The Last Airbender (2010) - Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Noah Ringer

Panned by the critics when it was released, I finally watched The Last Airbender this morning on my streaming Netflix account.

The last M. Night Shyamalan movie, Netflix ranked it as the most popular movie of the day.

I watched it. And it wasn't half-bad. In fact, it was better than bad. It was pretty good.

A take-off of the popular children's animation series Avatar: The Last Airbender, the story is about a world where four countries are at war. Once held together by the peaceful reign of a single avatar that controlled the 4 elements--earth, wind, air and fire--the avatar disappeared and war began. Each country has a breed of benders that can shift the elements of their country. Only the avatar, who can bend all four, can bring them peace. Suddenly, he returns, ready to bring them back to peace.

The movie stars Noah Ringer, as the last airbender, Dev Patel, as the wronged fire prince.

With awesome special effects and some great martial arts, the movie was produced by two of the TV shows producers and long-time Hollywood producer Kathleen Kennedy. She got her start with Steven Spielberg on his production of E.T.

Phoebe in Wonderland - Elle Fanning, Felicity Huffman, Patricia Clarkson, Bill Pullman (2008)

Phoebe in Wonderland takes an extremely interesting movie takes a different spin on Alice in Wonderland, and examines the world of a a 9-year old girl struggling with self control in her rigid, rules-based world.

The directorial debut of Daniel Barnz, the movie is based on a screenplay that he wrote 10 years prior.

Elle Fanning, younger sister of Dakota Fanning, shows herself to be just as formidable of an actress as her sister. At the tender age of 10, she firmly hold the center of the stage.

Patricia Clarkson, fast becoming one of my favorite actresses, gives another sublime performance. Her acting is so effortless that you don't even recognize it as acting. She just IS.

The story is a fascinating look at a young girl's struggle with compulsive behavior and the anxiety it causes in her obviously bright and artistic family. Bill Pullman plays Phoebe's father and is an English professor. Felicity Huffman, of Desperate Housewives fame, struggles with motherhood and her attempts to finish her dissertation. And Bailee Madison, as Phoebe's younger sister, is a bright light as her supportive, yet frustrated younger sister. All give very strong supporting performances.

And another favorite of mine, Campbell Scott, makes an appearance as the school principal.

Blind Side - Sandra Bullock (2009)

Blind Side tells the true story of how one woman and her family pick up a homeless young black man off the streets of Memphis and turn his life around.

Sandra Bulluck plays Leigh Anne Tuohy, the affluent wife of former MBA basketball player Sean Tuohy, played by Tim McGraw.

The Tuohys spot "Big Mike" walking down the road after they've all left the Christian private school that the Tuohy's children and Mike attend. Leigh Anne decides to take this 300-pound 17-year old black kid into their home for the night.

Mike was brought into the school as a charity case. A nearly grown foster kid that has bounced from house to house, his mother is a crack addict and his father is unknown. He thinks he has somewhere between 10-12 brothers and sisters but he is unsure where they all are.

So by the time Leigh Anne meets him, he can barely read and he is so shut down that he won't hardly talk.

Bit by bit, Leigh Anne works with Michael to show him that there is hope, there is love and there is family.

Beth: You're changing that boy's life.
Leigh Anne Touhy: No, he's changing mine.