by Alice-Ginevra Micheli, Contributing Writer
It’s always tricky when someone decides to adapt a beloved animation into the live action sphere. Personally, I always find myself questioning the need for something like this to exist. Why adapt something that might already exists in its perfect form, when there are so many other stories that are yet to be told?
However, I also try and put these thoughts aside ahead of watching said adaptation — or reimagining, if we’re going with the Disney terminology — to give them my full attention and optimism.
This is especially tricky, however, when it comes to something like Avatar: The Last Airbender, where its original form is considered to be one of the greatest pieces of storytelling in modern pop culture. Whether you grew up on the stories of Team Avatar or, like me, came to it long into your adulthood, it would be impossible not to have any expectation when it came to Netflix’s attempt to retell this tale in a way that, in their words, would open the world to a new story and a new type of audience.
If you somehow don’t already know what this is about, set in an alternative Asian-culture-inspired world, Avatar: The Last Airbender, follows our protagonist, Aang (Gordon Cormier), and his crew as they goes on a journey to help him master the four elements and save the world from the tyranny of the Fire Nation.
Given my hesitations, I was definitely nervous when I hit play on the first episode, especially considering all the little hints and drops regarding changes made to the original story. So you can imagine my surprise when following the masterfully made opening scene, I was hooked. So much so that I proceeded to binge the entire season in about 24 hours.
This is a darker, more mature adaptation of the Avatar story than the Nickelodeon show is. Given it’s told across eight hour-long episodes, rather than 20-plus 20-minute ones, there is a lot less filler and a lot less whimsy. Instead, it’s much more in tune with the prestige type of television we’re used to today.
However, that doesn’t make this interpretation bad. I am firmly of the belief that if you’re going to adapt something that already exists and has a strong following, then you might as well alter it to try and be a little different. That is what Netflix and the creators behind the live action show have done to great effect.
First of all, the bending is very well done. The aforementioned opening scene has arguably the coolest fight of the entire season, but there are still some great displays waiting for audiences within each episode. This is not the poor, slow, shoddy attempt from a certain Shyamalan picture that shouldn’t be named, but is fast and exciting, using the martial arts fundamental to each bending style.
The sets and the costumes are also beautiful as well. Part of the way between being an overly realistic version and one that could be confused for cosplay. There is color and personality that shines through with each set and person you are introduced to. Now, there is one very clear exception where the hair and makeup department doesn’t quite reach the necessary heights for a certain wig to seem believable, and not taken off the rack of Party City, but besides that, everything is a feast for the eyes.
It’s also important to discuss the performances from the lead cast. Cormier is fantastic, both in how he looks and how he acts. He’s certainly a more focused version of the Airbender we know and love, but he still gets across that mischievous twinkle to the eye that is vital for this young master to communicate, in between his struggles with responsibility and power. His core group of Katara (Kiawentiio) and Sokka (Ian Ousley) also do their parts well, with Ousley really coming into his own as the overbearing, yet cockily confident, older brother as the show goes on. Praise must also be given to Dallas Liu and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, who play Zuko and Uncle Iroh, and ground the show with their story. In a lot of ways, they’re the heart of this series, which is especially important given how much more time is taken up by the Fire Nation First Family in this adaptation than there ever was at this point in the original series. You connect to them more here, see how everything isn’t black and white, and are given insight into who the true heroes and villains are early on.
Now, where the show does fall is in the writing. That’s not to say it’s bad, it’s just slightly overproduced at times, which in this case came from trying to put too much into the first season. It’s a classic case of over-exposition, which will be useful come the next part of the story. There was a lot of telling that happened this time around, which will hopefully translate into some stunning showing next season. Unfortunately, what we’re left with for now is quite a few moments of clunky dialogue and over-the-top scene-making which doesn’t feel natural. It’s not a major issue, but it’s definitely the biggest flaw.
With all that said, while this may not be a perfect show, it’s a really good one. It’s exciting, emotional, enjoyable, and different enough from the original that I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes should it get a second season. Everything changed when the fire nation attacked, and everything changed when Netflix took the rights from Nickelodeon — as long as you go in with an open mind and a loose grip on everything having to be exactly like the original, you’ll have a good time too.
Rating: Loved It
Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently streaming on Netflix
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Again, after reading this excellent exposition of Avatar: the last Airbender, by Alice-Ginevra Micheli, I can’t wait to see a movie, to which I didn’t thought I wasn’t going to give any attention.
As usual read the critics of Alice-Ginevra Micheli, is a real pleasure, she takes us in a movie world that she perfected and made fabulous with her words.