This Is Just One Of Many Reasons Why I Don't Like Hollywood Movies

Source: here

Here's a confession: I'm a fan of Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Legend Of Aang, The Last Airbender. Don't worry, this post won't elaborate on the storyline, you just have to google the words if you're curious on this subject. Anyway, back to the topic of Hollywood movies. I follow every episode of Avatar's animation series, from book 1 to book 3. I even borrowed the DVDs from my colleague Naf. Yes, I can be very devoted when I'm obsessed with something:P

I was excited upon hearing that it was going to the big screen. But when I saw the cast, I was like, whaaaat? Aang, Katara and Sokka is played by very pale kids, while Prince Zuko is played by Dev Patel (previously starred Slumdog Millionaire). 

I mean, seriously guys, in the animation series, Aang is a monk,  and from his robe, we can concur that he's either a Chinese or Tibetan monk. Katara and Sokka have darker skin and are from the Pole region, so they're probably Inuits. I'm not sure about Prince Zuko, but from his outfits, he can pass as a Chinese, a Japanese or a Mongolian. 

This means either (a) they don't watch the animation series (which I doubted), (b) there is no Asian movie star who match the criteria (which is impossible, given the fact that China is the world's no. 1 most populated country, there must be talented movie stars there), or (c) Hollywood is downright racist. 

Since we are on the subject of movie and racism, let's talk about Sex and The City 2. While I like the first installment, I think the sequel does not pay respect to the Muslim world. In the movie, the ladies go to Abu Dhabi to have fun in the 'New Middle East', a term they keep saying throughout the movie. 

They find that the black garb and the veil worn by the Arab women are somewhat amusing, especially during eating out at a restaurant. There is a scene where Samantha ignores the local culture, goes out in mini pants and causes havoc in a souq, which I find nonsensical. If someone travels a lot, s/he will find out about the local culture before the departure. 

The most unbelievable part is when Miranda says that "hanji" (sorry, I don't know how to write the right word) means "yes" in Arabic. While I'm not an expert in Arabic language, I can feel that "yes" in Arabic is not that word. Later I asked my friend AMR, and she said that "hanji" is "yes" in Urdu language, while Arabs says "na'am" for yes. That fact almost got me died laughing. Oh boy, the scriptwriters should really learn geography. I was glad I watched the movie for free.

Anyway, this experience has reminded me that I must read the reviews before going for I don't want to spend my precious time and money to watch a bad movie. Well, unless if it is an assignment:)