The Last Airbender

Rating: **

A film based on a Nickelodeon show,about people living in Air,Earth,Water,Fire kingdoms,some of whom have got the ability to “bend” those elements,and an Avatar who can do it all. Well,perhaps the only thing that can get you to the theatres is the fact that it was directed by Shyamalan and yes,it is 3-D.

However,the director who has been struggling to keep up with his initial promise,has nothing here that you may haven’t seen countless times before – in special effects,or otherwise. On top of it,the acting is amazingly sub-standard,starting with Patel,who snarls at every moving thing. Still,he can be ignored,unlike the brother of a waterbender who struggles to move at least one facial feature and is present in every scene.

The characters don’t grow,there are no moments that either thrill or chill,and the story keeps plodding on in some direction and then ends abruptly. Apparently,Shyamalan plans a sequel,throwing in his usual “twist” at the end. Here,it’s another sign of the desperation that pervades this attempt.