So I’ve been a little too busy with work to post, but I was informed of some rather interesting developments surrounding the new Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. As it turns out, many people are banning together to boycott the movie and its production team for casting white actor Noah Ringer to play Aang. Sporting the slogan “Aang is Asian and can still save the world,” a group of race activists created a group on Facebook called “People Against Racebending” that’s really starting to pick up steam.

>>>You can check out the group here: People Against Racebending

The Associated Press picked up the story and noted that many critics have panned the movie for ignoring diversity and richness of culture present in the beloved children’s cartoon series, which the movie is based on.

“To take this incredibly loved children’s series, and really distort not only the ethnicity of the individual characters but the message of acceptance and cultural diversity that the original series advocated, is a huge blow,” said Michael Le of Racebending.com

The MSNBC article also went on to compare the ordeal to the casting of Jake Gyllenhaal in the upcoming Prince of Persia movie. Hello people! I wrote about that issue back in November of last year! I need more press coverage!

>>>Read more about my initial reaction to the casting of Jake Gyllenhaal.

Noah Ringer a Scapegoat

I would love to see some diversity in film, but until the numbers back it up I don’t think the studios will ever change. Nothing sends a bigger message than voting for your dollars. I do feel bad for Noah Ringer being a scapegoat for the cause, but Hollywood indeed made the wrong move by “whitewashing” a children’s movie. I think it does send the wrong message. What would a parent say to their child if asked why Aang isn’t Asian? I’m not sure there’s an easy answer to this. People have to realize there are challenges in casting an Asian actor as well however. When I asked my Asian friends what they thought of the whole ordeal, many of them stated that “there really aren’t any Asian actors, especially kids, to choose from. Asian parents push kids towards being doctors or lawyers, not actors.”

Is Aang Asian?

I don’t share the same sentiment, but I’m really interested in hearing your reactions to the whole controversy. Some people are emailing me and saying that this is also why the Dragon Ball movie failed, to which I answered that the movie was doomed whether Goku was Asian or not. So I’m not really sure what to think at this point. Was it ever confirmed that Goku or Aang are Asian? It doesn’t matter to Hollywood but it obviously bothers many of you.

How do you feel about the casting of a white actor to play the Last Airbender?

The Last Airbender Trailer

Check out the trailer for The Last Airbender

AintItCool has some great, exclusive information on the upcoming Gaiking movie. For those who didn’t have the luxury of playing with Gaiking toys as a kid, we pity you. Here’s a quick read on Gaiking courtesy of Wikipedia. For those who are looking for a quick explanation, Gaiking is a giant mecha robot who kicks the asses of an invading race of aliens.

Gaiking Teaser Trailer

Take a sneak peak at the Gaiking teaser trailer. It looks pretty amazing to me, although it’s really just a creatives teaser as of now.

Gaiking vs. Transformers

The real reason I’m rooting for this movie is because it’s the first time we may have a mecha movie done right. And by right, I don’t mean the crapfest that was Transformers. While I’ll admit the movie was at times entertaining, the focus on the human element seemed to detract from the rich history and development of the Transformers themselves. Some people might say that we should be focusing on humans to connect to the machines, but the truth is we’ve already connected to them emotionally through the television series, and that worked just fine. In short, there was no need for Shia or Josh Duhamel, but I’ll leave Megan Fox alone (since this is Guy movie review and we don’t want to blaspheme against the Fox).

Take a look at the intricacies and attention to detail in the shots, and notice how polished the whole concept is. That’s what’s lacking in Transformers, which arguably has much richer source material than the Gaiking series. The developers are even talking of creating life-size robots for their shoots – now that’s commitment! Eat your heart out Michael Bay, because if this movie ever gets made you’ll be exposed and I’m actually a fan of some of your movies.

What did you think of the Gaiking teaser?

If you’re anything like me (and you’re probably considered normal if you aren’t), you’re absolutely looking forward to this weekend. No, not because it’s Easter weekend, but because Clash of the Titans is coming out! I mean what’s more entertaining, a rabbit who gives kids rainbow-colored eggs or Sam Worthington kicking some mythological ass and standing up for us puny humans? If you’re bringing a date to the movie this weekend, and I hope my readers are cool enough to get dates, you can definitely impress her with some of these facts about Greek mythology that will surely score you some points.

Greek Mythology and Clash of the Titans 101

1. Perseus is played by Sam Worthington, the same actor who appeared in the number 1 movie of all time Avatar and in Terminator: Salvation as Marcus.

2. The story behind Clash of the Titans involves Perseus leading a band of men against Hades, ruler of the underworld.

3. Perseus’s father is Zeus, king of the gods, and his mother is Danaë, a human.

4. Perseus in the original myth must defeat the Gorgon Medusa and bring her head as a gift to Polydectes. He would later offer the head to Athena, who places it on Zeus’s shield.

5. The Kraken is a terrible sea monster that is fated to kill Andromeda, Perseus’s future wife.

6. Pegasus is the name of the badass winged horse that Perseus tames at some point in the film.

Now that you’ve had a quick history lesson, it’s time to go enjoy yourself at the movies this weekend! I’m so excited to see how the gods will be portrayed in relation to humans, specifically if they can pull it off without seeming cheesy.

Clash of the Titans Trailer

Check out the second trailer for the movie.

Sam Worthington Interview on Clash of the Titans

Here’s a great clip of Worthington discussing the film.

Are you watching Clash of the Titans this weekend? Don’t forget you can also see the movie in 3D!

News: Zack Snyder, director of Frank Miller’s epic comic 300 is in talks with Warner Bros. to re-release the movie in 3D. Warner apparently showed Snyder a 10 minute clip that they had converted to the 3D format, and according to the director the full movie could be done soon. Also, Snyder is working on a sequel to the movie and is waiting on all original material from Miller himself.

[source: SuperHeroHype]

Would You See 300 in 3D?

I’m just curious to see how many people would be willing to pay for another ticket to see the same movie in 3D. I know I would be since I rewatch the movie often enough that adding the novelty of 3D would be worth it. How about for you? Avatar was my first 3D movie experience ever, and I’m not ashamed to say that I’d watch anything in that format – as long as it’s a Guy movie. I can’t wait to see how 3D changes the way directors tell their stories onscreen. Can you imagine how great The Hobbit or even a converted Lord of the Rings trilogy would look? Count me in.

300 Sequel Directions

I’ve read a lot recently about the sequel to the 300 movie, and it’s safe to say that no one really knows what to expect. Some have mentioned the 300 live on and battle in Hades while others have suggested the movie will actually be a prequel. I feel that the movie itself was a great launching pad for a movie with a grander scale. Leonidas mentioned that he wanted everyone to know what happened at his last stand, and how few stood against many. Snyder could easily build upon this, take a step back and show how the actions of the 300 Spartans united the Greek nations in repelling the Persian Empire. The last battles of that war are epic in scope and scale, and only that kind of vision will do justice to the more myopic themes touched on in the original film.

300 Apples

For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, here’s on of my favorite spoofs from the 300 movie. Makes me laugh every time I see it.

Where do you think the next film should go? Before you speak, know that at Guy Movie Review everyone, even a king’s messenger, is responsible for the words of his voice. Now, what message do you bring?

Avatar – James Cameron

Avatar Official Poster

What did you think of the Avatar trailer?