For decades, studios have treated animation as a testing ground for live-action spectacle. Future hits, like The Lord of The Rings, proved viable in this medium before converting. For anime and East-Asian stories, this pipeline rarely works. Yet Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender adapts one of America’s most popular TV shows. Providing a big budget and plenty of time (8 episodes), this live-action adaptation soars when it embraces its emotional and action set pieces. However, Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender struggles by over-relying on CGI and fan service to prop up its world-building.
In a fantastical world, unique individuals possess the ability to “bend” elements to their will. While the Earth, Fire, Water, and Air nations lived in harmony, one grew power-hungry. Thus, the Fire Nation attacked the Air Nomad nation in hopes of capturing The Avatar. This unique boy possesses the ability to bend all 4 elements. However, this reincarnation, Aang (Gordon Cormier), has only mastered Air. After an accident, Aang becomes frozen in ice. One hundred years later, Water Nation teens Katara (Kiawentiio) and Sokka (Ian Ousley) awaken Aang. The three become a team as they navigate to the North Pole while outrunning Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu) of the Fire Nation.
Matching the tone of the animated series would leave Avatar: The Last Airbender in an impossible position. Yes, comedy and silliness work in animation. However, few shows achieve that levity while maintaining grounded emotions. A series like One Piece works because of its melodramatic and dynamic energy. Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender cannot commit to that tone without undermining the very stakes they hope to establish. A healthy fear of fascism and absolute power courses throughout this show. The imagery and actions are not unique to the world of Avatar, making real-world connections very obvious. This grounded tone helps transition the narrative to live-action, but it will certainly frustrate some fans.
One of the better aspects of this version comes in the townspeople Aang encounters. Their frustration with The Avatar creates new wrinkles that deal with real consequences. Rather than pure joy at discovering his survival, there’s resentment and bitterness. For a century he’s been gone, and those left behind remind him that while he slept, they suffered. While previous iterations feature wholesale acceptance by many (as soon as episode 3), Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender features a world beaten down by war.
A healthy dose of skepticism exists as well, with many questioning Aang’s abilities. This forces Team Avatar to prove themselves through action instead of parlor tricks. For this adaptation, we never question if these kids can fight back because, through trial and error, we see their evolution. The action sequences stand out as well, allowing Aang and Katara to show off their abilities.
Additionally, the series makes a strong effort to remix characters and plots. With more than twenty episodes of content to cover, Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender has plenty to cover. The showrunners rework the various Book of Water plot lines into an eight-episode adventure while creating new relationships. Characters that never crossed paths in the show interact for the first time.
However, the overly serious tone will become grating for some. Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender leans into the horrors of war. Death becomes commonplace, which adds a Lord of the Rings battle against evil-vibe. Seeing the toll of the war on those outside of Team Avatar is unique. At the same time, it takes us away from the characters we love, while providing little upside for the story.
The performances throughout the show become inconsistent as well. From scene to scene, Team Avatar shines or flops. The trio of Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, and Ian Ousley all get standout moments. However, they also struggle with the emotional demands of some scenes. The choice to actually cast young actors was wide, but in this season, the young actors do not always shine. They each have enough potential where they can turn the tide in the future. Right now, we need more.
The early MVPs of the show rise from the Fire Nation. Paul Sun-Hyung Kim steps into an iconic role and meets the demands. He’s the standout across the season, but Dallas Liu showcases a brilliant arc. Liu’s development becomes one of Avatar‘s highlights, as we watch Zuko develop into a character with a grander understanding of the conflict. Finally, Daniel Dae Kim brings the malice and arrogance of Fire Lord Ozai to every scene. He quickly shines as our antagonist, and Kim provides a level of charisma the show desperately needs.
While the costumes are brilliant and richly designed, they make the largest issue of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender stems from its overuse of CG. Many of the effects could not be created without these effects. However, there are many moments where the show’s effects distract from even simple conversations. For every good moment with Momo or Appa, there are three scenes where the backgrounds turn to sludge. We do not see the best effects until the end of the season, but before then, they are questionable at best. With CG required to bring many of the aspects of the show to life, this aspect needs to be better moving forward.
While there are moments of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender that showcase the power of the story, the inconsistencies hurt it over time. Yet the power of a story alone makes this series one of the better big-budget shows of 2024. Anyone looking for it to match the consistency and power of Nickelodoen’s Avatar will be frustrated. However, as its own experience, this is a fun and streamlined opening to Aang’s journey.
