Ragin' Canadian Trailer Review: The Last Airbender

Well it seems that there's yet another movie yet to hit the theaters based on the concept of an "avatar". In fact, the franchise the other film is based on had a debate over whether James Cameron's box office record breaker could use the title. In the end, M. Night Shyamalan decided to rename his film The Last Airbender, which has debuted its second trailer.
Unfortunately this trailer, like much of The Last Airbender's marketing, is hazy at most for people unfamiliar with the anime it's based on. Said cartoon was set in a fictional world where nations can "bend" the individual elements of Fire, Water, Earth and Air. The film's title character, a young boy named Aang, is not only the last Airbender but an Avatar who can control all four elements. This ability makes him a target for the oppressive Fire Nation, who intend to capture Aang.
The trailer did provide the viewers a glimpse of some convincing visual effects which give the film it's mystical atmosphere. It's that same tone that fits M. Night Shyamalan's style of leaving the audience guessing but keeping their eyes on the screen.
The majority of dialogue in the trailer is spoken by what may be a narrator or a character yet to be identified in the preview. The lines given to this actor did not seem to have much effort on the script itself, but his vocal performance brought them to a life in a very meaningful manner. Overall dialogue implied that a rebellion has started and that the destiny of Aang is tied to that of a young man Zuko.
Insert the film's antagonist: Prince Zuko, played by Dev Patel of Slumdog Millionaire. For such a strong performance in the latter, Patel is able to play out this antagonist as intimidating without even saying a line. Though until the film itself, we have yet to see what he's truly capable of. Much like Shyamalan, who takes on the helm of an anime adaptation for the first time.
The trailer's music has great style to it and pumps up the audience's expectations; which in a trailer that describes little of the plot is a very good thing. In almost every scene shown, you can see great landscapes chosen and awesome set design for the interior shots.
The question remains then; is The Last Airbender bending audiences toward or away from it? From what has been shown so far of the trailer and the intrigue to maintain its sense of mystery, it looks to be that this will likely be an interesting movie when it plays out.

RATING: 7/10