I couldn't bring myself to watch the series at the time it was released. There was talk everywhere about the new Avatar: The Last Airbender, and so I fought the urge to watch it because of the hype, scared of being disappointed. The animated series was special to me as a child.
And now, having finished the last episode of the series, I wish it didn't end yet and that they had reached the end of the entire story. I was having mixed feelings, however, and it was about certain parts of the film. I had expectations, surely; some were met and maybe surpassed, others not so much.
You see, I was so much of a nerd for the animated series back when it was all we had. And that means that I had a keen eye on almost everything that was done on the film because I valued the Avatar story so deeply and, in a way, was going to "look out for it."
"A young boy known as the Avatar must master the four elemental powers to save a world at war—aand fight a ruthless enemy bent on stopping him." [Google]
It had been a very long time since I watched the animated series. And, although I was going to "keep a close eye" on everything, I had really forgotten many things about the story of The Last Airbender. It was while I watched the episodes of the new series on Netflix that certain things started coming back.
The first episode of the film was very crucial. It had to either pass or fail. The origin story of The Last Airbender is something that the filmmakers needed to get right, as that is where it all started. And so when I went through the first episode and it felt "just right to me," I had a feeling that I was in for a ride.
For me, the story of how Avatar Aang became the last airbender, lived through 100 years, found a few people he would truly call friends, and met his arch nemesis was just the same in this live action series as it was in the animated series.
I had feared that Netflix making their own adaptation of the film was going to ruin it for me, considering that they have a thing wanting to appeal to a variety of ideologies, leading their stories from true context. Thankfully, however, they worked with Nickelodeon on it.
The filmmakers did well to translate things from the animated series to the live-action series in a way that maintains realism and originality, striking a graceful balance to keep the live-action enjoyable. For example, the bending we see in the live action is something to really appreciate for how it was portrayed—in an exciting and captivating way that stays true to the original.
There were only eight episodes in this first season of the live-action series. And because of that, the way the entire story is told is a bit different. The timeline wasn't exact, and it was as though some things were mixed up or compressed. It didn't matter much, though, as the story writers managed to maintain the important parts of the film, at least crucial for the story's development.
I like to think that the heart of the film lies within the characters and how connected they are to themselves. The character development was handled properly in this live-action film and accurately depicted in the animated series.
The actors in this film felt as though they were individually passionate about the project. Each one of them represented their characters with so much soul and excellence. I totally commend every single one of them.
Eight episodes were never going to portray the entire Last Airbender story, as expected. So we find the first season of the live action to end somewhere in the early parts of the main story. I had mixed feelings about that because that's around where previous live action by Paramount Studios in 2010 had stopped and never continued.
Thankfully, Netflix announced the renewal of the show for seasons 2 and 3. So we know that the film is going to continue with the story. My hope and expectation is that they maintain the energy at least.
The live-action series Avatar: The Last Airbender by Netflix (in partnership with Nickelodeon) is a film to appreciate for how it strikes a balance between following the original story and keeping it entertaining. It's something that both longtime fans and new viewers would both enjoy. Definitely a 9/10.