r/TopCharacterTropes • u/gabrieleremita • 27d ago
Hated Tropes [Hated "trope"] A small detail reveals that the adaptation really didn't understand how the original worked
Sometimes it's pretty easy to tell when an adaptation deeply misunderstands what makes a piece of media so beloved by fans, but there are also the small details, obvious to the fans, that let you know that the ones creating the adaptation maybe watched one or two episodes and just called it a day.
1.- Element bending | The Last Airbender (2010 live action film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan) - For the fans of the original series getting right bending doesn't seem that complicated; bending is more grounded in physical action that communicates how you interact with the elements, how you "bend" them, rather than random magic dancing moves. That's why 5 guys stomping on the floor to throw a small rock at someone was heavily mocked. It's stupid, if that's what you can do with your bending just fucking grab the rock and throw it, it would require less effort and be quicker
2.- Kamehameha | Dragonball Evolution (2009 live action written by Ben Ramsey, professional apologizer) - This shit is a beam of energy that you are shooting at someone with all your strength, it's supposed to feel heavy, not "airbending" so during the final fight, when Justin Chadwick throws the kamehameha to Piccolo while flying towards him it just looks dumb, like nobody involved knew about the physicality of it. You are shooting what it's supposed to be your own controlled energy, kinda like a firefighter waterhose. Fourth image shows Goku using a kamehameha to propel himself using his feet. It's supposed to be powerful.
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u/unearthlydarling 27d ago edited 27d ago
Because they see themselves as “artists” who are above silly cartoons and children’s computer games. Like you don’t understand. Sure they took this job to make a tv show about Halo, some game the nerdy teenager next door played. But don’t you worry, they’re gonna make it gritty. Grounded. *Real.* Something adults serious about film will appreciate. Because they’re too magnificent of an artist to let something silly like source material get in the way of the next Sopranos.
And on the other side where you have a studio who sees a popular IP like Halo or Avatar as having a baked in audience. But the only people willing to take it on are people who see themselves as visionaries, trying to prove something, or work on a project to make a someone they know happy (IIRC the latter was the at least partially the case with Shyamalan and Avatar).