Posted on 08/16/2010 9:08:53 AM PDT by MissTed
His latest film The Last Airbender has been described as clunky and a disaster by some, and those are among the kinder reviews!
But M. Night Shyamalan says he has learned to turn a blind eye to his detractors, particularly the ones across the pond.
"I don't know what's going on with me and the critics in the United States. They've never got me and it's getting worse!" said the filmmaker.
Despite high praise for 1999's The Sixth Sense, which was nominated for six Academy Awards, follow-ups including The Village and Lady In The Water went down like lead balloons.
The writer and director thinks cultural differences may play a part:
"I've always had a European sensibility to my movies, so the pacing is always a little bit off for (Americans). It feels a little stilted, they need more electricity.
"I'm very used to getting on a plane from the US having been savaged by them and going to - in this case - Japan next, and then they're like 'genius!', he added.
Poor reviews or not, Shyamalan has already penned the sequel to The Last Airbender and a strong peformance at the US box office means it is likely to be made.
Mark
Critics, who mostly have no creative credits, get paid to critique the efforts of those who do have creative credits.
When we look at a film script, it is nothing more than an idea that has bveen converted into ink dots on a page for other people to convert into a story on screen. So, the director’s vision of the screenplay is what we see.
It’s easy to throw darts at something, especially when you get paid for it. It’s less easy to create something from ink dots on paper.
So, what qualifies the critics to be critics??
I can only assume you haven’t watched much of the cartoon, because despite a few superficial similiarities, the cartoon and movie were quite different.
Also, in my opinion, the movie was awful with crappy storytelling and acting.
Signs was a good movie, also.
Signs was stupider than Planet 9 From Outer Space, it was easier to watch, but it was also more laughable.
It was OK. My point was that nothing he's done since has been as remotely as good as The Sixth Sense.
The one aspect of Signs that I did like was that it was really a discussion about the nature of faith, disguised as a science-fiction alien invasion movie, just as The Exorcist was the same, disguised as a horror movie.
“I thought that “Signs” was pretty good. I also liked “The Village” very much.
I agree “Lady in the Water” just didn’t work.”
I have thought everything he made was ok, with the exception of “Unbreakable.” I even liked Lady in the Water and actually saw it last night, for the second time (So no, it wasn’t a blockbuster for me, we’ve been watching all of his movies this month).
I think his only real hit was “The Sixth Sense” and maybe “The Village.” “The Happening” was ok, but only ok. A lot of people didn’t understand the premise of “Lady in the Water.” Watching the trailer gave the impression that it was supposed to be a suspense/thriller. It was NOT. It was merely marketed that way. When I showed my friend the trailer, I said, This is NOT a scary movie, it’s a funny one, essentially a comedy. and We laughed a lot, “Lady in the Water,” is meant to be a fairy tale, for kids, not adults. Someone just marketed it badly, and the wrong audience watched it, and it didn’t work.
In the case of “The Last Airbender,” Shymalan was a moron in his depiction of what was a popular show. A friend and I went with a group, and those who had never seen the show, thought it was horrible, and thought the entire concept was lame, until they saw the show, which was funny, not “series.” Those who were familiar, hated it doubly, he took a decent concept and ran it into the ground. Much like Ang Lee’s, “Hulk.”
I second the motion, the show and movie were nothing alike, not even vaguely. It was a comedy that someone tried to make dramatic, and it didn’t work.
Yesterday I saw the preview of Devil while waiting for Scott Pilgrim Versus the World. When the voiceover said, “From the mind of M. Night Shyamalan” a lot of people laughed.
Just saw the trailer, that one looks stupid. I have to agree that M. Night is getting worse, I just don’t think he got into the hole until “Airbender.”
He apparently makes enough money on his last shlocky movie to get funding for the next one. Quite amazing, to me.
We only watch, what?... two new movies a year? I guess we aren’t “true” movie critics anyway. What do we know? What was the last “new release” that we watched? Wasn’t it “Monsters and Aliens” with the kiddos? I guess we could have critiqued that one! ;)
I had only watched the cartoon sporadically (several years ago) before I had seen the movie. Afterwards though, Nicktoons kept showing Book 1 episodes, and they looked as though they were the storyboards from the movie. Same plot, same characters, same actions and very similar dialogue.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender_%28season_1%29
Episodes 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20 I think is the entire script.
What do his friends call him?
M.?
Night?
M. Night Shyamalan, director of The Sixth Sense, Mmmm Mmmmmm Mmmmmm?
Orson Welles peaked with Citizen Kane.
Mid
When an entertainer gets hostile towards the audience, he faces a losing battle.
My kids (ages 11,9,7) loved Airbender. I liked it as well. Good, light, summer action fare.
I also liked Signs fwiw. Thought The Village was lousy.
“The one aspect of Signs that I did like was that it was really a discussion about the nature of faith, disguised as a science-fiction alien invasion movie, just as The Exorcist was the same, disguised as a horror movie.”
For me the Faith-aspect was the central point of the entire movie. That is why thought a bit better of the movie than some on this thread. The sci-fi to me was practically cartoonish. It had to be deliberate so as to contrast with the serious point of the movie.
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