Based on the Nickelodeon anime show, Avatar:The Last Airbender, M. Night Shyamalan's live-action adaptation dropped part of its title, thanks to James Cameron's highly successful 3D blockbuster, Avatar. The name, a big budget, and the fact that it was a 3D film seem to be the only thing the two share in common though. Airbender, which used 3D as an afterthought and still hasn't broken even on its 150 million dollar budget, was universally panned by critics and viewers alike, especially by those familiar with the original TV program.

Not having seen the Nickelodeon show, I thought maybe a fresh set of eyes, and a respect for most of Shyamalan's films, might bring a new, more positive perspective. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

The plot goes something like this: Siblings Katara and Sokka live in a camp of a nomadic water tribe. The four elements of water, earth, fire, and air are the four nations represented in the film, and are all at war because the "avatar" has been missing for one hundred years, and he is the one who is supposed to bring peace and balance... A "chosen one" if you will. Somehow the brother and sister find a boy frozen in ice next to a large, strange beast. The boy, Aang, could be this avatar, but a firebender invasion quickly steals him away. After the villains find out who the boy may be, Aang easily escapes their grasp, thanks to a handy kite-staff which helps him hanglide to safety.

When Aang returns to Katara and Sokka, he decides to embrace his destiny as the avatar, and finish his training in controlling or "bending" the four elements, so he can defeat the firebenders and restore peace. This is the beginning of the film, and the exact point where Shyamalan loses me.

The confusing plot could be thanks to a lot of things, but I learned from IMDb that almost a half an hour was cut from the film because it was already running out of money. With $150,000,000 to spend, this film made me wonder where it all went. They certainly didn't spend the funds on actors. Aang, played by thirteen-year-old Noah Ringer, reminded me a lot of the kid who played Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I... in a bad way. Katara and Sokka's characters don't really play into the story much and are more cardboard cutouts than anything, and the only person who seems to emote onscreen is Prince Zuko, played by Dev Patel. What makes Patel want to go from an amazing role like he had in Slumdog Millionaire, to something like this is beyond me.

Okay, so we have bad actors, a weird premise, and add to that, some things that don't translate well from anime, like a Falcor the Luck Dragon-esque animal. The script doesn't help either, as the first time the kids see it, Katara exclaims "Whoa, this bison creature thing floats!" The confusing plotline struggles on as Aang trains and his eyes and tattoos glow every time he fights, and our heroes try to stand against the evil firebenders.

For a film with a successful base story, a big budget, and a very talented director, it should have been a lot better. There were a few positive things that stood out though, that didn't make my afternoon viewing a complete waste of time. Shot in Vietnam and Greenland, there were some breathtaking views, and coupled with some really well-done sets, the scenery was definitely worth watching. The other half of the budget must have gone to the fight scenes, and the special effects used in them. Though not revolutionary by today's standards, it was pretty cool to see the water and fire-bending, and Industrial Light and Magic had their hands full making that looking pretty realistic.