He Passed: *Ahem* Play dramatic music, please…
WATER! LAND! FIRE! AIR!
Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of the four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he disappeared…
So says the iconic introduction of the original Nickelodeon series. Avatar the last airbenderAnd as expected, Netflix's new live-action adaptation follows the same premise. Aang (Gordon Cormier), the titular avatar and last airbender, is tasked with restoring peace to a magical, warring universe. After being trapped in the ice without realizing it for 100 years, he awakens to discover that the world he once knew is on fire, literally. The Fire Nation finds itself in the midst of multiple genocides in its quest for power, and Aang and his friends are the only ones standing in his way.
Even though he's just a fun-loving kid at heart, Aang must accept his responsibilities. Along with budding waterbender Katara (Kiawentiio Tarbell) and her older brother Sokka (Ian Ousley), Aang must hone his skills before it's too late, while on the run from a troubled young Fire Nation prince, Zuko (Dallas). James Liu), who is tasked with capturing him.
The flying bison in the Room: Like any Avatar movie fan (or any obsessive “so bad it's good” movie fan) knows, this isn't the first attempt to bring the world of The last Airbender in the realm of real action. M. Night Shyamalan beat Netflix by over a decade, and was instantly ridiculed for the effort by fans, critics, and just about anyone unlucky enough to catch a glimpse of the film.
From both the fans' and filmmakers' perspectives, the reaction is quite understandable. In the film, names are pronounced incorrectly, the dialogue is ridiculous, the once-vibrant world is boring, and Shyamalan forgoes the humor and levity of the original series for drab drama. Fortunately, it seems that the Netflix team has studied Shyamalan's mistake and has set out to approach the source material in almost exactly the opposite way.
Put the “Avatar” back into the “Last Airbender”: Unlike 2010 He last airbenderNetflix Avatar overflows with life. Despite leaning into narrative devastation and destruction as much (and possibly even more) than the show's original run, the essential moments of joy and levity remain firmly intact. Equally important is that the world feels expansive and inhabited, with distinct and believable pockets of culture occupying every corner of the story.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix)
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