Few filmmakers have experienced the roller-coaster ride of Hollywood as severely as M. Night Shyamalan. This Indian-born American director is genuinely unique with his mind-blowing plots, distinctive cinematic style, and twist endings.

Director M. Night Shyamalan spoke out about his widely criticized film The Last Airbender, the 2010 live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender

The plot of The Last Airbender, which aired on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008 follows Aang, as he works with his allies to learn how to master the four elements. The Last Airbender received harsh reviews after its release from both critics and audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 6% and is mainly regarded as an unsuccessful adaptation.

M. Night Shyamalan Spoke out about His Widely Criticized The Last Airbender

M. Night Shyamalan‘s film rendition of the critically acclaimed Nickelodeon television series Avatar: The Last Airbender was derided and reviled by both fans and critics. The filmmaker, who was once regarded as the new Steven Spielberg, defended the movie when talked about adapting from source materials.

M. Night Shyamalan

“It’s really weird because on the show the average age was, like, nine-years-old,” the director said. “My child was nine-years-old. So you could make it one of two ways. You could make it for that same audience, which is what I did — for nine and 10-year-olds — or you could do the Transformers version and have Megan Fox. I didn’t do that.”

Shyamalan went into more detail about how he learned that while collaborating with a huge studio like Paramount, he couldn’t direct the way he wanted to. Shyamalan also talked about the pressure to be accepted and the criticism he received for some of his earlier works.

What Went Wrong With the Movie?

It’s been more than 20 years since The Last Airbender came out and it appears that Shyamalan still understands why moviegoers didn’t enjoy the film. Currently, it stands at 4/10 on imdb.com and has a 6% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Immediately after its debut, The Last Airbender received harsh criticism. The story alterations, casting choices, and general execution of the movie disappointed fans of the animated series.

It received a lot of flak since many people thought it fell short in capturing the essence and depth of the source material. The film received negative reviews from critics, highlighting in particular the dialogue, pace, and plot changes.

Hollywood star Megan Fox

In the end, Shyamalan believes that the reason why people loathed The Last Airbender was that it was a kid’s movie rather than an adult blockbuster.

The storyline, casting, visual effects, action sequences, and overall production of The Last Airbender all combined to create a perfect storm that ultimately led to the film’s failure. M. Night Shyamalan has borne the brunt of the criticism; as both the writer and director, he was surely behind plenty of creative decisions.