"The Last Airbender"

Kids/Family, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation. Rated PG. 1 hour, 43 minutes.

The Last Airbender begins with Katara, a waterbender (played by Nicole Peltz) and her brother Sokka (played by Jackson Rathbone) who live in the water tribe. They are hunting for food. As they are standing on the ice, they notice something underneath them. The ice breaks beneath them and it's a sphere made of ice rising above the ice. The sphere opens up and there is a boy (Aang, played by Noah River) and an animal.

"It was amazing, a dream come true," actress Nicola Peltz told AmericaJR.com's Jason Rzucidlo during an exclusive interview. "I've watched the series beforehand. To work with Night was definitely a big, big dream come true."

The boy ran away from home and was forced underneath the ocean. He had markings on his head and was known as Avatar. Aang was brought here to restore harmony to their war-torn world. Around him, there was an igloo village living on the ice. Only Avatar could master all four elements: air, water, earth and fire. Prince Zuko arrives and demands all the elderly. He also takes the boy and gives him a series of tests. All the other people have failed the tests, but he doesn't and they think the little boy is Avatar and want to take the boy to the Fire nation.

Aang resists and escapes. He takes the brother and sister to his home in the Southern Air Temple. He is happy to be back home. However, he finds that his people are killed and gets angry and depressed and decides to fight the Fire nation.

Prince Zuko must find Avatar in order to be heir of the throne of the Fire nation. The warriors there find a scroll and try to decipher it. Whoever finds him first will be respected. So there is a race to find him.

"M, Night Shamalayan is one of those directors you wait for his next film to come out," actor Jackson Rathbone told AmericaJR.com's Jason Rzucidlo. "He's amazing like that. To get to be a part of his next film is incredible. There's a lot of martial arts, a lot of action in this film. We did months of boot camp to study the mixed martial arts. I studied kung fu, martial arts and grappling."

Fire nation warriors destroyed almost everything so Avatar must stop them. There is fighting and the swords come out. It is the Blue Spirit. Avatar is held captive. The Dragon Spirit saved him and he escapes and guides him. The Dragon Spirit tells him to use the ocean power to defeat them.

Aang arrives at the Northern Water Tribe. When he ran away, it was before he learned waterbender techniques. Upon his arrival he was accepted to train with the master as the last airbender. Avatar was training with water to fight the Fire nation.

Ash was falling from the sky, which let the villagers know that Fire Nation had arrived. They were in search of the Avatar to bring him back to his father, Uncle Iroh (Shaun Toub) who was very protective of his son. He would get great respect if he did and was not allowed to come home without him.

Avatar needed a place to meditate to contact a spirit in order to defeat the Fire Lord's son and the Fire Nation.

The special effects were great especially when Avatar's martial arts' moves made the water rise above the ships. Another time when he was fighting and he slides on the pavement and leans backwards in a pose. The graphics of the water which turned into ice at his command was amazing.

The movie lasts one hour and 46 minutes. It was directed by M. Night Shyamalan. I liked the 3 D movie and it will take you back to fantasyland with lots of action and adventure.

OVERALL RATING: B

Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

The Last Airbender movie poster