Not being a huge fan of director M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, The Lady In The Water) or his oversized ego, all too often advertised in his films, I was intrigued when I first heard that he decided to write the screenplay and direct this film. Surprisingly, Shyamalan does a very good job balancing the special effects laden film while getting the story across for children as well as adults that is not "dumbed down".
The screenplay closely follows the events of the three-season show of a few years ago, even having the voices of some of the animals spoken by the same people who originally brought them to life.
The cast of The Last Airbender competently creates a believable world for the viewers, for the most part. Falling short of the standard set by his co-cast is Ringer, making him a poor choice for Aaang.
If you are considering whether should see The Last Airbender in 3D, choose no. The Last Airbender uses the same unrealistic postproduction 3D technology as Clash of the Titans and Alice in Wonderland.
If you want to see a movie this 4th of July weekend, The Last Airbender is highly recommended. It definitely has something for everyone to enjoy. If you like it, see it twice, and hopefully it will make enough money to warrant producing the remainder of the trilogy.
