I don't think the movies are going to be able to hold a candle to the series. Never minding the actors' ethnicities, the official trailer's website has text on the iPhone page which reads:
Air, Water, Earth, Fire. Four nations tied by destiny when the Fire Nation launches a brutal war against the others. A century has passed with no hope in sight to change the path of this destruction. Caught between combat and courage, Aang (Noah Ringer) discovers he is the lone Avatar with the power to manipulate all four elements.
... come again? Aang ...
discovers he's the Avatar ...
after 100 years have passed? And what did you say?
"Lone Avatar," was it? As in, "in our movie universe, there were once many avatars who coexisted, but now Aang is the last one" !?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?
I can only hope for the theater audiences that this text was written by someone unfamiliar with the series and that what they really meant to write was that Aang is the last
Airbender and that he
reveals himself to be the Avatar (to Katara and Sokka) after his 100 years-absence.
$50 says though that Shama-llama-ding-dong introduces either Zuko or Ozai has being
another Avatar, i.e. a master over the four elements, by the end of Movie #3. And if I'm right? And I'm $50 richer because of it? The movies are going to blow
hard.