It’s a great initiator for those unfamiliar with Nickelodeon’s stunning animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender , upon which the movie is based. The TV show revolved around elemental messiah Aang and his friends, who are tasked with ending a world war between four nations that can summon the power of the elements.
Whereas earlier trailers for The Last Airbender movie, which hits theaters July 2 in 3-D, were soapier, this latest reel shows off the magnitude of those elemental martial arts, from mind-melting fire sheets to tidal waves.
The result is closer to The Lord of the Rings than it is to Avatar: The Last Airbender ‘s first season, which was epic and goofy in equal measure. That ought to put some serious butts in the seats. Which would be great for the talented but polarizing Shyamalan. His last two films, The Happening and Lady in the Water, struggled at the box office, while all of his work has labored beneath the shadow of his 1999 classic The Sixth Sense.
That unfair streak will likely come to an end with The Last Airbender. Airbending, waterbending, earthbending and firebending kick sensory ass in 2-D — in 3-D, they could shake up more than a few nervous systems.
Does this new trailer whet your appetite for Shyamalan’s big-screen version of the amazing animated series? Can The Last Airbender beat the nearly $300 million lifetime gross of The Sixth Sense and redeem the director’s good name? Bend us to your will in the comments section below.
