Visually Stunning, “Avatar: The Last Airbender” Almost Gets It Right

At long last, Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is here. A live-action reimagining of the eponymous animated series, the story follows the journey of Aang (Gordon Cormier), the young Avatar, as he tries to master the four elements — Water, Earth, Fire, and Air — in time to defend the world against the Fire Nation. With his two new friends Sokka (Ian Ousley) and Katara (Kiawentiio), a brother and sister pair from the Southern Water Tribe, Aang heads to the Northern Water Tribe with numerous side quests ramping up the anticipation for the big showdown. Complicating things, the Fire Nation’s Crown Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu) relentlessly chases down the trio in an effort to restore his tarnished honor. 

If you’re a long-time fan (I myself recall watching the original Nickelodeon show when it debuted in 2005), you are likely cautiously optimistic. After all, we can easily recall the debacle that was “The Last Airbender,” the 2010 M. Night Shyamalan-directed live-action theatrical adaptation. Or maybe we would rather not recall it and have already erased it from our collective memory. 

Whatever the reason, we ATLA enthusiasts are rightfully leery. The Netflix series seemed to be in the right hands when original creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko (affectionately shipped as “Bryke”) were initially attached to the new adaptation. They, however, left in 2020 due to creative differences, leaving fans concerned that yet another version of the beloved Nickelodeon show would be ruined. 

“Obviously, the fans know a lot about the show, and they have certain expectations that are really high,” said Executive Producer and Director Jabbar Raisani about the pressure to do the series right. “It was our job to meet and hopefully exceed those expectations. We really want the fans to love it as much as they love the original series.”

Quick cheat sheet for the epic fantasy world of ATLA

If you are unfamiliar with the original animated fantasy series, “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is set in a world inspired by the culture, folklore, and legends of Asian and Indigenous people. In a world, composed of four nations: the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads, certain members of each nation can manipulate or “bend” their nation’s corresponding elements. With enough training, their bending can be skillfully used in everything from martial combat to daily tasks, like healing, building a wall, lighting fires, or running incredibly fast. 

The Avatar is the master of all four elements and keeps the peace between all nations. When the Fire Nation launches a surprise attack against the Air Nomads and plunges the four nations into a century of war, only one person can stop the chaos: the Avatar — a 12-year-old boy named Aang and the last survivor of the Air Nomads.

This may all seem like a lot, but rest assured, the Netflix adaptation explains the lore — albeit in a heavy-handed and clumsy manner while trying to compress the original 20-episode first season into eight.

The writing can’t stack up

As a fan of the original and a lover of Asian-inspired fantasy in general, I wanted “Avatar” to meet and exceed my expectations. Not only did I want the show to succeed because I want to revisit the world of the Avatar and pretend that sky bison are real, I was rooting for it because of the large Indigenous and Asian cast — which many fans felt were fittingly cast for beloved characters, unlike the film we don’t recall.

There’s no shame in wishing for more opportunities and recognition for people who have historically been underrepresented in Hollywood. I am always eager for more: more representation, more stories, and more chances to improve the craft. Unfortunately, even Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai and his amazing oiled abs cannot save this. This reboot cannot stack up to the original; it’s not terrible, but neither is it good.

While the fantastic costuming and spectacular sets and backdrops faithfully recreated from the animated version, part of me wishes more money had been spent on the writing and script. Though there is obvious respect for and homage to the source material, the Netflix series suffers from terrible pacing, lots of incredibly boring exposition, and the inability to tell a story well. As a result, much of the thematic depth from the original series about power, duty, and love in relation to self, family, and country is lost in the reboot. 

I suppose it was inevitable. After all, short of cutting minor side stories, there is no real way to satisfactorily squeeze the 20 episodes of the original first season into eight one-hour episodes. This is where this remake majorly stumbles. While the writers did make some major narrative changes, they were also too greedy, wanting to include everything they loved from the animated series. As a result, “Avatar” wastes valuable screen time on throwaway gags and cameos that do not further the story. 

I will note that they did make some changes I loved. In particular, the writers humanized Fire Lord Ozai, a move that makes his villainy all the more dastardly because he believes he is behaving out of love and a desire to make his children into better rulers. “Ozai is a father, he’s a son, he’s a brother, and also a leader of people,” actor Daniel Dae Kim said, as he explained his process for finding the heart of his character. 

Kim elaborated, saying that he also makes certain choices when parenting his son, asking the same questions Ozai asks. “How much do I guide my son? How much do I push my son? How much do I listen to my son? And how much do my needs relate to his and supersede his or be deferential to his,” said Kim. “[Ozai] made a lot of different choices than I did as a parent, and some that had some really terrible consequences. If you think about the themes of our show, a lot of them have to do with parents, children, kind of grown role models or the absence of them, and whether the younger generation can actually empower themselves to be who they believe themselves to be.” 

Where “Avatar: The Last Airbender” soars

Given all the aforementioned imperfections, I still enjoyed watching this series for the most part, if only for the eye candy (and no, I’m not just talking about Daniel Dae Kim’s abs again). Visually, the world that Netflix recreated in live-action is stunning and spectacular. 

I felt such glee and awe at the wide shots of the Southern Air Temple, Kiyoshi Island, the city of Omashu, and the Northern Water Tribe’s capital city Agna Qel’a. The costumes and traditional clothing of each nation are beautifully made, the look and feel of many characters are spot-on, and the world feels wholly real and inhabited, a testament to the special effects and costuming teams. 

Speaking of how the characters looked, because the epic fantasy is set in a world filled with Asian and Indigenous characters, the producers took the responsibility of translating that to this live-action adaptation very seriously. Executive Producer and Writer Albert Kim divulged how that meant having diversity not only on the screen but behind the camera as well. 

“All of our directors are of Asian descent. A large part of our crew are also of Asian and Indigenous descent,” producer Albert Kim explained. “That has informed our storytelling in every possible way, from the design to the look, to the feel, to even knowing how the characters would act in certain situations — simple things like knowing that a character should take their shoes off when they enter the house. All that was really important to us.”

As for Kiawentiio, she shared her feelings about watching the animated series while growing up. “A thing that stuck out to me with Katara’s character especially: to be able to see myself in a character on TV — and especially as a little Native girl — that representation wasn’t as prevalent. It was just something that was more rare,” she said regarding the impact of the original show. “To be able to have that role model where she’s kicking ass and she’s the coolest person — she’s just so cool and so powerful — that’s just so important.” 

Regarding the rising action sequences, the fighting and “bending” scenes are well choreographed and depicted. To prepare, the actors attended a “bending” boot camp prior to the start of filming. 

“I had a month-and-a-half-long bending boot camp,” said Cormier. “I studied Bagua and Wushu, which is basically my airbending. I also learned forms in water, earth, and firebending, but I mostly studied airbending because that’s all I do at the start of the series.”

Daniel Dae Kim shared how the stunt team was very specific about the kind of martial arts each nation performed and the way each character dealt with their particular element. “For instance with the fire nation, they would talk to us about what kind of fireball we were creating: how big it was going to be, how fast it was going to travel, whether it was a ray or whether it was a ball,” he explains. “I really appreciated the fact that they were thinking about the nuances of those things because I knew the fans would be.”

Inspiring a new generation of fans

The Netflix adaptation would have benefited from a longer episodic run and more experienced actors. Given budget constraints and how the starring roles are underrepresented minorities — who often have far fewer roles and acting opportunities — is it fair to expect and hope for so much more? 

Instead, though I am let down by the lackluster first season, I cannot help but wish for another. I want this franchise to succeed — but more importantly, I want the many Asian and Indigenous cast and crew to have another shot at this world and redeem themselves. 

Executive Producer Albert Kim adds, “I hope longtime fans are both satisfied with everything that we’ve brought over from the original, but also surprised by some of the changes we’ve made to the story.” He hopes that new viewers will find themselves engaged and immersed the way he was when he first discovered this story. “I want them to be drawn into this world and realize they can engage with it without having to be a die-hard fan from the start.”

As for us disappointed fans, fret not. These adaptations may leave us wanting, but they are not so powerful that they eclipse the glory of the original. The animated series still exists, and we don’t even have to wait a hundred years for the Avatar to return. 

All eight episodes of Netflix’s action-adventure series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” were released on February 22, 2024. Check out the trailer here.

Cover credits: Cr. Robert Falconer/Netflix © 2023