Although Avatar – The Legend of Aang (originally titled Avatar: The Last Airbender), which ran for three seasons, was made for children, the animated series dissects very serious topics, including war, genocide, spirituality and a deeply developed character with an extensive tragic past. In addition, the two fathers of the series, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, successfully mixed all of this with good-natured and snarky humor, and the end result was one of the best animated cartoon series of all time, which is not only enjoyed by young people.
Netflix undertook a huge task when it decided to retell Aang’s story as a live-action work, which is a shame if only because M. Night Shyamalan already tried this in 2010, but we would prefer to bury that adaptation with earthbenders in a very into a deep pit. At the outset, we can say that this current reimagining is miles better than the previous version, but it is no coincidence that there were such mixed reactions to the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Where did Aang go?
The series provides relatively good information to newcomers who are now encountering this exciting world inspired by real cultures and legends, which is partly the playground of the benders who rule over the four natural elements. Among them, the avatar stands out, who can control all four, but his latest incarnation, 12-year-old Aang, who lives among the air nomads, disappears. And unfortunately for the world’s biggest bad luck, it doesn’t even happen for 100 years, which is more than enough time for the people of Fire to wage a generational war with the rest of the world’s inhabitants, so by the time our young hero shows up again, he has to cope with his enormous responsibility in a very changed world.
The plot of the eight-episode season is mostly based on the first season of the original cartoon, so it pretty much covers its events. At the same time, the Netflix writers disrupted the storylines in many places. This means, on the one hand, that the already known events do not always appear in their original form and order during the adventure, and on the other hand, brand new scenes not seen in the cartoon have been included, which often perfectly fill the small gaps in the story. Examples include the relationship between Zuko and his crew, and how Sozin was able to deal with the airbenders at the same time. Except for one, of course.
Oppressive density
It doesn’t always work so well to take apart the known storylines and then weave them together again, because unfortunately the story moves at too fast a pace, there is little time to wind down, so we mostly get the filler dose built into the main story. This may seem like a good idea on paper, and it works for the most part, but sometimes there are so many storylines that open up in a single episode that the point is easily lost between them. The engineer who moved to Omashu and his son in a wheelchair don’t stand out so much yet, but when we get the story of Jet’s freedom fighters in the same place, complete with the lovers’ cave, it can surprise even veteran fans.
It would have been much better if the story didn’t rush so much, because then there would be enough time to unfold the above interesting stories and to include the missed threads, and of course we could have felt much less often as if the script was hiding in the pockets of the characters, and based on that they say what they have to. There is no lack of tongue-in-cheek exposition, and it is at least as embarrassing when, instead of a subtle hint or an explanation that fits the story, the series forcefully tells us what we have seen. The already mentioned pace of the plot, which resembles a forced march, really does not help with the more common texts, also to the detriment of this, it can be written that the appropriate bond between certain protagonists simply does not develop organically. For example, the avatar’s team rarely feels like a real family, they don’t have time to become one.
Excellent cast – with two exceptions
Of course, the situation is not completely bleak, there are plenty of striking speeches, as well as excellent acting performances. The character of the main villain Ozai, for example, is definitely benefited by the play of Daniel Dae Kim, who, after his minor roles in cartoons, conjures up a fire lord on the screen that is much more charismatic than the original. Dallas Liu, who plays Zuko, also brings the angry crown prince skillfully, even if we won’t always take his outbursts seriously.
A big positive is Ian Ousley, or Sokka, who, although not nearly as funny as in the cartoon, his other specific qualities are well presented, and the character does not lose its essence even despite the noticeable refinements. On second thought, many people can be singled out in a similar way, because the casting is basically great, almost all the important faces were authentically transferred to the series, and even among the very minor characters, outstanding performances were found.
That’s why it’s especially sad that Gordon Cormier, who plays the title character, steals the show mostly only with his CGI scenes during eight episodes. Obviously, you have to judge child actors differently than veterans, but you can’t really feel the joie de vivre typical of this character in this Aang, and his age-defying wisdom often seems rather forced. The other low point, unfortunately, is another main character, Katara, because although Kiawentiio fits the role, her acting, which resembles a bored reading, is quite illusion-destroying. Sometimes they both show that they really can if they want to, so at least it’s a good sign that they have a chance to become much better in their roles.
The visuals are sometimes gorgeous, sometimes as if they were generated by AI
Although the shortcomings of the plot are not covered, the fight choreographies are good, and the CGI in certain scenes is also outstandingly spectacular. Strangely enough, other times digital environments are as if they were generated by artificial intelligence. There are a lot of static scenes when the speakers barely move, but in return we can at least see their physicality up close so that we don’t have to show too much of the more surreal locations of the world of Avatar. Meanwhile, when we see these places from a distance, in their full extent, the sight is magnificent, so it is a mystery, what is this secrecy about.
A lot more real sets could have been made, because the costumes and other parts are excellent, there are only a few of them, and the digital environment in this case too often collides with reality. Many times we can really get the feeling that if someone were to leave their space of movement, they would immediately fall apart into pixels in the flowing background. Bizarre. In addition, the aforementioned duality emerges here as well, because there are a lot of realistic locations where you can move around much more freely. It would be a big step forward if the producers would focus more on practical effects in the second season, because that way they only limit themselves. Fortunately, during the action, we perceive less of the above problems, the duels between the benders are spectacular, despite the CGI that is a bit clumsy in some places, and the big battle at the end of the season is particularly atmospheric.
There is also fan service and much less infantilism
The latter is mostly due to the fact that the creators used an interesting visual solution to illustrate the stakes, which are difficult to write about without spoilers, so let’s just say that we will know who is with whom. It’s no secret, however, that several musical motifs from the original cartoon were used for the series, so if it wasn’t clear based on what we saw, we’ll feel it with our ears when Aang puts himself there, or we’ll get a glimpse of the twists and turns of the Fire Nation. These winks are great fan service, but luckily they aren’t necessary for Avatar: The Last Airbender to stand its ground.
Netflix’s adaptation presents the plot of the cartoon in a much more mature way, for example, we can see a man burned by a fire bender, and it has also dropped a lot of childish humor. Let’s say, this last point is a little negative, but regardless, it is still basically the same magical journey that so many people embarked on nearly 20 years ago. There is no doubt that there are many small areas that can and should be improved for the possible second season, but if it is possible to refine a few acting games and the environments will not be so sterile, and the writers do not want to cram every single filler story into one part, then the encouraging after the beginning, the continuation of Aang’s tale will be equally enjoyable.
All episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 1 are available on Netflix.
The quality of Netflix’s live-action Avatar adaptation, which is a lavish journey at one moment and a stumbling trudge at the next, is of a fluctuating quality. Despite this, the overall picture is more positive, as it really managed to stay true to the original series in many aspects, so old fans can go on a familiar adventure, and newcomers can see that Avatar is a great number even if there are no blue aliens in it. However, it is very important to add that if there is a second season, it will have to be preceded by quite serious changes. However, the direction is definitely good, even if it is nowhere near perfect.