Light spoiler alert
Although franchise creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino departed the Netflix project to bring Avatar The Last Airbender to a live-action format early during development, I’m sure not every fan will care. What’s presented has everything one expects and wants to go yip-yip on. The humour is downplayed and the world looks fantastic. Most of the special effects work and the wuxia elements added in are enough to get fans excited whenever Aang (Gordon Cormier) goes full on Avatar mode!
The great thing about this version is that it’s not a carbon copy of the original. It takes enough from the cartoon and just how it all begins is unexpected! By offering more backstory helps frame what’s to come, and for those who memorised the series, the added elements give this take a lot more weight. Fire Lord Ozai’s (Daniel Dae Kim) motivations were never made fully clear, and what’s offered here sets him up as that cruel warlord who feels uniting the world under his vision is the future.
Overall, the performances are excellent. Although Gordon Cormier is not as spunky as his cartoon counterpart, to translate that aspect of Aang’s personality would’ve been overkill. Kiawentiio really nails it as Kitara, a soon-to-be waterbender who wants to protect her village. I get the feeling she’ll be the next Zendaya. And Ian Ousley presents us his take on who Sokka is. As for how much of a ladies’ man he’ll become, what’s teased at here needs more development!
With only eight episodes to tell this tale, a lot of Aang, Kitara and Sokka’s adventure to discover the world is cut short. They’re running away from Zuko (Dallas James Liu), who is tasked to catch the Avatar and bring him home. This version dispenses with the brooding attitude that Dante Basco made famous, and I can see Liu becoming an instant teenage heartthrob–if he isn’t one already!
Had this series been longer, viewers would get to understand the motives from the allies who would become part of the series landscape. Episode three is an alternate take on the original series episode five, “The King of Omashu” and it brings in characters like Jet (Sebastian Amoruso) into the fore. King Bumi is a riot, and I wouldn’t be surprised Utkarsh Ambudkar who plays him was challenged since it’s tough to play against a stereotype.
Episode five borrows from the two-part “Winter Solstice,” and I suspect that’s where most of the budget got spent. It’s a much more important chapter to pay attention to because it delves into exposing the fears the trio doesn’t want to confront. For Aang, that’s with his past misdeeds. Kitara saw her mom die and has survivor’s guilt. As for Sokka, it’s about what it means to be courageous. According to the monomyth, this instalment is where each character must enter the heart of darkness before transforming into the heroes that they will soon be.
And by mid-series, Azula (Elizabeth Yu), Ty Lee (Momona Tamada) and Mai (Thalia Tran) are introduced and tasked to hunt for the Avatar; unfortunately much of that story won’t take place until series two. Meanwhile, Zuko and Iroh are searching for the trio on their own, in Earthbender territory, and meet June (Arden Cho), a female bounty hunter. This actress should have played Azula instead because she has the looks that kill and can project that mental fortitute that would later become an instability. Yu can look tough, but that’s not enough.
Perhaps the reason Konietzko and DiMartino left this project is because they didn’t agree to the changes by condensing the story and those casting choices. There’s also the concern that not every supporting character will get the screen time they deserve, and it’s noticeable.
Although Iroh had little to do in the beginning, thankfully he has more stuff to do during the last episodes. And as for having big shoes to fill, especially after Mako really made this figure come to life, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee found the right inspiration to sell the character. Although his obsession with tea did not work, that’s because it’s tough to outdo what Sensei Wu is best known for. The LEGO cartoon Ninjago turned that love for tea into a running joke.
Also, to compress Book One, which is 20 episodes, down to less than half means a lot of character development will get lost. Thankfully, a few of those key moments are addressed in “Masks,” and as for honouring all those tropes that define all that’s wuxia, everything is there. Hopefully, all that gets amped up in the next season as what’s presented felt like 30-secound bouts. I like to see longer fights!
Fans who know the series have high expectations, and Netflix is hoping the fan response will be positive. Although Netflix’s Avatar The Last Airbender is made to appeal to a new generation of fans–which the cast acknowledges as this studio’s goal during their Fan Expo Vancouver 2024 appearance–everyone knows that it’s up to the long-time fans to give their seal of approval. What’s presented works for me! There are nitpicky moments which did not ruin the flow, and in part two, I will offer a spoiler-filled look at what truly got changed.
4 Elements out of 5
Avatar The Last Airbender Final Trailer
