The Last Airbender

[Still Wynning]

Weather bend?

Exactly my thoughts.

Just imagine an Airbender creating a giant twister which destroys pretty much everything in it's wake, and exclaiming, "Who's the pathetic element now, b*tch!!!" t:

 

[mr. peasant]

Not trying to get in on any side of the argument here, you both have points, but I think this quoted section makes no sense.

LoTR characters are European based folk, yes. But TLA are even more so based, on Asian cultures. Aang is strongly ingrained in Tibetan-like beliefs. The Fire Nation deeply evokes the Meiji Restoration and its characters both reflect this age and elements of Imperial Japan during the Manchuria invasion period up until 1945. Katara and Sokka are not simply ambiguous characters in an Asian-esque Inuit/Eskimo setting just like Aragorn etcetera are not just in a Medieval Europe-esque setting. I could go on, but one cannot invalidate made up cultures given how heavily they are inspired by real ones, just as a similar justification could not be made with having a cast of african-americans in a LoTR film because they use "made up" cultures that are only inspired by real European ones.

Okay, I'll try explaining again. Look at the wording carefully:

Tolkien intended his Middle-Earth setting to be about White people who just so happen to be on adventures. The TLA universe, on the other hand is about adventurers who just so happen to be Asian-esque (or Inuit, in the case of the Water Tribe; a point frequently overlooked by critics though that's a topic for another day). Do you see the difference? It's about how much certain aspects are emphasised over the other; i.e. what aspects are more central to the spirit of the story.

Again, just to clear things up a little; I'm not saying that East Asians ought to take a backseat to White actors in movies like TLA. Rather, given what is more important over the other, it's just one of several factors that need to be taken into consideration when choosing an actor. It can be sacrificed as long as it's because the chosen actor fulfills other major characteristics.

As for sources of inspiration, it should be pointed out that the Fire Nation is derived from the Chinese Qing Dynasty as much as it is from the Meiji Restoration.

Edit:
One last point I'd like to make, which I feel hasn't really been brought up in all the arguments thus far. In the original cartoon, Pakku looks typically Chinese despite being from the Inuit-themed Water Tribe. Piandao's (who is from the Fire Nation) appearance was based on Sifu Kisu, who is a Black Man. And over the course of the cartoon, the Gaang were able to pass off as Fire Nation citizens, Aang as Sokka's son and Zuko and Iroh as Earth Kingdom citizens. This leads to only two possible conclusions; either all four nations are of similar ethnicities or that all four nations are ethnically diverse. Whichever conclusion you choose, it shows that the creators took liberties on the aspect of the characters' race as well as counters the argument that the characters' ethnicities are the same/similar to their real life culture's counterparts since Chinese/Japanese people do not look like Inuits.

 

[Project862006]

guys i have the movie novelization book and trust me on this M Night cut so much important crap out that he filmed it is ridiculous if he did'nt

sokka and katara would have actual characters

aang/katara relationship would be developed

and much more

 

[BLACK-SPIDEY]

Race bending.

LOL!

btw I just watched the movie (bootleg) and, wow, this is bad, the acting, the writing and the pacing,the effects were decent but that is not enough to save this movie.

So it starts out nicely with the Water, Earth, Fire and Air thingy, they find Aang, he escapes Zuko´s ship and after that......it all sucks.

I mean they introduce an scene and before you know it, its already over, the leads (Aang, Sokka and Katara) have no personalities, they are not interesting at all, Hell the only characters I was interested in were Zuko and Iroh....oh, sorry I mean EEroh.

Not only that but they also cut a lot of characters, Bumi,Suki,Jet,Koh,Roku, all of them, GONE, they dont exist.

the main problem was that frickin unnecesary 3D conversion, they had to cut A LOT of scenes in order to make this conversion quicker, and there were a lot of scenes in the tv spots and trailers that were not used, and that´s the reason for the movie being so short, seriously they get to the Northern Water Tribe in about 45 minutes.

And while I was not into the Racebending thing, some of the choices here are wrong, especially Sokka and Katara, seriously, Sokka is the whitest "vampire" in Twilight for crying out loud.

well, now I know how Dragonball fans feel when someone mentions "Dragonball Evolution", at least Mike and Bryan are doing another Avatar show.

Final Verdict:
2.5/10 (Dev Patel and Shaun Tobb were ok, they really had nothing to work with, and James Newton Howard´s score is GREAT)

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

James Newton Howard's M-Night scores are always great IMHO. I can't wait til someone puts it up on Youtube.

 

[Blade X]

Both Dean Cain and Tom Welling are a lot more white than Asian or Native American.

Cain is only 1/4 Asian and whatever Native American blood Welling has is probably infinitesimal.

When they were hired I doubt the producers even knew they were part Asian or Native American. They probably thought they were just hiring another white actor.

You beat me to it. Cain and Welling can "pass" for white, which is why they were able to land the role of Superman.

LOL

You don't think that Dean Cain's real name or background would have come up in his interviews?

I know you shallow types would bring up the fact that they "look" white. The point is, they got hired for their looks, AND NOT THEIR "RACE." Otherwise, they'd both be out of the running if the goal was to "promote whitey over any other race."

Well, they are part white, so they did get hired for their "RACE". If the white and black actors in TLA were all either part Asian or part Inuit, I (and others) wouldn't have a problem with the casting.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

I'm really hoping that this film doesn't destroy Dev Patel's chances at getting another lead role in a film.

 

[TNC9852002]

Nah--it usually works on an individual performance level from what I can tell. Patel showed some pretty good chops with what he had to work with.

 

[BLACK-SPIDEY]

James Newton Howard's M-Night scores are always great IMHO. I can't wait til someone puts it up on Youtube.

Its all over Youtube already.

 

[louiebling$]

Weather bend?

Prolly not, But man I really want this question answered now lol

 

[Timstuff]

You know something that has never been adressed before?

Firebenders could bender Fire but also and become Masters and reach a New Level

Fire<Lighting

Earth <Metal/Meteor

Water<Blood

So what do the Airbenders do that's equivalent?

Sound bending? They could create sonic blasts and awesome stuff like that.

 

[Brother Jack]

James Newton Howard's M-Night scores are always great IMHO. I can't wait til someone puts it up on Youtube.

In my opinion he's done some of the best work of his career with Shyamalan. It's odd that he's able to write such great music for sometimes such poor films.

 

[Timstuff]

You beat me to it. Cain and Welling can "pass" for white, which is why they were able to land the role of Superman.

Noah Ringer can pass for being someone who is an ambiguous Asian / White mix though, and in the movie they showed the Air Nomads as being a mix of the races of all the different nations. How is that more offensive than casting a mixed actor who can pass for white as a white character?

Well, they are part white, so they did get hired for their "RACE". If the white and black actors in TLA were all either part Asian or part Inuit, I (and others) wouldn't have a problem with the casting.

I very much doubt that. The racebending movement would not have gotten half the traction it did if it weren't for the fact that it was able to feed on the usual fan rage that comes with any adaptation. Some of the actors did not meet fans' expectations for how the characters would look in real life, so that was the root of the anger. The fact that race was involved only gave them a righteous sounding reason for their fan rage, and it eventually evolved into a self-proclaimed moral crusade / witch hunt.

Look at it this way: if the actress playing Katara was Inuit but she was fat and ugly, you'd hear just as many fans complaining about her, possibly even more, but for reasons other than race. Even if she was a great actress who had Katara's personality down perfectly, a lot of fans would not be able to get past the fact that she did not live up to their expectations of how Katara would look in real life.

 

[Timstuff]

Ok so I was on youtube this morning and watch the teaser and all the trailes in Order and it really put me in depression mode about thsis movie... how did somthing that looked so EPIC/AWESOME/INCREDIBLE not be that? How did Night **** this up.... I'm Mind Boggled by this.... if anyone has a chance do the same as I did and it relly puts you in a mind ****... I seriously cannot figure out how he ****ed this up with the trailers looking sooo damn good.


What the hell happened


And on top of that I have the score from the teaser trailer STUCK in my head and its really getting to me

I've been saying it since I saw this movie: it was killed in the editing room. The print adaptations of the script turned out fine (the manga and novel), and the trailers made it look like it was going to be an epic saga with a strong emotional core. I think there was more emotional content in the trailers than there was in the entire 100 minute movie, because almost none of that made it into the movie itself. The movie does not follow the same beats as the print adaptations, and there is 25 minutes of footage that we know was removed from the movie at the last minute after the film was almost finished.

I think that at some point, the movie was probably shaping up very well. But unfortunately, Shyamalan did more than just drop the ball right before reaching the end zone-- he threw it towards the other end of the freaking field. I wish someone would leak one of the earlier workprints of this movie so we could see what it might have been like before they chopped 20% of it out. Try cutting 20% out of any movie that's already 130 minutes or shorter and see how coherent the experience is.

 

[louiebling$]

Sound bending? They could create sonic blasts and awesome stuff like that.

When did this happen??? Or you guessing? Lol

 

[louiebling$]

Sound bending? They could create sonic blasts and awesome stuff like that.

When did this happen??? Or you guessing? Lol

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

Its all over Youtube already.

Cool.

In my opinion he's done some of the best work of his career with Shyamalan. It's odd that he's able to write such great music for sometimes such poor films.

Yes, it is very strange.

 

[Two-Face=Badass]

Tolkien intended his Middle-Earth setting to be about White people who just so happen to be on adventures. The TLA universe, on the other hand is about adventurers who just so happen to be Asian-esque (or Inuit, in the case of the Water Tribe; a point frequently overlooked by critics though that's a topic for another day). Do you see the difference? It's about how much certain aspects are emphasised over the other; i.e. what aspects are more central to the spirit of the story.

You incorrectly assume that the setting and characters traits are exclusive, when they are not. You claim that Middle-Earth was about white people who just so happen to be on adventures. Fair enough, but you give no justification for this, which makes it hard to refute, but also makes it an utterly lacking argument. It may as well be so, but it is also in a setting that is very European inspired, therefore meaning that the "white people" are not just on adventures, but in fact inhabiting a setting that fits with their traits aka; white people, white setting, regardless of fantasy devices it is obviously inspired by real ones.

TLA, you claim is about adventurers in an Asianesque setting, and yet again fail to bring any justification to this argument. As in the tales of Middle Earth, the characters and setting are not exclusive as you say so plainly, but instead it is the interaction of character and setting that determines both. The setting is Asian, that much you grasp in agreement. And yet you claim that the characters are merely adventurers, removed from the effects of the setting and therefore interchangeable in race, to an extent. This again contradicts that the characters, as in Middle Earth tales, are greatly influenced by the surrounding Asian-esque setting, interacting with it, and holding beliefs, views, skills, philosophy etc in accordance with the setting, and obviously being born as one of the native races that created the Asian-esque setting. The characters are not simply "adventurers" in an Asian-esque setting, but deeply ingrained in it. Your argument does not take the next logical step in realising that setting and characters are of a greater ambiguity, that their interaction is often what ultimately determines both, and that just because one element is emphasised over another doesn't mean that the lesser one is negated or not present. In any case, the use of Asian characters with Asian philosohpies is an enormous part of the spirit of the story.

Whichever conclusion you choose, it shows that the creators took liberties on the aspect of the characters' race as well as counters the argument that the characters' ethnicities are the same/similar to their real life culture's counterparts since Chinese/Japanese people do not look like Inuits.

No it does not necessarily show that. Regardless of how well-recieved the show is, and how much effort was put into it, it is still a show predominantly for children/teens and uses many devices that are common in such. Things like the entire plot of The Great Divide, dressing as the enemy effectively despite obviously not looking so and the "hears part of the conversation and runs away" from Bato of the Water Tribe are just some of the devices you would find in other children shows. This isn't a criticism of course, I find Avatar is much better for not being a grim, gritty adult's cartoon or comic.

 

[Timstuff]

When did this happen??? Or you guessing? Lol

Just a guess, heheh.

 

[louiebling$]

Well hopefully they adress it in A:TLOK

 

[Project862006]

well air can bend the other elements
'
if aang is airbending around earth the sand and rock will be suspending in the air

same thing if he is around snow and fire

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

In my opinion he's done some of the best work of his career with Shyamalan. It's odd that he's able to write such great music for sometimes such poor films.

This theory also works for the twilight films. except the first one, I hated that score.

 

[Project862006]

i have movie novelization and m night cut out so much stuff he actually shot this is what the movie could of had in


Movie is suppose to start off like this:

Spoiler

Sunlight glinted off an endless expanse of ice dotted with towering glaciers of white. Cutting through the frozen plain, a river wended its way, twisting and flowing, creating movement in the otherwise still landscape.

A small paddle boat carrying two passengers drifted to short. A seventeen-year-old boy hopped out and bent down to tie the craft to a piece of ice that jutted out of the frozen shore. A fifteen-year-old girl who had been seated beside him climbed out and stood at the water’s edge.

She held her hands over the rushing river and began to concentrate. Thoughts of all that had happened to her and her people flooded her mind. One image appeared and crowded out all the others; it was the kind face of her mother. She felt a rush of warmth and love, though it was tinged with anger and sadness.

Focusing on the positive feelings, the girl rotated and lifted her hands. A small amount of water bubbled, then rose from the river and hovered in the air in front of her. Flexing her fingers, she rounded the water into the shape of a sphere. When the girl turned and stepped away from the river’s edge, the water moved with her, as if she were carrying it in an invisible container.

She turned toward the boy, and the ball of water followed her movement. It now hovered directly above his head. Taking a step forward, the girl stumbled on the uneven ice. As she moved her hands to regain her balance, she lost control of the water, which came splashing down onto the boy’s head.

“I’m sorry, Sokka,” the girl cried, unable to hold back a small giggle as he tried to chase his sister around on the ice.

“I thought about Mom that time,” the girl said, changing direction to stay a few steps ahead of him. “And it worked better. Isn’t that strange?”

“Yeah, I guess so, Katara,” the boy grumbled, slowing down. “Whatever. Just stop doing that water stuff around me. It always ends up with me getting wet.”

“It’s called Waterbending.” Katara said, coming to a stop.

“I know what it’s called,” Sokka shot back. “Just quit doing it over my head!”

Reaching back into the boat, Sokka pulled out a spear. He stepped quietly around the edge of an ice mountain, gripping the weapon tightly. Katara followed a few steps behind.

Sokka spotted something in the ice just ahead. Kneeling down, he ran his hand along the edge of a series of tracks in the dusting of snow that covered the ice.

“It’s a tigerseal,” he said to his sister.

“Are you sure?” Katara asked.

Sokka nodded, then he quickly started to follow the tracks. Katara hurried to keep up with her brother.

A few minutes later they stepped through a narrow gap between two glaciers and stared at a vast field of ice—flat, featureless, and eerily quiet.

“Uh, Sokka, are we lost?” Katara asked, looking out at the endless stretch of nothingness.

“I did everything Dad said to do,” Sokka replied. He was frustrated, but not ready to admit that the two were lost. “There’s no way we should be—“

“Sokka, wait!” Katara said, grabbing her brother’s arm.

“What is it, Katara?” Sokka asked, sensing her tension.

Katara pointed down at the ice. A white glow radiated up from deep below the surface. Sokka looked down at immediately reached into his backpack, pulling out a boomerang. Kneeling, he peered into the glowing ice.

“Something’s under there,” he said.

He raised his boomerang and slammed its edge down onto the ice. Nothing happened. He whacked the ice again. Still nothing. Striking the ice for the third time, Sokka heard an unmistakable cracking sound.

The ice beneath his feet began to spiderweb in every direction. The cracks grew longer and wider, opening gaping holes in the ice.

“It’s a cave-in!” he shouted to Katara. “Move away from the cracks!”

The two backed away and watched from a safe distance as a huge ball of ice rose from under the surface and emerged from a large opening. The smooth, clear sphere finally stopped moving. The ice plain grew silent once again.

Katara stepped forward.

“We shouldn’t touch it,” Sokka said anxiously.

“But look,” Katara insisted, pointing. “There’s someone in there. It looks like a boy. Who is he? Is he alive?”

“This could be a Fire Nation trap,” Sokka pointed out, slipping his boomerang inter his pack and grabbing Katara’s hand. “Let’s get back to the village.”

“We can’t just leave him, Sokka!” Katara cried.

Sokka shrugged. “He’s probably dead, anyway.”

Katara snatched the boomerang from her brother’s pack and ran towards the giant ice ball.

“Wait, don’t!” Sokka cried.

Ignoring her brother, Katara smacked the huge ball of ice with the edge of the boomerang.

“There could be a lot of built-up pressure inside that thing,” Sokka insisted.

Katara struck the sphere again.

Sokka sighed deeply and shook his head. Since when did his sister ever listen to him, anyway?

“Katara, you don’t know what might—“

A powerful blast of air shot from a crack in the sphere, blowing Katara back and across the ice. She slammed into Sokka, and the two skidded to a stop.

“—happen,” Sokka finished as he untangled himself from his sister.

The crack Katara had opened expanded, and a blinding light shot high into the sky, turning the whole world white. Sokka and Katara shielded their eyes, trying in vain to see what was going on.

The light faded, revealing that the sphere had split in half, leaving two motionless figures sprawled out on the ice. The boy Katara had seen inside it was wrapped in a cloak. Beside him lay a huge animal covered in thick white fur.

Katara kneeled down next to the boy, who appeared to be about thirteen years old. His head was shaved completely bald and covered in a blue tattoo in the shape of an arrow. Katara leaned in close just as the boy opening his eyes.

“Is he breathing?” Sokka asked. “And did you see that light shoot into the sky? What was that all about?”

Katara smiled at the boy. “What’s your name?” she asked softly.

The boy squinted up at her but remained silent.

“He’s exhausted, Sokka,” Katara said, realizing that this was no place for a conversation. “We need to get him back to the village.”

Sokka walked up to the big furry creature and started poking the beast. “What is this thing?” he wondered aloud.

The enormous animal casually lifted his huge, paddle-like tail and pinned Sokka beneath it.

“Help!” he cried, flailing his arms from underneath the tail. “I’m being attacked!”

Katara stood and spun around quickly, wondering how she could possibly battle this enormous beast. Then Sokka easily crawled out from under the tail. The animal made no attempt to stop him.

“False alarm,” Sokka said, standing up and brushing the ice and white fur from his jacket. “Everything’s under control.”

Katara turned back to the boy and helped him to his feet. “Hold my hand,” she said gently. “You’ll be okay.”

The boy fell into her arms, unconscious. “Sokka, help me get him back to the boat,” she said.

They retraced their steps and carried the unconscious boy back to their boat. Sokka paddled quickly down the river towards their village. Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed the big white animal following them along the shoreline.

Gran Gran/Katara/Sokka Convo before Katara Enters Aang's Tent

Spoiler

A short time later they arrived at their village, a small collection of igloos nestled together at the bottom of an ice valley. Carry the boy, they brought him to their grandmother's igloo. She helped them bring the boy inside and get him comfortably settled.

As their grandmother attended to the boy, Sokka ran off to check on the tribe's children. This was one of the responsibilities his father had left him with when he went off with the other men of the tribe to fight against the Fire Nation.

"He's all right." Katara's grandmother said when Sokka returned. She signaled for them to step outside. "He just needs some rest." Katara and Sokka stepped out of the igloo, and the older woman looked at her granddaughter.

"Where exactly did you find him, Katara?" she asked.

"By a path near the big glaciers," Katara replied. "He was buried in the ice."

Her grandmother turned away, her wrinkled, weather-beaten face creased in thought.

"What's wrong, Grandma?" Katara asked, wondering if saving the boy could have possibly been the wrong thing to do.

Grandma's expression softened. "Nothing's wrong, Katara," she said. "Go keep an eye on the boy, so he is not alone when he awakens."

Katara/Aang Full Conversation in Tent

Spoiler

Katara nodded and slipped back into the igloo. To her surprise the boy was awake, standing up and putting on his shirt. She stared in amazement at the intricate pattern of tattoos that ran down from his head and across his back and arms. His body was thin but muscular. When the boy had put on his shirt and cloak, he noticed Katara.

"How did you get all the way out here?" she asked. "This village is pretty far away from the rest of the world."

"I ran away from home," the boy said flatly. "It wasn't a smart thing to do. I was just upset."

Katara thought about all she had faced since the war began and how many times she wished that she could have simply run away. "I get like that too," she said.

"Thanks for saving me," the boy said, smiling for the first time.

"Just lucky," Katara admitted.

The boy sighed deeply. "I probably should get home," he said, wrapping his cloak around him. "They'll all be worried."

"So you're going home?" Katara asked. "Then you're not still upset?"

"Not as much as I was," the boy explained, picking up a wooden staff that was as tall as he was. He noticed Katara fidgeting with the necklace that hung around her neck.

Katara blushed as the boy reached out and touched the carved wooden necklace. "It's my mom's," she said softly. "She gave it to me."

"You're lucky to have a family," the cloaked boy said with a touch of sadness in his voice.

"She passed away," Katara said.

"Oh, sorry," the boy said, feeling uncomfortable.

"But you're right," Katara added quickly. "I was lucky."

The boy nodded, then suddenly seemed worried.

"Your animal—," Katara began.

"Appa is his name," the boy explained.

"You don't have to worry," she continued. "He's just at the edge of the village, near the stream. He's fine. He's very gentle."

"I should go," the boy said. "I—"

Just then, Sokka rushed into the igloo, leading a group of village children. His face was flushed, and his eyes were wide with fear.

"The Fire Nation's here," he said tersely. "And they brought their war machines."

Aang and SWT Children

Spoiler

As Sokka and Katara stepped towards the igloo doorway, Katara looked back at the mysterious boy.

Leaning his tall staff against the wall, he turned to the frightened group of children. "Don't worry," he said, smiling. "I'm sure there's nothing wrong." He pulled a handful of stones from the pocket of his cloak. "Who wants to play a game?" he asked.

The children gathered around the boy, who kneeled down and tossed the stones onto the floor.

Back in the igloo, a child tossed a stone into a group of other stones that were placed in a circle. The other children near him all cheered.

"You're good at that," said the cloaked boy, who was leading the game. "Now I'll show you one of my favorite games."

A shadow fell over him as a Fire Nation soldier stepped into the igloo. He stared at the boy for a moment, then pulled off his cloak revealing the arrow-shaped tattoo running across his head. He grabbed the boy and pulled him outside as the children huddled together in fear.

Aang after he escaped Zuko's Ship

Spoiler

The young Airbender drifted down through the sky, using the air currents for resistance, until he landed on Appa's back.

"Urrraaarrr," the sky bison wailed happily.

"It's good to see you too, buddy," the boy answered gleefully, scratching the huge bison on the top of his furry head. Then he turned to Sokka and Katara, who sat behind him. The two just stared at him in shock.

"You came just in time," the boy said. "Thanks."

"Oh, I'm Katara. That's my brother, Sokka," Katara told the boy.

"Grandma was right," Sokka said in amazement. "You can bend air. How do you do that?"

"We Airbenders learn to feel the energy behind the wind, not just the breeze on our skin," the boy explained. "It's all about controlling energy."

The young Airbender looked down at Prince Zuko's ship, which moved swiftly through the ice valley below.

"The Fire Nation is up to something," he said, frowning. "I have to go back home now. I could drop you guys back at your village, or you can come with me and I'll bring you home later."

Sokka and Katara looked at each other. They both thought of their grandmother's words. Their destinies were now tied to the young Airbender's. They had committed to helping him, and they were going to see that promise through.

"We're going to make sure you get back safely," Katara said.

"Yeah, drop us back home later," Sokka added quickly.

"Great," said the boy, obviously pleased to have his new friends along on the journey. "Then let's go home, Appa. Yip-yip!"

Appa moaned his approval, then stepped off the ice cliff, lifting his enormous bulk into the air. The three passengers seated on his back held on tightly as the sky bison flew out over the ocean. Within a few minutes, the Fire Nation ship had disappeared from view.

"This is so much fun!" Sokka cried as they soared through the sky. "In a terrifying kind of way."

"'Yip-yip'?" Katara asked.

"That's the command to start flying," the Airbender replied, looking out ahead as warm thoughts of home filled his mind.

Arrive at SAT

Spoiler

A few hours later the Southern Air Temple came into view. "There it is!" the boy cried excitedly, pointing at a grand temple that sat high atop a mountain. "Home. Bring us down, Appa, old buddy."

Appa landed in a big open field near the base of the Southern Air Temple. Katara and Sokka dropped from the bison's back, landing hard on the ground. The young Airbender drifted softly down beside them.

"Katara, this field is where the flying sky bison sleep," he explained. Looking around, he saw no sky bison. "That's weird. They must all be out flying, I guess."

Katara glanced around. "Wow," she said. "I didn't know people lived so high up in the mountains."

AS Scene from SAT

Spoiler

A scraping sound startled him. Aang walked slowly toward the sound, stepping blindly through the fog.

He came face-to-face with an enormous beast with scaly skin. The creature was rubbing up against the rough wall, creating the scraping sound. Suddenly it stopped moving.

"Avatar," the Dragon said in a deep but gentle voice. "The human world and the spirit world are in danger. Where have you been? You may already be too late."

Then the Dragon disappeared as quickly as he had come, but Aang remained shrouded in the white mist. Somewhere, far way in the distance, a girl's voice rang out.

"I know you feel alone, Aang. I know how you feel. My mother was taken and killed by the Fire Nation. I know you feel you don't have a family anymore. But Sokka and I can be your family, Aang. I'm your friend. I'm here. I won't leave you!"

The white mist started to slowly lift. The prayer field came back into Aang's view, along with Sokka and Katara, as he hovered in the air. He felt himself drift toward the ground as the winds all around him died down. He landed and felt as if he were going to pass out.

Then he collapsed into Katara's waiting arms.
"I'm sorry, Aang," she said. "I'm so sorry."
&#65279;

Extended Earthbender Scene

Spoiler

"When they invaded our village, the Fire Nation forbade us from having anything related to bending," the old man explained. "Now you have inspired us."

Aang watched as the people of the village brought out their traditional Earthbending robes and belts, then slipped them on over their tattered clothing. The finely made and beautifully decorated garments seemed to fill them with a newfound spirit.

Then, one by one, Earthbenders unleashed powerful moves. One bender raises his hands over his head and a tall peak of rock sprung up from the earth. Another Earthbender whipped her arms forward and an enormous boulder flew through the air, coming to rest on top of the peak the first Earthbender had raised.

Aang was thrilled that just his presence had filled these people with hope and renewed their fighting spirit.

 

[Project862006]

Ozai/Zhao extended scene

Spoiler

"Are the stories real or not, Commander?" the seated man asked.

"Fire Lord Ozai, we are tracking the stories of the Avatar through the towns," Zhao replied. "There have been many sightings of him. Some say he is just a skinny boy."

The Fire Lord looked up at Zhao, who continued to speak. "But, my lord, there seems to be a growing rebellion inspired by this boy. How seriously should we take this? He is just one person. The reign of the Avatar is over."

Fire Lord Ozai looked back toward his palace. "The Avatar will convince others that the four elements are the same," he said. "He will confine us to a lower place, where Fire will not long be the dominant element. Others will feel more powerful. And he will once again be the bridge to the spirit world."

"Then this is a Fire Nation issue now," Zhao stated with certainty. "It can no longer simply be about punishing your son, who has demonstrated questionable courage." The Fire Lord said nothing, so Zhao continued. "I believe we should set a trap for the Avatar. He will return to the Northern Air Temple to try to contact the spirit world. I am certain of it. I will send word ahead to have our men wait there. I will start my travel now, if you give me permission."

Again the Fire Lord said nothing, and Zhao grew uncomfortable with the extended silence. "Forgive my boldness, my lord, but I found the Great Library when most said it didn't even exist," Zhao said. "Because of my actions, we have now learned all the secrets of the spirit world contained within the library. With all due respect, I believe I have earned this command. I have earned the right to find and eliminate the Avatar."

The Fire Lord nodded and finally spoke. "My son deserves the opportunity to regain his honor. But you man also pursue the Avatar with your army. If you should find him first, then that is simply my son's fate."

Commander Zhao bowed deeply. "As always, my lord, I thing you are being extremely fair," he said. "I will leave at once." Then he turned and strode from the palace, a satisfied smirk spreading across his broad face.

Aang/Dragon Spirit Extended Scene

Spoiler

There are the seeds of belief among the Fire Nation that the spirit world's time of influence over the humans should end," the Dragon said. "Then the beast's enormous head poked through the thick mist and drew close to Aang. Thick scaly skin covered its face. Long, sharp teeth filled its mouth.

"The Fire Nation has stolen secret knowledge of the spirit world from the Great Library," the Dragon continued. "They are intending to misuse this knowledge."

Aang took a deep breath and tried to summon his courage. "I will stop them," he stated firmly.

A huge dragon claw appeared suddenly from the mist. The Dragon pondered Aang's words.

"I know you will try," the Dragon said after a moment. "But it requires many, many years to master all the elements. The comet that gave the Fire Nation the power to start this war one hundred years ago will be returning in three years. It will once again give the Firebenders the ability to use their chi to produce fire themselves, rather than just manipulate already existing fire. Every Firebender will be able to create fire and use it against their enemies. If they have not been defeated by the day the comet returns, nothing will be able to stop them."

This news hit Aang hard. His fear of not being good enough, of not having enough time to learn all he needed to learn, came crashing back down on him.

"Spirits can sense things about the future," Aang said, pushing back the wave of emotion that threatened to overtake him. "Will I stop them? Will I fix everything?"

"I don't know, Avatar Aang," the Dragon replied. "It is unclear."

"Can you tell me anything about the future?" Aang asked, practically pleading with the Dragon for some shred of hope.

"I can tell you that the one called Katara will be very important to you," the Dragon said. "But be careful with your feelings and actions. You have struggled with this in all your lifetimes, Avatar: the balance between your desire for love and family, and your responsibility to the world. You have begun to change things, but now you must get to the Northern Water Tribe. The Fire Nation will soon attack, and they have information that can help them defeat the Water Tribe. If they succeed, all is lost."
"But what--," Aang began to speak, but the Dragon vanished into the cloud of mist, which filled the cave, completely engulfing Aang.
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Zhao/Aang Interrogation Extended

Spoiler

Zhao continued his interrogation. "I understand when you freed that handful of towns you were quite impressive, but you only used Airbending against my soldiers. Why is that?"

Again Aang remained silent. Zhao reached down and slid a large bucket of water directly under Aang's dangling feet. "You know," Zhao said almost playfully, "I hate water. I don't even know how to swim."

Aang stared down at the bucket.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Use that water. Go ahead, bend it. I'm defenseless."

Aang still didn't move, confirming Zhao's suspicions.

"As I thought," the Fire Nation commander muttered.

Aang turned his head away.

"I wish I was there when the comet came and they killed the rest of your kind," Zhao said, with a sharp, cruel edge in his voice. "I hear the Airbenders were very cowardly. They didn't even fight. Did you know that? Sad, really."

Aang felt flushed with shame. Zhao was right. He should have been there. He should have saved his people.

"I am disappointed, though," Zhao said, after allowing Aang a long moment to wallow in guilt and pain. "I thought I would be a little more impressed when I finally caught you." Then he strode from the room, slamming the door loudly behind him.

Aang/Zuko in Woods after Temple Escape

Spoiler

A short while later the sun began to set. Aang found a spot to camp for the night. He built a campfire and sat beside the still-unconscious form of Zuko, pondering his next move. He had to get back to Katara and Sokka, and he couldn't lose any more time in getting to the Northern Water Tribe. But he also knew he could just leave Zuko there.

Aang sat by the fire through the night, adding wood to keep them both warm. Glancing at Zuko, he noticed something peeking out of the prince's pocket. Pulling it out, Aang saw that it was Katara's Water Tribe necklace. He smiled, then slipped it into his own pocket. He had no idea how Zuko had gotten it, but he was glad to have discovered it. Katara would be so happy to get it back.

Zuko rose with the sun, groaning and forcing his eyes open. The moment he spotted Aang, he struggled to his feet. With a swift Firebending move, Zuko pulled from the glowing embers of the campfire and hurtled three spikes of blazing orange flames at Aang.

Aang leaped to a nearby tree, jumping from branch to branch, to avoid Zuko's relentless Firebending barrage. He rescued me and then I rescued him, Aang thought as he climbed higher and disappeared into the thick forest canopy. I guess we're even.

Reuniting with Sokka and Katara

Spoiler

Katara paced back and forth at the edge of the lake, stopping every few seconds to look up. Sokka sat nearby, tossing rocks into the water.

"We've got to do something," Katara blurted.

"Katara, we've been over this again and again," Sokka replied. "We don't even know where this temple is. There's nothing to do but wait. He can take care of himself. He'll be back. Just be patient, like them." Sokka tilted his head in the direction of the Kyoshi warrior, who were sitting quietly and meditating.

A few more minutes passed when suddenly a large shadow fell over Katara.

"Aang!" she cried, as she looked up and spotted Appa.

Appa landed. Aang slid off his back, bowed to the Kyoshi warriors, then joined Sokka and Katara in a group hug.

"We were so worried about you," Katara cried.

"I'm okay," Aang explained as the group dispersed. "I was captured at the Northern Air Temple, but I got some help from an unexpected person." Aang then told his friends the tale of how Zuko, dressed as the Blue Spirit, first rescued him, then tried to captured him.

"Which reminds me," Aang said as he finished his story. "I have something for you, Katara." He reached into his pocket, pulled out her necklace, and placed it gently around her neck. Their eyes locked for a moment as both felt the joy and relief of seeing each other again.

"We'd better keep moving," Aang said after a moment. "We've got to get to the Northern Water Tribe."

Katara, Sokka, and Aang climbed up onto Appa's back.

Arrival to the NWT

Spoiler

Aang and his friends continued on their way. Soon, lush green mountains gave way to snow-covered hills. The white mountains led to a vast ocean. Blue tinted glaciers jutted up from the water as Appa splashed down into the icy sea. The bison used his flat, paddle-shaped tail to propel himself through the water, swimming around glaciers and past icebergs. Sokka searched his maps, trying to figure out exactly where they were.
"Look!" Katara shouted suddenly. "Men in boats. And they're wearing Water Tribe clothing. Sokka, we're here. We've found the Northern Water Tribe!"
"Over here!" Sokka and Katara shouted together, waving their arms frantically.

The men of the Water Tribe paddled their boat over to Appa. Their eyes opened wide in surprise at the sight of the enormous floating bison. Sokka and Katara smiled broadly. They had never met their brothers from the Northern Water Tribe, though their father had told them stories of the powerful benders there. Aang remained silent and hooded.

"I am a Waterbending from the Southern Water Tribe," Katara announced. "And I travel with a person of great importance."

Sokka beamed with pride. He had no idea that his sister considered him a person of great importance. Then he sighed and his shoulders slumped as he realized that Katara was referring to Aang.

"We must see your princess and your finest Waterbending masters," Katara added.

The men of the Northern Water Tribe nodded. "Follow us back to the stronghold," one of them said.

A few minutes later Aang peered out from under his hood to see a stronghold formed from huge walls of ice that rose up from the ocean's surface. A narrow channel created a small opening in the walls. Appa followed the Water Tribe boats through this channel and into the stronghold.
Aang, Sokka, and Katara stepped off Appa and followed the men, who had led them across the main courtyard of the Northern Water Tribe stronghold. Crowds formed as they moved across the vast icy plaza, staring at the enormous fur-covered beast and the strangers he had carried to their home.

The Water Tribe men lad the visitors into a glistening crystal palace of ice. They were brought to a large chamber where they stood before a group of the tribe's leaders. In the center of the group sat a beautiful sixteen-year old girl with long white hair and deep, soulful eyes. Sokka found himself immediately lost in the girl's eyes—until she noticed him staring at her, and looked away. Then she stood and spoke to the newcomers.

"I am Princess Yue, and I welcome you to the Northern Water Tribe," she said.

"I am Katara, a Waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe," Katara began, realizing that everyone was staring at her. She noticed one older man who sat alone in the corner and stared at her with particular intensity. "This is my brother, Sokka, a warrior from the Southern Water Tribe."

Sokka bowed, and Katara continued, telling the group of their long journey from the South Pole through the Earth Kingdom, and all the way here to find their sister tribe.

Then she paused and turned to Aang.

"We welcome our brethren from the south," one of the elders said. "But who is this other young one? He does not dress like a Water tribesman."

Aang took off his cloak and exposed his Airbending tattoos. He performed a simple Airbending move, creating a spinning funnel of air in the chamber. Everyone in the room stood up. A flurry of mutterings sped through the room. They could not believe their eyes.

"The Avatar?"

"He has returned?"

"There is hope!"

"Where has he been?"

Katara raised her hands to quiet the chattering group. "The Avatar needs to learn Waterbending from your finest master," she explained as the group fell silent. "Is there one here among you who can teach him?"

All eyes immediately turned to the old man in the corner. He stood slowly.

"I am Master Pakku," he said in a surprisingly strong voice for one who looked so frail. "And I will teach the Avatar!"

after you have read all this you cant tell me this would not of added so much to the movie

 

[Timstuff]

Obviously it's a junior novel, so the writing is aimed at lower-level readers, but even so it definitely sounds like there's a lot more emotional content and interaction between the characters than in the film. Also, Katara is not wearing her necklace in the film from the end of the first Earth Kingdom scene to the end of the Blue Spirit section of the film, which seems to confirm that the part with Katara losing her necklace was indeed shot. Most of the stuff in the book that's not in the movie was probably filmed and finished only to be taken out later, because junior novels rarely embellish on things that aren't shown directly in the film (and I read a lot of them when I was young). The Manga adaptation also has lots of material that's not in the final cut of the film.