The Last Airbender and 5 Other Stinkers That Didn't Nip Their Child Stars' Careers in the Bud

If you were worried about the fate of young actor Noah Ringer, who starred in M. Night Shymalan's cruddy The Last Airbender (out on DVD this week from Paramount Home Entertainment), fear not -- he's already landed a plum role in Jon Favreau's eagerly anticipated Cowboys & Aliens. Which makes Ringer the latest in a long line of child stars who managed to keep their careers afloat after appearing in a legendary stinker. Ahead, check out five other child star survivors.

Dakota Fanning: Fanning was already having one of the hottest careers of any Hollywood actress -- of any age -- when she took the gamble of appearing in the indie Hounddog, in which her character would be raped on screen. And while aesthetic risk by established stars should always be applauded, Hounddog was such a misbegotten stew of Southern-fried clichés that audiences' only option was hooting in disbelief or walking out of the theater. Even as the film tanked, Fanning proved herself indefatigable, going on to join the popular Twilight franchise, among other projects.

Abigail Breslin: At age 14, Breslin has racked up lots of credits and even an Oscar nomination. And it's her talent and career momentum that has allowed her to Teflon her way through such duds as Nim's Island, Definitely, Maybe, Raising Helen and the super-sappy Christian drama, The Ultimate Gift, en route to hits like Little Miss Sunshine and Zombieland.

Hilary Swank: When Swank won her first of two Oscars, she talked about arriving in L.A. and having to live in her car with her mother for a while before she started getting work. She did not, however, mention her early starring role in The Next Karate Kid, a distaff reboot that basically killed the franchise for 16 years.

Elijah Wood: Before turning 10, Wood was already attracting critical and audience attention for his screen work, particularly in Barry Levinson's Avalon. But it took all his accumulated good will to survive starring in Rob Reiner's North, still considered to be one of the most toxic comedies ever concocted. (What was it that Roger Ebert said about the film? Oh yeah: "I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it.")

Yara Shahidi: The only ingredient in the bland Eddie Murphy comedy Imagine That to get any kind of critical acclaim was young Yara Shahidi, who played Murphy's young daughter. Casting agents must have liked the flavor she brought to the role, since she wound up in Salt, and will appear opposite Hugh Jackman in 2011's Butter. (Coming soon: Baking Soda!)