A Review of Netflix’s Live-Action "Avatar: The Last Airbender"
On my eight-hour flight back from Madrid, I binged the entire first season of Netflix’s new live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA). Based on the 2000s animated Nickelodeon series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the live-action show premiered in late February and has since been renewed for a second and third season (paralleling the three seasons of the original show). ATLA is set in a world divided into four nations: the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes, and the Air Nomads. Certain members of each nation can bend their respective elements, but the Avatar is the master of all four elements and maintains peace between the four nations. When the Fire Lord Sozin attacks the Air Nomads, young Avatar and Airbender Aang (Gordon Cormier) disappears, leaving the world to fall into brutal warfare. The show picks up 100 years later as Aang reappears to take his rightful place as the Avatar and fight back against the Fire Nation’s war to conquer the world.
The original animated show is a classic for many born in the late 90s and early 2000s, but its recent popularity can be accredited to its addition to Netflix during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was part of the group that discovered ATLA in 2020 and finished the three seasons within a month, falling in love with the comedic style, strong plot, and dynamic characters. The original series has launched several controversial spin-offs and adaptations, including the widely ridiculed 2010 live-action film (which pronounces Aang’s name as “Ong” and features hyper-realistic yet dreadfully slow bending scenes) and the animated series Legend of Korra (which follows the new avatar, Korra, following Aang’s death, and is, in my opinion, over-hated). Despite its rising popularity in Hollywood, live-action remakes of classics, such as Aladdin and the new Percy Jackson series, don’t always reach the expectations set by its original source material. So naturally, I was hesitant when I started watching this series, but I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful visuals, fast-paced action scenes, and incredible casting of Netflix’s new rendition.
Amid mild casting controversies surrounding native representation leading up to the series premiere, I felt satisfied with nearly all the casting choices made, especially with the supporting cast. Daniel Dae Kim gives a chilling performance as antagonist Fire Lord Ozai; Dallas Liu is perfect as Zuko, especially in his portrayal of the character’s rigid yet vulnerable emotional side; and Paul Sun-Hyun Lee channels Iroh’s gentle, wise, yet powerful character flawlessly. Characters such as Jet (Sebastian Amoruso), The Mechanist (Danny Pudi), and June (Arden Cho) are translated into live-action seamlessly. The main cast (Gordon Cormier as Aang, Kiawentiio as Katara, and Ian Ousley as Sokka) seem to be receiving more criticism for their performances, although I think some of the flaws pointed out by viewers can be accredited by poor dialogue rather than the actors themselves. The main flawed representation I noticed was Utkarsh Ambudka as King Bumi—although the excessively serious and cruel depiction may again be due to the script rather than the actor.
In terms of general plot, switching from twenty 23-minute episodes to eight 60-minute episodes unsurprisingly created a huge shift in the writing and structure of the show. The pacing felt rushed, and despite the skillful weaving of different plot lines, I hope that they switch to a slightly larger number of episodes (10-15) in the second and third seasons. Although critical plot points in the first season were preserved, many episodes and plot lines from the animated series’ second season were implemented within the new series’ first season. Most notably of these changes is the addition of Fire Nation Princess Azula to the first season cast, rather than having her introduction in the second season. Personally, I think incorporating Azula into the series earlier on was a positive decision, as it feels slightly jarring to reveal Zuko’s secret sister out of nowhere in the second season. Lizzy Yu gives a compelling performance, and I am excited to see her character grow (and eventually fall in madness) in the upcoming seasons.
However, one major setback to emerge from significant plot changes is the lack of humor. The live-action rendition falls short of the spirit and humor that hugely contributed to the warmth and viewer enjoyment of the original animated series. Although Ian Ousley delivers comedic relief fabulously, it is sparse and scattered throughout the show. In general, some of the dialogue in the show is tough to sit through. The live-action show also contains more graphic violence and a grittier tone, which has several positive effects, such as the rebuttal against the idea that Avatar is a “kids show” and the emphasis on the horror of war. Yet, I still wish there were more moments that reflect the spirit and charm of the original series.
All in all, it would be a disservice to compare every miniscule detail of the live-action rendition to its source material. It is an adaptation, not a replica, after all. If you are a fan of the original series, I definitely feel like the Netflix series is worth a watch. Like Aang’s journey of learning to bend all the elements, the live-action adaptation shows promise but needs refinement. Hopefully, the producers and writers will listen to viewers and implement some of the changes suggested in later seasons. I believe that the series has huge potential to be a phenomenal adaptation, especially as the first season is considered the weakest of the three in the original. In the meantime, I will be patiently waiting to see what the second and third season entails.
by KATHY LIM