series. A lot of the plot beats from season 1 are in here, like Ash first meeting Pikachu at Professor Oak's lab, then getting chased by a swarm of Spearows, finding a nursing a stray Charmander back to health, and Ash capturing a Caterpie and releasing it as a Butterfree when it falls in love with a pink one. It's easy to think just from that that it's just a "greatest hit" cliff notes of season 1, but the scriptwriters cleverly interweave a new story in between all these established events. It's a movie for every Pokemon fan, but if were there since the beginning as a kid, it'll do much more for you. Go see it.)

Sorrel and Verity, the replacements for Brock and Misty in this movie.

Ash defending Pikachu from an angry swarm of Spearows, reminiscent from the first episode of the series.

The film itself was marvelous. I saw it a full week ago and I still can't stop thinking about it. It was a loose retelling of some of the first season's most memorable moments along with an original story involving Ho-Oh and the Rainbow Feather. In the first episode of the anime, Ash and Pikachu saw an unidentified Pokemon that was later revealed in Pokemon lore to be Ho-Oh. Ash just saw Ho-Oh fly away in the distance, but what if something more happened? In this new movie, se
t in this alternate universe, Ho-Oh drops one of his feathers, the Rainbow Feather, for Ash and he sets about on a journey to find Ho-Oh and challenge him to a battle. Along the way, he befriends two new characters, a boy and a girl named Sorrel and Verity. Some of the old school fans of Pokemon were disappointed going in that Brock and Misty weren't going to be Ash's companions (and I'll admit I was one of them), but even before the movie started I was open for any new changes, and these two new characters, for me, left a far bigger impression than a new Brock or Misty ever would have.
Sorrel and Verity are still very similar to Brock and Misty in many ways. Sorrel, like Brock, had a rough upbringing, and Verity, like Misty, often felt left out and unimportant. Both characters have fleshed out backstories and character arcs, like Verity's strained relationship with her mother (who was revealed to be Cynthia from Diamond and Pearl), and Sorrel's struggle to befriend any Pokemon after the tragic death of his Luxray from his childhood (and that scene was a serious gut punch!) Sorrel's goal is to become a Pokemon professor and Verity just wants to prove to her mother how strong of a Pokemon trainer she really is. Both characters and their individual goals and motivations fit into Ash's goal of becoming a Pokemon master really well. I actually felt sad when they went their separate ways a the very end.

Cross, the main antagonist of the movie and Charmander's original trainer.

There's also a new character named Cross (his hair is shaped like an X, I'm not kidding), who's the main antagonist of the film. He was Charmander's old trainer, and just like a one-note character named Damien in the show, he abandons it for being too weak. I was surprised to see him as the main antagonist, because as a kid I always wanted to see an episode where Ash meets Damien again and beats him in a battle with his old Charmander that he abandoned. And that's exactly what happens here in this movie! Ash meets Cross many more times and at first loses to him with his evolved Charmeleon, but it later on evolves into Charizard and stomps on Cross's Pokemon. Cross believes in a "survival of the fittest" method of battling, and the only way to train your Pokemon is to toughen it up and be rough with little to no mercy. He doesn't believe in making friends with his Pokemon and only uses them to further his own goals. (I think many players of the games are guilty of his mindset). Ash, on the other hand, believes that trainers need to become friends with their Pokemon, and that is the only way to succeed and become a champion. He is proven to be right at the film's climax where it is his relationship and bond with Pikachu that ends up saving his life.

Ash saying goodbye to Butterfree in a moment that mimics the show.

Let's talk about the climax now, because this was something I noticed by reading other reviews that either made or broke the entire movie for people. Yes, the rumors are true: Pikachu actually talks in this movie! He only says one line in what was supposed to be a moving and emotional moment, but ended up only reducing the audience I was with to laughter. Ash made it to Ho-Oh's mountain, and Marshadow (a new Pokemon introduced for this movie from what I gathered) with his psychic power influences the other Pokemon to destroy the mountain and Ash and Pikachu on it. Ash wants Pikachu inside his Pokeball to keep him safe from everything happening, but Pikachu refuses to go in. Ash asks him why, to which Pikachu says "It's because I always want to be with you." Now, I think it's obvious that Pikachu didn't actually talk, Ash either hMewtwo Strikes Back when Ash turned to stone after being hit in the crossfire from Mew and Mewtwo's attacks.) But unlike Cross with his Pokemon, it's Ash's friendship with Pikachu that ends up reviving him and saving the day. Cross learns a valuable lesson, Ash meets and battles with Ho-Oh, and all is well.
ad a moment of understanding with Pikachu and knew exactly what he was telling him, or Ho-Oh was using some sort of psychic power on Ash. It really was a touching moment and this was right before Ash "dies" and Pikachu starts crying profusely while squeezing his hat (in a scene not unlike

Marshadow, who makes his franchise debut in this movie.

I forgot to mention Team Rocket in this movie. They are completely superfluous to everything going on in this movie, and they're only here for comic relief and fan service. They don't even make contact with Ash at all. It was still cool to see them again though, I have to admit.
So yeah, I had a great time watching this movie, and the big screen experience was great. It's so nice to see traditionally 2D animation in theaters again since CG animated films are now the norm. Not to say this movie didn't have any CGI at all, because it obviously does. But the animation in this movie was breathtaking in some spots and the big screen really made those moments shine all the more. Sweeping vistas and beautiful backgrounds and environments, it made me forget I was even in a theater watching a movie, I felt like I was in this world! That rarely ever happens to me.
So apparently in the Japanese release there was a post credits scene involving Giovanni and Mewtwo. Well, I stayed through the credits and there was nothing to be seen. I don't know if that was just a rumor or if they're keeping that scene for the DVD release or the TV airing, but the theatrical version of the American dub doesn't have this scene. If it's supposed to tease a sequel to this particular movie, I'm so down for that! I would love to see more stories in this new timeline. It's hard to tell what's next because up to this point all the Pokemon movies tied in to the anime. If they decide to make a new continuity for the movies and leave them and the show (which is still currently airing) separate, I think that'll be a wonderful decision.
But if not we still have that live action Detective Pikachu film to look forward to.

Death Note Japanese Live Action Movies Reviews.

With Netflix's Death Note premiering tomorrow, I decided to go back and review the Japanese live action movies. To my surprise, I discovered that a new one came out last year in Japan. So over the last week or so I watched all four movies and these are my thoughts:

-Death Note (2006). I really don't have too much to say about this one, since it's really half a movie. It isn't really a straight adaption of the manga, instead it kinda makes up it's own story, which is fine, but it's not the best one. This really feels like a set up movie in the way all these "Part 1" movies feels. Because it really is a "Part 1" movie. It ends on a cliffhanger but it ends in a way where, even though I didn't care too much for what I saw, I was still intrigued to see more. The actor playing L absolutely NAILS the role, he's incredible. The way the film sets up the Death Note in the opening scene was inspired, and really gets the audience sucked in immediately. I actually saw this in theaters when it was in limited release in America, and it was a full house. Having that big screen experience was still great even if the actual film itself felt lacking. I'll give it a solid Matinee. There's enough good stuff here to justify that.

-Death Note: The Last Name (2006). I legitimately love this film. I think it's nothing but exceptional. A HUGE improvement over the first film. It's 140 minutes long, but it's so tight and is constantly moving, that by the time it was over I was actually exhausted. It's filled with so much tension and emotion, and you actually get the sense that the director genuinely loves the material that he's adapting. It felt like THIS was the movie he wanted to make, but needed to make that first one to set it up properly. It's also really faithful to the manga compared to the first one, but also isn't afraid to take it's own liberties. I actually prefer the ending to this movie to the ending of the manga and anime. I really do. It's a Full Price for me. I enjoyed immensely and it's everything I wanted a Death Note film to be.

-L: Change the World (2008). I didn't care for this one too much. The story just seems so manufactured. The actor who plays L in these movies is a huge name in Japan, so it's no wonder why the studio wanted him to have his own movie. But that's my number one problem with this; it FEELS like a studio manufactured movie. But it's not completely without merit: once again, L nails his performance, the "ticking clock" in the form of "x amount of days L has left to live" really took a punch at you whenever it pops up, and the ending scene was absolutely incredible. I just wish the story was stronger. The pacing is slow as a snail and there's a shit ton of filler in it. I was honestly bored throughout most of it. I'll give it a Rental.

-Death Note: Light Up the New World (2016). If there were doubt that the L spinoff was studio manufactured, this one absolutely is. There's really no reason for this movie to be. The returning cast is great, but the new cast of characters are so one-note and thin. This movie plays more like a police drama than a Death Note movie, and not even a good one. But there are a few genuine twists I didn't see coming and the last act was a complete roller coaster. The movie is still too long for it's own good (over two hours), and it actually repeats some of the same plot threads as the other movies (characters actually acknowledge it too). It's not really a bad movie, but it's not that great either. You can probably skip it entirely. It leaves room for a sequel so we'll see where it goes. It's a Rental.

So I saw Bad Santa 2...

Pretty unremarkable film. Had some chuckles here and there. Didn't hate it, didn't love it. It was meh. The drink I had was pretty good, popcorn was tasty, and the piss I took after the movie was nice too.

The 2015 Reboot of Fantastic Four Left Me Very Confused.

I know absolutely nothing about the Fantastic Four, and after seeing this movie, I still don't think I do. I only vaguely remember the previous Tim Story directed films, and that's about it. I gotta say, for a property that prides itself as being "Marvel's First Family", the Fantastic Four doesn't seem to be as well regarded as, say, anything else Marvel cranks out. Heck, shortly before the release of this movie, Marvel canceled their current run of Fantastic Four comics, and the sales of that last issue only solidifies that decision. So what's the deal? Why is Fantastic Four so ill-regarded in the eyes of Marvel and it's fans? Is it because of the movies?

Maybe the comics are great, I don't know, but I certainly don't want to read them after not just one or two bad movies, but also a third one. And this version of the Fantastic Four is the most ill-received out of all of them, scoring a whooping 9% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to the low 20's and 30's percents the other two movies managed to get. (I'm purposely leaving the 1994 Roger Corman flick out of this because I haven't seen it, but if Fox really refuses to release it, then I think that says everything.)

This version of the Fantastic Four is by far the darkest in terms of tone and mood, but it is also the most lifeless and bland. At a scant 99 minutes, I was also expecting a tighter pace, but that was only wishful thinking. The first half of this movie is very slow; they don't even get their powers until about halfway through. Honestly, I actually kinda liked the first half for what it's worth. All the setup and introductions to our characters was very well done. We got to see what everyone does and how they contribute to the group, it just goes on for way too long, and the dialogue is simply atrocious. The second half is where the movie completely derails. The pacing is manic and relentless, as if the movie itself obtained the power of super speed and is making up for lost time spent on too much buildup. The final confrontation with Doctor Doom is over and done before I even knew it was happening. I still have no idea how they actually defeated him, he just kinda disappears. No doubt it's in the second half where Fox demanded most of the re-shoots take place.

Director Josh Trank blamed studio interference by Fox on the lackluster quality of the movie. Is that really true? Why did Fox demand re-shoots? I have a hard time believing the same studio that okays an R-rated Deadpool movie would have any problem with a decent Fantastic Four movie. But from what I've seen in the first half (albeit all it's problems), it looked like Trank had a good idea of what he wanted to do, but his behavior on set was reportedly awful. Was the pressure of a big studio project simply too much for him?

Whatever the case with this movie was, I think it's safe to assume that we will never see another Fantastic Four movie in theaters for a very very long time.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies- Extended Edition review

When news first broke out that Peter Jackson was going to turn his two-part film adaption of The Hobbit (a 300 page book at most- depending on what edition you have) into a trilogy, reception was mixed at best. I, for one, was excited in the prospect of seeing three more middle-earth movies. And now that all three films are out, still, reception is mixed at best. I know I'm in the minority (or the haters are a very vocal minority), but I really enjoyed the Hobbit trilogy. Sure, it fell into a lot of the same traps as that other prequel trilogy, but at the end of the day, I was satisfied with the end result. Did it need to be three movies? Probably not, but such is the way of things.

But when I heard that there were going to be extended editions of the Hobbit films, that's where I started to get suspicious. I love the first movie: An Unexpected Journey, but I couldn't fathom even one more minute being added into that film. Sure enough, the extended edition didn't too much for me. That's the only middle-earth film where I actually prefer the theatrical version. The new scene of toddler Bilbo meeting Gandalf for the first time was great, but I could've done without the Goblin King's song and nude dwarfs swimming in a fountain.

Desolation of Smaug's extended edition, however, was a vast improvement over the theatrical version (which I never was a big fan of). It included scenes more faithful to the book (the dwarfs introducing themselves to Beorn, and more scenes in Mirkwood like Bombur falling into the enchanted river), more scenes in Lake-Town that really fleshes it out more as a real place than just a set piece, and it's most significant inclusion was the character of Thrain. The entire sequence of Gandalf in Dol Guldur was completely re-edited to include that character, and it ultimately felt like a completely new movie with all the new footage and added backstory. I highly recommend it over the theatrical version.

And now we're at The Battle of the Five Armies. When I first saw this in the theater, something felt off about it. I could tell it was edited. Reportedly, "studio heads" got the best of Peter Jackson and the result was a film that just felt rushed and choppy. It was the lowest reviewed of the trilogy, just making the "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes with a 60%, and it was significantly shorter than the rest of the trilogy (144 minutes compared to 169 and 161 minutes respectively). News or a longer extended edition broke out before the theatrical version was even released. It was reported to have 30 extra minutes (which then became 20) and it was going to be rated R! I knew right then that this was going to be the definitive version of this film.

Let's get on with the review. The film begins immediately with Smaug's attack on Lake Town. I always thought it was jarring how it just jumps right in like that without an introduction, but I don't know how else to begin with the abrupt ending Desolation had. I noticed some quick new shots of Smaug noticing Bard on the rooftops and trying to knock him off. It was a nice inclusion to have the dragon see him as a threat, as opposed to the theatrical edition where he randomly turns around and just happens to see Bard on the bell tower. No idea why those shots were deleted in the first place though.

One thing that really got under my skin in this scene was the deletion of the thrush. I'm the very last person to complain about book-to-film changes, but this one really bothers me. In the book, Bilbo told the thrush where Smaug's weak spot was and told it to tell Bard. Omitting that takes away Bilbo's (the main character) involvement in killing Smaug (the main bad guy), which I thought was a complete betrayal to Bilbo's character development. Bard just noticing the blind spot on Smaug's body was just way too convenient. Regardless, this is still a very well done scene, and the absolute highlight of the trilogy.

Most of the new scenes are dedicated to the battle, but Dol Guldur has some significant changes. There's a whole new set piece of an orc trying to cut off Gandalf's hand to get his Ring. Galadriel shows up with her Ring and destroys the orc (and that's putting it lightly). This inclusion helps flesh out the backstory of the Rings of Power, and puts higher stakes on the scene itself.

Now on to the title battle. It feels much more fleshed out and focused than in the theatrical version. There's more hostility towards the dwarves and the elves, and they fight each other for a while before the orcs show up. When the orcs start pushing towards the mountain, and the dwarves try to push back against them, there's an added scene of suspense where the elves debate whether to help them or not. This help to flesh out the character traits of the elves and their change of heart to help the dwarves fight back. The battle also has some new one-off shots of brutal hits and kills as well, solidifying it's new R rating. When the 13 dwarves finally come out from hiding and fight, there are new scenes of them working together as a team to (creatively) kill some orcs. I wish these scenes would've stayed in the original version, as it helps develop these dwarves as individual characters.

The funeral scene.

But it's in the new chariot scene where the film earns it's new rating. To start off, the chariot wheels have spikes on them, which easily slices and cuts down anyone unfortunate enough to stand in it's way. Six trolls are decapitated simultaneously with blood gushing everywhere. A warg's head gets crushed later on down the road, and a few more heads gets sliced off. It's this scene alone that gives the new version of the film the R rating, and I'm glad WB decided to go through with the rating instead of dumming it down.

For the Alfred haters out there, rejoice! He gets a death scene! He accidentally gets catapulted into a troll's open mouth and crushed by the impact of the ground. It's a great scene, but it unfittingly feels like it's being played out for laughs (or maybe that was just me...)

The absolute MAJOR inclusion was the funeral scene for Thorin, Kili, and Fili. Why this wasn't in the original cut I have no idea. Because it was originally taken out, I thought it was going to be this elaborate 7-minute or so sequence, but it was only 2 minutes! So it baffles me why it was deleted from the final cut. (For pacing reasons Peter Jackson said in his commentary). It makes me feel like some scenes like this were deliberately deleted just for the sake of having an extended cut. Hell, the extended runtime for this (164 minutes) doesn't even surpass the theatrical length of An Unexpected Journey (169 minutes). Regardless, this is a very well done scene and it's hard not to get teary-eyed watching it.

Overall, I thought this extended edition was a vast improvement over the theatrical version, and that goes for The Desolation of Smaug as well. I really enjoyed the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy quite a bit, but I've always went back to the theatrical versions on later viewings. That won't be the case for this trilogy. The bonus features for each extended edition release always had over 9 hours of extensive behind-the-scenes features and this one is no exception. A commentary track is included with Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens. It makes me wonder when it was recorded because Jackson talks about Christopher Lee as if he's still alive, and he never mentioned the R rating. The commentary tracks for the Hobbit trilogy are definitely worth listening to, especially The Desolation of Smaug.

This version of The Battle of the Five Armies is the definitive version of the film and the one that feels more complete. It's a real shame that this isn't the version the common audience member will see. People might dismiss the extended editions of The Hobbit because those films were stretched out thin to begin with (their words not mine), but I'd say that they're missing out quite a bit.

In (Partial) Defense of The Last Airbender.

Back in the summer of 2010, a little film was released: a live action adaption of the highly acclaimed animated series "Avatar: The Last Airbender". Never has there been a film since probably The Phantom Menace that spewed all sorts of controversy. The acting was horrible, the writing was beyond lazy, the pacing was awkward, the cinematography was wretched, I could go on. Never mind the "racebending" movement it spawned for it's all white cast for what were supposed to be ethically diverse characters. The movie's terrible to say the least. Like so many other fans of the original Nickelodeon show, I was anticipating this movie. I wasn't familiar with director M. Night's Shyamalan's other work at the time, but I knew that people weren't that receptive to his movies for a while. So yes, this was my first Shyamalan movie.

Opening day, first weekend of July 2010, was when I saw the movie. I looked at some of the reviews, which were all negative, but just brushed them off. I was optimistic for this movie. Sure, another anime-to-live action movie called Dragonball Evolution came out the previous year with similar disdain, but Avatar: The Last Airbender is different. It has a wide range of fully developed and relatable characters, an exciting storyline, stunning animation, and lots of heart and soul. It's obvious that Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko spent a lot of time developing and fine-crafting their own world for the masses to get lost in. The show has a strong fanbase, and it even won an emmy or two! There was just no way a live-action big-budgted summer blockbuster based on this material would be anything less than amazing. Even though Shyamalan's recent track record with The Village, The Lady in the Water, and The Happening were anything but ideal to say the least, people still believed (like Katara believing the Avatar would return after 100 years of turmoil) that if anything would to get the once-acclaimed director of The Sixth Sense and Signs back on track, The Last Airbender would be it.

My first red flag flew before the movie even began. I went to a 2pm matinee show, and the previous show was just wrapping up when I arrived. The theater manager and two other employees walked out of the movie just shaking their heads and saying "that was just terrible.", almost mimicking the end of the "Ember Island Players" episode. Since I already got my ticket and popcorn, I knew I was in for it now. The theater was respectively full. People in the audience ranged from age 6 to 60. It really showed me the wide range of the audience for the show, as opposed to the all-female audience for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse which opened on the same day. My first impression of the movie was...spotty to say the least. I believe I went through what they call "fan denial". I actually saw it twice in theaters to make sure I can form a proper opinion on it. (It was part of a double feature with Dinner With Schmucks at a drive-in theater, the last time I ever went to one since). It was obvious to me the second time around that it wasn't as good as the show, but I didn't actually flat-out hate it. It wasn't until the third time I saw it at home years later when I finally said "Wow...what a piece of garbage!"

The Airbender arrow design for the movie.

I mean really! It's horrible. My fan denial is gone now. The acting is just wretched. The cinematography...dear God! The Earthbending scene? There's no way a big name director like M. Night Shyamalan could've been involved in making that scene! The pacing? In my opinion, that's the biggest sin this movie has. For starters, they covered an entire season in only an hour and 43 minutes (a little over 90 if you don't count the credits. There's no time for the viewer to breathe or take in anything that's going on. If someone who was unfamiliar with the show saw this, I don't even know if they'd be able to understand the story. It moves at such a pace to make you believe you accidentally pushed the fast forward button on your remote. If they wanted to do the series justice, they should've had a running time of at least 2 1/2 hours. But that's also a double-edged sword, as I wouldn't want this particular version of Avatar to go on for any longer than it did.

But, despite it's laundry list of problems, I actually found some things to like in this movie (I have seen it more times than I care to admit...). For starters, I love the set and prop design. It genuinely looks like the show. The Fire Lord's palace looks breathtaking. It got to the point where I stopped pay attention to anything going on (which I'm sure most people did) and just marveled around at the design. The Northern Water Tribe city looks pretty damn good as well. The costumes look great (despite Princess Yue's unfortunate hairstyle from behind- if you'd seen this movie, you know what I mean).Aang's arrow tattoo is also something I really liked. Instead of going for the standard purple from the show, the artists involved with the movie actually took the time to redesign the arrow with all sorts of creative lines and shapes around it. So well done on that!

Another thing I really enjoyed was the score by James Newton Howard. I genuinely believe that the score from the movie is better than the score from the show. "Flow Like Water" is such a fantastic and emotional piece of music, and it's a real shame that the music is mostly ignored because of the film's negative reception. I actually own the physical CD and listen to it all the time.

The costume and set design is quite exceptional.

Believe it or not, I also found some things to like in the story structure. For example, when Aang, Katara, and Sokka first arrive at the Southern Air Temple, Aang's original home, it felt more fitting to have him find out he was frozen for 100 years while he was there. In the show, it didn't make much sense to me that Aang finds out that he was frozen in the iceberg for 100 years, then expects to go to the Air Temple with all his friends and family still alive. Even if the Fire Nation hadn't wiped them out, old age surely would of. Also, and this is a very small point, towards the end during Zuko's and Aang's climatic fight, Aang froze him in ice, almost the same way he was, which I think further cements the similarities between these two characters in a fairly subtle way.

Also, the deleted scenes on the DVD were really fun to watch, and it baffles me why they couldn't be in the movie. There was a scene where Aang visits a fortuneteller, and it plays out in such a way that I believed they actually ripped it from the show itself. It had the same quirky and fun sense of humor that the source material was all about. It tells me that Shyamalan actually had some sort of idea of what to do with this material. Shame it was deleted.

But I soon realized that all the good things in the movie is almost everything that Shyamalan wasn't involved in, or played little part in creating. It's still, by definition of a film making standpoint, a very horrible movie. Even the few things good about it still don't compare to the stilted acting, clumsy writing, poor camera movement, and relentless pacing. It was supposed to be the first part of a trilogy of films, one film per season, but I think at this point the possibility of a sequel is dead. Even if the film was a rip-roaring success, making a sequel to a movie that came out over five years ago would be a mistake. One of the biggest mistakes with this film was it's timing. It was just too soon for a movie based on Avatar: The Last Airbender to be made. At the time of release, the show only ended two years before, and premiered three years before that. Maybe it'll be rebooted in a decade or two, with a director that was only a kid when the series was at it's tip of popularity. Or maybe it should just remain as a TV series. Only time will tell.