Airbender Update

It's been so long since I've been able to post something on my long-neglected Multiply blog, but something online just caught my eye, I simply had to relate it.

To all fans of the Nickelodeon hit, Avatar: the Last Airbender cartoon series, the teaser trailer for the live action movie has already been released. The trailer revealed several things about the movie itself. First, it's going to be released in the States in the summer of 2010. That means after the Philippine elections, there'll still be something worth looking forward to.

Next, the CG effects are sure to be spectacular for this movie. In the trailer, a hooded person (presumably Aang) is seen doing an elaborate kata in the midst of a circle of lit candles. As he swishes his hands, a swirl of dust rises to show his airbending. The last part of this scene shows the same hooded person picking up his stick and doing a final swish with his body that extinguishes all the candles in the room. He then takes off his hood to show the arrow tattoo on his head and a short glimpse of his face. The camera then cuts and zooms out as "Aang" airbends toward it. As the camera keeps on zooming out, it provides a panoramic view of an Air Temple set on a cliff. A further zooming out reveals a fleet of Fire Nation ships with cannonballs of fire flying from the bigger ships toward the Air Temple. One of the fireballs streaks toward the screen, segueing to the movie title.

But heck, it's one thing to read about it, it's another thing to watch it yourself. Thus, go to this link and be blown away.

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Incidentally, several newcomers as well as familiar personalities will be playing the main characters in the live action movie of The Last Airbender. Playing Aang is acting greenhorn and taekwondo expert, 11-year old Noah Ringer. I'm not that familiar with the girl playing waterbender Katara, though -- Nicola Peltz. However, perhaps the names Dev Patel and Jackson Rathbone may ring a bell. Dev Patel, of course, was the lead in the award-winning Slumdog Millionaire, and he will be taking on the role of the dark Fire Nation prince, Zuko. Meanwhile, those who swooned over the guys of Twilight will remember Jackson Rathbone who played the utterly creepy Jasper Hale. Rathbone will make a 360-degree turn and take on the role of the hilarious but fierce Water Tribe warrior-in-training, Sokka. There's no word yet about the girl who will be playing the heartless Fire Nation princess Azula, although if I were made to think of the perfect actress for the role, I'd give it to The Suite Life of Zack and Cody's Brenda Song. But then, I'm not the director, so...

I'm soooo looking forward to this movie. I hope that director M. Night Shyamalan would really do justice to this wonderful and spectacular cartoon series.