M. Night Shyamalan Explains Why U.S. Critics Didn’t “Get” ‘The Last Airbender’

[Akijama]

This dude is hilarious.

If you were to ask most people why The Last Airbender got so much hate, they’d probably respond with another question: “Where to begin?” Viewers slammed the live-action fantasy for its muddy visuals, its wooden acting, its incoherent plot, its stilted dialogue… and let’s not even get into the whitewashing controversy that surrounded the casting.

If you asked director M. Night Shyamalan, however, he’d have a very different reply. In an old interview, the filmmaker complains that critics just don’t “get” him and his “European sensibility.” Hit the jump to watch his explanation.

The interview’s a few years old, but has been making the rounds on the Internet recently. Given what we know now, it’s a little bittersweet to hear him asked about the sequel that never got made. Showbiz 411 originally posted the video.

Here’s a transcript if you’d rather just do a quick scan:

"I don’t know what’s going on with me and the critics in the United States, I gotta tell you. Something’s going on.

They’ve never got me, and it’s getting worse. It’s almost like, go away. I also think I’m getting more, you know, influenced by other cultures more, as you could see from the movie. So I’m not doing like a straight-up American movie anymore. The tonalities are changing. I always had a European sensibility to my movies. The pacing is always a little bit off for them, and it feels a little stilted, and they need more electricity and all that stuff.

And I’m like, this is the way I think of things. ‘Cause, you know, Hitchcock and Kurosawa and Stanley Kubrick, these are my teachers. So it could be a little bit of that, that there’s just a little bit of cultural difference. Just like on this movie, I’m very used to getting on a plane from the U.S., having been savaged by them, and then going to, like in this case, I went to Japan next, and then they’re like, “Genius!”

You can lose your mind a little bit, going on Saturday from being an idiot to Sunday being a genius. But it gives you perspective. But luckily for me, it’s not something I can fight. It’s not my fight to fight. I’m defenseless, it’s the audience, if they choose to fight for me, then they fight for me. And they have through my career, and I’m honored to have that relationship with them. And I’ll keep fighting for that relationship. And maybe, 20 years from now, I’ll get a good review, I’ll sit here together, and be like, “I got a good review! Woohoo!”

In Shyamalan’s defense, of course he isn’t going to admit his movie sucks during its promotional tour. Still, there has to have been a better way to respond to the criticism Namedropping iconic filmmakers and insisting that the Japanese think he’s a genius just open him to further scorn.

Moreover, it’s not remotely true that American critics have “never” understood him. The Sixth Sense earned six Oscar nominations, and Unbreakable and Signs got solid reviews. But his reputation has plummeted drastically since then, to the extent that the ad campaign for After Earth barely mentioned his name at all. (Not that it helped.)

Although Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender didn’t get a sequel, its source material has lived on. The cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender yielded a sequel, The Legend of Korra, which kicks off its second season this weekend on Nickelodeon.

As with any beloved series, there’s some worry that the new season might not be as good as the last. Perhaps, then, fans can use the video above to calm their nerves. After all, Season 2 of Korra can’t possibly be worse than The Last Airbender, right?

http://www.slashfilm.com/m-night-shy...ast-airbender/

[L-Rouge]

I like Airbender, it's visuals, it's sound and the concept (I am a fan of the Avatar series), but with M Night, he doesn't seem to eviscerate any form of feeling from his actors, that argument can be summed up with one emote .

[toddly6666]

European style = the go-to excuse when your film has an awkard pace, bad acting, and awful storyline.

He forgot to mention that Hitchcock, Kubrick, Kurusawa always had good stories and memorable dialogue in their films.


I would like to see M. Knight do a sequel to Wide Awake which would have an Oscar performance from Rosie o' Donnell.

[Buscemi]

Just give it up, Night.

[MifuneFan]

How about your movie just sucked, and you ruined what could have been great trilogy in the hands of another director? I actually gave TLA the benefit of the doubt going in, as it looked better than reviews suggested, but between the acting, the terrible writing, and the poor casting choices, I can safely say that it sucked. The visuals were probably the best part of it. I think they nailed a lot of what a live action Avatar would look like, it's just sad that M. Night couldn't deliver on the rest. I'm still hoping that after a few more years, there will be a reboot with someone capable at the helm.

[octagon]

Cause, you know, Hitchcock and Kurosawa and Stanley Kubrick, these are my teachers. So it could be a little bit of that, that there’s just a little bit of cultural difference.

[Show spoiler]

Dr. Evil - Riiiight [HD] - YouTube

[olivasauce]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

How about your movie just sucked, and you ruined what could have been great trilogy in the hands of another director? I actually gave TLA the benefit of the doubt going in, as it looked better than reviews suggested, but between the acting, the terrible writing, and the poor casting choices, I can safely say that it sucked. The visuals were probably the best part of it. I think they nailed a lot of what a live action Avatar would look like, it's just sad that M. Night couldn't deliver on the rest. I'm still hoping that after a few more years, there will be a reboot with someone capable at the helm.

+1

I thought this would be great, critics be damned. I guess I am not European enough.

[The Fallen Deity]

I think he's in denial lol.

Just admit it Shyamalan, it's a crap film.

His "European Sensibility", lol he's full of s**t.

[Red Dragon]

Seriously???

I don't even know where to start.

"Lady in the Water" was perhaps M. Night's biggest cinematic turd, right up until the release of "The Happening", a movie which, believe it or not, actually somehow out-turded (I'm not sure if that's an actual term, but if it isn't ...it sure as Hell should be in this particular case!), his previous outing. But wait there's more, because "The Last Airbender" was even worse. And I'm not even going to waste my breath, energy or time talking about "After Earth". Has there even ever been another director who's unleashed four such outrageously, heinous, terrible dreck-fests in a row?! (And please ...don't bring up Ed Wood).

So uhh ...no. It's not that the critics didn't "get" The Last Airbender. It's that your last few movies have all failed miserably. If nothing else, he should be happy that so very many casual movie fans, cinephiles, film reviewers, film critics and internet sites were virtually all united, all brought together by the man and his movies, in a near universal hatred for his last several flicks.

[Britnasty]

Unless his answer was "because it sucked", I don't wanna hear it.

[mikesncc1701]

Even I'll admit to liking Lady In The Water. The Village was awful and then...The Happening. The movie that completely threw me into the hate crowd for this man. Haven't seen Airbender and probably never will. I love The Sixth Sense and Signs, but Unbreakable will forever be his masterpiece.

[chris_sc77]

Nothing is as awful as lady in the water.
I actually saw the happening twice in theatres though. Hilarious. Mark Whalberg gives one of my favourite awful performances of all time.

[Red Dragon]

Originally Posted by mikesncc1701

Even I'll admit to liking Lady In The Water. The Village was awful and then...The Happening. The movie that completely threw me into the hate crowd for this man. Haven't seen Airbender and probably never will. I love The Sixth Sense and Signs, but Unbreakable will forever be his masterpiece.

I admit to hating "Lady in the Water", but I do agree with you 120% that "Unbreakable" was his masterpiece! Samuel L. Jackson was amazing and Bruce Willis was excellent. And yeah, there was a time I dreamed of an "Unbreakable" Trilogy, but given the quality of his recent films, I'm now of the opinion that he should just leave it alone.