Netflix’s live action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender does not master all of the elements. While there are moments with potential, it feels like a half-hearted effort that strays from the original – without living up to it.
Yours truly is a huge Avatar fan. From watching it as a kid, to watching it multiple times since then, Avatar is the go-to show for a pick-me-up or a TV break. Even years later, the episodes have not (and will never) lose their charm and fun.
That’s a major thing this remake is missing: fun.
The original series was funny and silly at times, which balanced a lot of the intense moments, and showcased how these are kids on a journey to save the world. It’s understandable that they’d make this new version a little bit darker or focus on some serious moments, but it feels like they mostly just have very intense conversations. It’s sad, because the characters don’t get to laugh much, and when they do, it can feel forced. Of everyone, Zuko (Dallas James Liu, Pen15) feels the most true to the original characterization, though there are still some question marks overall.
But before we delve into that, there are some bright points in this series. For one, the series has an Asian and Indigenous cast, staying true to the original series and also making this a big feat in terms of representation. It’s wonderful to see this on screen in such a vivid world that so many of us have loved.
Another plus: the sets. The big budget was clearly devoted to a lot of the sceneries; some of them look like they were lifted straight from the show and made into the realistic backdrop for the series. Also, the 2010 movie version The Last Airbender was a disappointment for fans; this series definitely executes things better. There are times when the show is enjoyable and makes the viewer feel connected to the great potential of this live-action, especially compared to the film.
Now, let’s discuss some of the issues. The writing is fairly messy, taking what should be a packed and enriching book one, where Aang (Gordon Cormier, The Stand) should supposedly train in waterbending, grow closer to his new friends, and start a very important mission to master all of the elements, into a forced plot where the writers try to throw in whatever will look and seem “cool” rather than what is true to the story. In fact, Aang hardly waterbends at all which makes the season feel disjointed and also a leap from the point of the original series.
Honestly, it was to be expected that they would add in random events and new stories, or shift some things around. It’s understandable, as they have to pack everything into eight episodes in a fresh, but still faithful, way. However, it’s all very disappointing. Instead of taking from some of the best moments of the show – for example, the ones that showcase Team Avatar’s friendship, as well as their own individual growth – the series adds in a bunch of long monologues and explanations, rather than just showing us what happens.
Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender somehow rushes and drags all at once making the viewing experience odd. It’s nice to add in some backstories and flesh out some flashbacks, but the issue here is that some of these things are realized and accepted over time – not all thrown at us in season one, when we should be watching Aang start his journey. The whole point of the character development, shifting dynamics, relationship growth, and mastery of bending is that things happen over time. Instead, we get a lot of the events pushed together and mixed up in a way that doesn’t make much sense, and the character development (one of the major pros of the original series) is a jump away; it almost feels like these are different people.
For example, Katara (Kiawentiio, Marvel’s What If…? Season 2) isn’t given much development as a whole and her personality is almost taken away, which makes moments with the main crew feel sadly impersonal. Many characters feel a little bit one-note. Though the cast tries its best with the material, the acting, as much as they try and impress, can be a little underwhelming.
Also, the dynamics in the series are not given enough focus to flourish. For example, Team Avatar’s friendship feels like an afterthought, and throws away what makes the relationships so compelling in the first place. They tell us what to feel, instead of showing it, and rely on the fans love for the series to patch up the holes. If this was the first time you’ve seen Avatar, it might feel different and more special for sure. But it still feels like, because of the reliance on knowledge we must as viewers already have, it could be a little messy for a first-time watcher.
Some suggestions for the series going forward:
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Make it more fun! They are allowed to have some joyful moments where they don’t dive into a serious monologue about the duties of the Avatar. For example, it makes sense to skip filler episodes, but perhaps there could have been a little glimpse into the fun activities that were in them – like Aang doing a voice over, recapping the events, in a “here’s what you missed, this is where we just were” style. That way, they can do some fun callbacks, but not show everything on screen. Or even include some of the music from the fun and silly scenes in the original, calling us back to the animated show.
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Try to fit in more events from the show and weave this into the character growth. It might have been great to see the story follow more of the original events of the show. At first, it seemed like it would follow the storyline of the series a little bit more…but it deviates quite quickly into new places and events that slowly lose the storyline the original followed. Perhaps this is why Aang doesn’t waterbend almost at all in the season!
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Recall some of the original characterizations. It’s fine to have a fresh take on some of the characters, but it would be great if they included more from the characters we already love. For example, Bumi seemed promising, but they changed up the whole heart of his character. Even with Azula (Elizabeth Yu, May December) or Iroh (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Ahsoka), they don’t do justice to the iconic parts of their personality, and instead present something a bit watered down. Same with even the main characters – their development is not always shown. Of course, with time, they might be able to develop this more, so we’ll have to see.
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A Quick Point: some of the story threads also don’t make much sense, like why can other people enter the spirit world (which misses the point), and why are the past avatars materializing in the real world all of a sudden?
This writer absolutely adores the world of Avatar and wanted to like this adaptation so much. It’s something fans have been anticipating since it was announced, and yours truly tried to go in without expectations and just enjoy the series. There are great things going for it, like a fun cast and amazing sets, and perhaps it could improve with time. After all, parts of it seem exciting and action-packed – not to mention visually striking – but it feels like they took out the one thing that makes Avatar: The Last Airbender the truly special series that it is: heart.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is now streaming on Netflix.
