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Avatar: The Last Airbender - Page 2

post #51 of 129
6/10/10 at 8:30pm
Thread Starter 
Naw... in the Avatar universe, you do acupuncture with porcupines. PAY ATTENTION!
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post #52 of 129
6/10/10 at 8:33pm
Perhaps Firelord Pointy Rock Acupuncture was the last key to unlock Super Level 12 Avatar. You'd have to know how to read subtext.
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post #53 of 129
6/10/10 at 8:36pm
Thread Starter 
Naw... Super Level 12 Avatar would suddenly grow lots of hair, lose his eyebrows, get superbuff with macho chesthair.

Must keep pondering on this...
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post #54 of 129
6/10/10 at 8:42pm
Are you sure you aren't thinking of the Fusionbender technique? I'm getting confused.
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post #55 of 129
6/10/10 at 8:48pm
Thread Starter 
Or was it through magical earring-bending?

Or maybe a cheat code in the video game version!?

Anyway, Chris asked about favorite characters before. I'd have to go with Sokka in terms of pure enjoyment mixed with reasonable depth. And then probably Zuko because his arc is the most moving and extreme despite the fact that he started off kinda dull and one-note at the beginning. Definitely his Uncle Iroh as well for how solid he is as a decent man who is also a badass. I really do enjoy almost all of the characters though.

Reading an Avatar-focused message board, it seems like the season 1 episode, The Great Divide, is generally disliked. I actually enjoyed that one. I liked that peace was achieved through a ridiculous lie.
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post #56 of 129
6/10/10 at 8:53pm
I love Toph, because preying mantis kicks major ass. Also Momo, because a lot of my favorite "little" moments involved him.
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post #57 of 129
6/10/10 at 8:56pm
Thread Starter 
Aang hallucinating a samurai sword clash between Momo and Appa was some goofy fun.
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post #58 of 129
6/10/10 at 9:17pm
My favorite Momo moment I can think of this second is when The Gang is practicing for combat with Ozai (with Melon Lord!). Sokka cuts off his head at the end to dramatic music, and in the background Momo scurries up to eat Melon Lord's brains. I know I'm basically just a child, because I thought that was hilarious.
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post #59 of 129
6/10/10 at 9:45pm
I liked it when Sokka was trying to scare Aang into the Avatar state, and he stuck Momo's head through his collar, pretending Momo's head was his own. Lame but it cracked me up.

Slightly unrelated funny moment: Sokka's entire "cactus-tripping" sequence in the desert episode; "Who set Toph on fire?!?!"
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post #60 of 129
6/10/10 at 9:50pm
Thread Starter 
A lot of the humor in this show could easily come across lame if not for the fact that it's pretty much always in character.
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post #61 of 129
6/10/10 at 9:54pm
Here's a question, are we, as adults, more willing to give a pass to this kind of humor in a cartoon vs. a live feature?

I've thought for a while that the last couple of years (maybe more, five or six?) that have been pushing for a more "dark" and supposedly realistic feel in movies is kind of lame. Real life has a lot of dorky moments that are also hilarious.

I'm someone that loves Anchorman without any shame, though, so there's that.
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post #62 of 129
6/10/10 at 10:03pm
Thread Starter 
My rationale on what I give a pass to or decide to criticize is inconsistent and prone to my always shifting biases.

I love anything that I like but can easily come to hate it the moment it becomes too common or is used as a crutch because it's what's 'hip.'

I'm definitely aware of this show's origins and what it's trying to be when it comes to praising it. I think several of us have already acknowledged it. It's a kid's show. It was on Nickelodeon. Etc.

I'm the dude that holds an everburning torch for Speed Racer (the film). But it's pretty dishonest to call that a strictly live-action film.
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post #63 of 129
6/10/10 at 10:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post
Reading an Avatar-focused message board, it seems like the season 1 episode, The Great Divide, is generally disliked. I actually enjoyed that one. I liked that peace was achieved through a ridiculous lie.
Oh wow. I mean, I never checked Avatar message boards when I binged the series, but that's the one episode I remember thinking I'd altogether cut.
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post #64 of 129
6/10/10 at 10:12pm
Thread Starter 
It probably helped that I was watching these episodes one right after another... but I liked the little self-contained detours some of the episodes took from the main story. Plus, it was early on in the series so it didn't feel too much like dragging anything out.
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post #65 of 129
6/11/10 at 3:59am
Thread Starter 
So I've been randomly looking around the internet to find a transcript for what the Turtlelion says and came across this post by a fan that was obviously enraged by the final episode. Some of the points he makes are similar to ones that Gabe and I made, but he really needed to calm down.

Quote:
Doesn't anyone care that the finale doesn't even try to explain a bunch of plot holes? What was the Turtle-Lion exactly? A spirit of the ocean or Earth? The creator of the Avatar itself? The Almighty? Did the other Avatars ever know it existed? Why didn't it appear before? How did being with it render Aang 'non-existent' and unable to be tracked? What practical purpose did the psycho babble it spouted have? Why did the story never mention before that bending could be taken away? Aang's "A Wizard....I mean, a Turtle-Lion did it" explanation just doesn't cut it. AND THANKS GOODNESS ZUKO JUST HAPPENED TO NOT DIE WHEN STRUCK BY LIGHTING RIGHT IN THE STOMACH ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER CONTRIVANCES LOL!!!111 Maybe they should have sent Zuko to fight Ozai, since getting hit by lighting up close doesn't seem to kill him.

And the Avatar State business...the sheer stupidity behind that...Well, Goody Goody Gosh! Aang didn't need intensive spiritual discipline, meditation, and training to master the Avatar state! HE NEEDED TO BUMP HIS FRICKIN' BACK AGAINST A WALL!!11 GENIUS!!!I THINK I'M GOING TO BE SICK! The only sorta-hint of that was way back in Awakening, and we didn't really have any good reason to think it could open up chakras. We also didn't have any good reason to believe Aang could inexplicably take away bending. Wanna know why? Because the way those things were handled totally defeated the purpose of the show's emphasis hard work and discipline when the hero just stumbles upon them without even any good, solid explanations.

The Aesop about valuing all life falls apart too. So, it's a terrible thing to kill Ozai, but potentially drowning a bunch of non-totally-evil-and-psycho soldiers is A-OKAY!!! OH WAIT!! THEY FLOAT DESPITE WEARING HEAVY ARMOR AND BEING SURROUNDED BY SHIP WRECKAGE!!! WHO NEEDS LOGIC, REASON, AND THOUGHTFUL WRITING??!! YAAAYAYAYAY!!! Is the message "All life is equal, but some life is more equal than others?" Who knows? Who cares?

Bottom line, I have one thing to say about the ending of this series:

I WANT MY DIGNITY BACK.
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post #66 of 129
6/11/10 at 4:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post
So I've been randomly looking around the internet to find a transcript for what the Turtlelion says and came across this post by a fan that was obviously enraged by the final episode. Some of the points he makes are similar to ones that Gabe and I made, but he really needed to calm down.
"I WANT MY DIGNITY BACK" is the funniest line of that tirade. He might as well have said "AVATAR RAPED MY ADULTHOOD".
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post #67 of 129
6/11/10 at 4:10am
Thread Starter 
Looks like he could use some virginity-bending.
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post #68 of 129
6/11/10 at 4:04pm
Fucking fanboys.

Concerning the question asked about giving kids entertainment a pass on humor: I do not. I honestly find Avatar funny. I watch a lot of children's programming because I'm an animation nerd, and I try to judge it on my terms. I think the reason Avatar works so well comedy wise is that after about 10 episodes its mostly character based humor. Momo's dumb little eating stuff jokes are funny because we come to expect that from him, and I'm guessing we've all had pets that are ruled by their stomachs. It's also why Zuko can be the funniest guy on screen at times ('You hired Combustion Man?!', 'Well, that's not his name...'). Plenty of stuff falls flat, but that's no different than adult aimed comedies.

I think the reason Sokka works so well as second season comedy fodder is that he spends the first season taking himself way too seriously.

Also: 'My first girlfriend became the moon.'
'...That's rough, buddy.'
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post #69 of 129
6/11/10 at 4:43pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gabe Powers View Post

Also: 'My first girlfriend became the moon.'
'...That's rough, buddy.'
I love how dry that moment is.
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post #70 of 129
6/11/10 at 5:05pm
The guy who posted that tirade is clearly a few cabbages short of a cart.
This was a great show, and I agree the little humor moments work because they are in character.
Also, it was nice too see an animated series that wanst afraid of killing characters or not treating its target audience as dumb kids.
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post #71 of 129
6/13/10 at 9:11pm
Don't mean to derail, but even if the live-action adaptation doesn't bring the goods, James Newton Howard's score will, in my opinion. It's just such a great score, epic, fun, and genuinely moving at times. Standout track has to be "Flow Like Water," which is such a beautiful orchestration. You can listen to most of it on Youtube, if you are so inclined.
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post #72 of 129
6/14/10 at 10:17pm
Don't you give me reasons to check out the movie. Everytime I see something like waterbending or the scenes that seem to be from the s1 season finale, I go all "ok that's kinda cool". But then I remember the whitewashed watertribe and the incredible likelihood that there will be next to no humor in the movie and I want to punch Shyamalan like a fish.
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post #73 of 129
6/22/10 at 1:07am
Thread Starter 
Just found out that the amazing Tress MacNeille did the voice of Hama, the Bloodbender. That's awesome.

"Damned Fire Nation makes me sick to my ass!"
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post #74 of 129
6/24/10 at 3:54am
Thread Starter 
Just read a SUPER positive review of James Newton Howard's score on Filmtracks. Damn it. That's specifically the aspect of the film I was looking forward to most. But I will stand by my refusal to see this movie theatrically.
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post #75 of 129
6/24/10 at 5:27am
Howard ALWAYS knocks it out of the park for Shyamalan. He's continuously the best thing about a series of increasingly bad movies. The reviews are going to have to be glowing, and mention a lot of humor for me to not wait to feel sorry for myself on Netflix. Actually, I have a pretty good relationship with the Paramount people, maybe I'll get a free Blu-ray or something, then I won't have to even count part of my Netflix bill as going towards the film.
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post #76 of 129
7/9/10 at 4:37am
Just want to echo that the Tales of Ba Sing Se was amazing. Just....I think the Tale of Iroh alone justifies the series' entire existence.

The fights are really well composed - I really would rank it in the same family as Samurai Jack in terms of accessibility for folks other than the target audience. There's just a really mature sensibility to the series.
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post #77 of 129
7/9/10 at 11:56am
Thread Starter 
Just picked up a used copy of the art book for the series. It's a very solid representation of the work that was put into this show. There's also some good reading in regards to how the show was developed and how it continued to develop during its run. In the Whitewashing thread, Devin said that the show was a Western fetishization of East Asian culture by two white guys. Reading through this art book, I must strenuously object to that notion.
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post #78 of 129
7/14/10 at 11:04pm
Finished the series. Whew! Wire's next.

I have to say that there did seem to be some issues regarding what exactly happened in the final battle. I love the final solution, but the execution seemed a little off.

I'm really impressed with the complexity of the characters, and how there seemed to be so few unnecessary 'one-offs'. It never really felt like there was much filler. No matter what, they were always moving or working towards a goal. It was never completely forgotten. I dug the lighthearted humor and adored Momo's Usagi-Yojimbo look.

The animation was really stunning and for the most part the fight scenes were really effective. I appreciated how things changed, even if subtle ways. I did cheer when the invasion force came together. That was a glorious moment and really tied what could have been 'one-offs' together (the earthbending prisoners, the swamp benders, the mechanics from the air temple). It created a beautiful setting.

All in all, there was a mature sensibility about the whole production that I think keeps it accessible to such a varied group of folks. After the first few episodes of the first season, it settles into this really beautiful pace.
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post #79 of 129
7/14/10 at 11:25pm
So now that most of the people here have seen it I feel I can start a favorite moment string in this thread. I guess spoiler text applies?

Personally, among all the big, main character moments in the entire series the part where Ty Lee knocks Azula down. Fucking satisfying, though I suppose there wasn't a lot of follow up.
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post #80 of 129
7/21/10 at 10:09am
Sequel series is happening in 2011!

Wording makes it sound like the new Avatar's a Firebender. Which is cool! Also, a girl.
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post #81 of 129
7/21/10 at 10:32am
According to the Avatar Mythology, Aang's next incarnation will be a Waterbender. So I guess this means that the next series will take place a hundred years in the future.

Whew...for a second there, I thought this news was about a sequel to the film.
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post #82 of 129
7/21/10 at 11:02am
Man I tried my best to get into this show, watched the first 12 or so episodes and I still felt it was too slow and boring at this point. If they can't get the show going by then, I can't waste anymore time with it. Its just not very good, imo.

Anyone see Samurai X, or Rouroni Kenshin, its an Anime tv show, and its sooo much better. Just a small example as to why I think this show is a waste of time when there is so much better stuff to waste ones time with.
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post #83 of 129
7/21/10 at 7:55pm
Thread Starter 
Looks like the new series will be about a waterbender.

http://www.geekosystem.com/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/
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post #84 of 129
7/21/10 at 8:05pm
Yeah, it looks good. I do hope they continue to keep the Traditional Eastern Philosophy aspects from the first series.
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post #85 of 129
7/21/10 at 8:12pm
*squeeeeeeeeeee*
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post #86 of 129
7/21/10 at 8:20pm
Thread Starter 
I appreciate that they're trying to not repeat the basic arc of the original series. So the Avatar will already be trained in 3 elements and seems to generally take place in a Ba Sing Se-ish location. I wonder if that'll be enough so that it doesn't feel like a retread.
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post #87 of 129
7/21/10 at 8:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nabster View Post
Anyone see Samurai X, or Rouroni Kenshin
Funny, those two shows bored the Hell out of me. I guess we have different tastes or something.

Anyway, I got to the internet late today. New series! Yay!
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post #88 of 129
7/21/10 at 9:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post
I appreciate that they're trying to not repeat the basic arc of the original series. So the Avatar will already be trained in 3 elements and seems to generally take place in a Ba Sing Se-ish location. I wonder if that'll be enough so that it doesn't feel like a retread.
They're describing Korra as all "tough, no nonsense" so she's definitely no Aang redux. They could have some fun with turning cliches around: Aang the wacky, not-solemn-at-all spirit guide versus the dour and determined young hero.
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post #89 of 129
7/21/10 at 9:05pm
Thread Starter 
I hope we see her tearing into some thick juicy porterhouse steaks!

I hope 'tough, no nonsense" doesn't translate to "boring."
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post #90 of 129
7/21/10 at 9:15pm
Naw, I'm sure she'll have moxie too.
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post #91 of 129
7/21/10 at 9:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post
I hope we see her tearing into some thick juicy porterhouse steaks!
Meatbenders? I've tangled with a couple or three of those in my lifetime.*



*Hey-Ohhh!
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post #92 of 129
7/21/10 at 9:34pm
I wonder if having already been trained in three elements will make her too powerful a character? Aang in the first series came into his full powers only in the 2nd half of Season 3.
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post #93 of 129
7/21/10 at 9:35pm
The elusive meatbender spotted!

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post #94 of 129
7/21/10 at 9:53pm
That pic horrifies me.

Just got Book 1 Collector's Edition in the mail from CHUD; workin' on the review. I'm fascinated by the people who hate the show. I fully understand people not liking it, but I don't get how anyone can call it bad. For a kid's show - which it is - it is incredibly rich.

I'm glad to see they're continuing with stories in the world, as really, the world and the mythology of AVATAR are my favorite aspect of the show.
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post #95 of 129
7/21/10 at 10:20pm
Agreed, agreed, agreed. And the picture...well it could be worse. At least....at least they aren't doing the bathing suits they've worn at various periods. At least everything is covered up, A small favor, if anything.
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post #96 of 129
7/21/10 at 10:59pm
I'm a broken record now, but be excited Worm, the second season is better than the first.
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post #97 of 129
8/3/10 at 3:55am
Thread Starter 
The creators of Avatar talk about their new series:

They talk about the decision to go with a female lead, focusing the story on the goings-on of one major location... and they continue to remain non-committal towards any question involving Shyamalan's adaptation. Heheh.
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post #98 of 129
8/3/10 at 3:58am
Just saw the series, fell deeply in love with it. As for that picture above, it's BLASHPHOMY that they don't have a Sokka.
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post #99 of 129
8/4/10 at 3:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post
The creators of Avatar talk about their new series:

They talk about the decision to go with a female lead, focusing the story on the goings-on of one major location... and they continue to remain non-committal towards any question involving Shyamalan's adaptation. Heheh.
That is hilarious... "WE'RE WORKIN', HERE! You think we have time to watch a movie based on our own series? Away with you!" But I feel for 'em. the flick puts them in a pretty tough spot in regard to questions.

BUT I will always be eternally grateful to the Shyamalan flick for turning me onto a fantastic series that I may have otherwise passed up. Now, keep in mind, I checked it out BEFORE the movie was released to better acquaint myself with the theatrical version. Had I waited 'til after, I may not have bothered. So it's quite possible the flick will repel more people than it inspires.

Just finished the series about a week ago. It's been great fun reading through this thread, having my own feelings mirrored in much of it. I honestly feel this is one of the top series of the past ten years, animated or no. It really has everything... humor, moral conundrums, great action, honest drama -- often all in the same episode! The show is so unassuming that it's easy to overlook just what they've achieved here.

I look forward to Korra, and revisiting the series itself. What a wonderful feeling to have discovered a great show like this.
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post #100 of 129
8/4/10 at 9:15pm
HOORAY for the new series announcement!!!

(sorry, I've been kinda busy & haven't checked the Internets much lately). Thanks for the links, everyone!

Very curious to see how airbending is handled in the new series--what with Aang being old/dead and his son(?) the new "last airbender."
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