Developed By Albert Kim; Starring Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley, Dallas Liu, Ken Leung, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, and Daniel Dae Kim.
Based on Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko’s 2000s animated series of the same name, Avatar: The Last Airbender is set in a war-torn world inspired by various Asian and Indigenous American cultures where certain people can "bend" one of the four classical elements – water, earth, fire, or air. Aang (Gordon Cormier), the "Avatar" and the last living Airbender, is the bridge between the mortal and spirit worlds, and the only one capable of bending all four of the elements. The Avatar maintains the balance of the world and nature to bring peace, and Aang is now faced with the responsibility of ending the ambitions of the militaristic Fire Nation to conquer the world. With his new companions Katara (Kiawentiio) and Sokka (Ian Ousley), Aang sets out to master the four elements while pursued by Zuko (Dallas Liu), the exiled crown prince of the Fire Nation, who seeks to regain his honor by capturing him.
To give you a bit of background about me, I’ve been a fan of the original animated series ever since it first premiered when I was in middle school. At the time, I was used to TV shows having very episodic structures. Yet, Avatar: The Last Airbender introduced me to the idea of a TV series telling a continuous story over the course of multiple seasons (though I remembered a lot of the 90s Spider-Man cartoon following that structure). I had literally never seen anything like it before. As I was watching the show when it first came out, I remember thinking “This is like a Lord of the Rings for kids.” Even as a preteen, I recognized that this property had a very cinematic flair to it, thinking it’d make a great live action movie someday.
So when I read in the trades in January of 2007 that M. Night Shyamalan was set to write and direct a live action film adaptation, it felt as if my wish was coming true. I really followed that project nonstop. I didn’t get to see the finished product until a couple weeks after its release in July of 2010. Yet I was aware of all the pans it was getting from critics, audiences, and fans of the original animated series, although there were some who personally didn’t mind it. The movie (which had to be titled The Last Airbender because of James Cameron’s at the time recently released unrelated science fiction epic, Avatar), I’m personally more indifferent on. A lot of the problems people had with it, I recognized, even if many of them didn’t bother me as much. Although I do agree that it definitely could’ve been better.
I previously wrote a whole piece about all the behind the scenes drama about that movie. One of the main things I discussed was how Shyamalan really knew the original source material while a lot of the other producers he worked with didn’t care. To make a long story short, The Last Airbender likely suffered from having too many cooks in the kitchen. Night himself has also since admitted his regrets taking it on, saying that he really felt lost throughout the whole process. Between that and the other big budget VFX heavy film he made, After Earth, his experiences there were pretty much what led to him settling on smaller scaled self-financed projects he’s done since.
When the original animated series was released on Blu-Ray in the summer of 2018, it had been a while since I watched it, so I decided to buy myself a copy. As I was rewatching the first two seasons, I thought “if this property ever gets adapted again, it should probably be done at Netflix given how much they value creator driven content.” When I was scrolling through Twitter on September 18th of that year, I came across an article from Deadline Hollywood with the announcement that a live action Avatar: The Last Airbender series was in the works at Netflix. Not only that, but the original creators, Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko, were going to serve as showrunners. Just as I did with the movie, I have since really followed this project nonstop.
When Mike & Bryan announced in August of 2020 that they left the show over creative differences, I understood their reasons for doing so (as they explained on their Instagrams). Although I did wonder what was going to become of this project. Albert Kim, who joined as co-showrunner about a year and a half into development, stayed on board. Now, here we are. What I'm about to do is give some of my thoughts on each of the 8 episodes of the first season. For those who haven't seen it yet, I am going to mention some mild spoilers here and there.
Episode One: Aang
Literally had me smiling from start to finish. From the get go, this show not only stays true to the spirit of the original animated series, but also perfectly expands upon certain areas. We get to see a little more of Aang’s life at the Southern Air Temple prior to him getting frozen. The first 20 minutes are the most intense. The bending is especially more dangerous than ever. The cutting between different sequences feels poetic. There’s several expositional lines of dialogue. Some of them could’ve been refined a bit here and there. Aang’s escape from Zuko’s ship did pale in comparison to how it happened in the animated series, although this one at least has a nice pay off. I found the ending to be very moving.
Episode Two: Warriors
Definitely a step up from the first. The pacing improves. The expositional dialogue is more refined. Each of the principal actors are getting into the groove of their characters. I loved how Momo was introduced. I loved how the relationship between Sokka and Suki during their time on Kyoshi Island was beefed up a bit. As for the guest stars, Maria Zhang as Suki, Tamlyn Tomita as Yukari, and Yvonne Chapman as Avatar Kyoshi all did great. Not only that, but they were also such badasses in the fight sequences.
Episode Three: Omashu
Really loving how the writers have found new ways of bringing in different characters from the original animated series. Glad to see a little more “show, don’t tell” when it comes to the exposition. Daniel Dae Kim and Elizabeth Yu both make great first impressions as Fire Lord Ozai and Azula, respectively. Really liked the guest appearances from Lucian-River Chauhan as Teo, Danny Pudi as The Mechanist, and Sebastian Amoruso as Jet. The former two in particular give such sincere performances. Loved seeing James Sie back as the Cabbage Merchant, a character he originally voiced in the cartoon. One scene with Katara and Jet felt very emotionally moving. Although her change of heart about him did feel a little rushed. Loved the cliffhanger ending.
Episode Four: Into the Dark
While the pacing could’ve been tightened a bit at a couple points, I overall thought this was a really good episode. I loved how they managed to take the basic storyline of ‘The King of Omashu’ from the original series and make it more integral to the overall plot. I thought Utkarsh Ambudkar was so damn memorable as King Bumi. The makeup work on him is excellent. I thought it was clever how they incorporated aspects of ‘The Cave of Two Lovers’ from season two of the original into this one. The visual exposition about Oma and Shu looked incredible. I loved the emotional journey Katara and Sokka took throughout. I must say that Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is really coming into his own as Iroh. I even teared up at one point. I also loved how this episode in particular explored the theme of friendship.
Episode Five: Spirited Away
Very emotional episode. I thought the scenes in the Spirit World were very effective. It was especially nice to see more of Katara and Sokka in the Southern Water Tribe with their parents. I really liked Rainbow Dickerson as Kya as well as Joel Montgrand as Chief Hakoda. Wan Shi Tong and Koh both looked incredible. Randall Duk Kim and George Takei both did great work voicing those characters.
Episode Six: Masks
I thought this was a great combination of different plot points from the first season into one episode. I think this show has so far done a great job of showing us events we never really got to see in the original series. I also loved that Aang and Zuko had a longer conversation after escaping Zhao. The ending was very moving.
Episode Seven: The North
I thought it was a nice touch to give Sokka and Princess Yue a bit more of a connection together. Same with Katara not finding out she can’t fight until after her first healing lesson. I got a kick out of watching her spar with Master Pakku. Meegwun Fairbrother makes an epic first impression as Avatar Kuruk. The Northern Water Tribe looks so stunning. Some of the effects don’t look quite as accomplished as others. A few of the dialogue scenes brought tears to my eyes.
Episode Eight: Legends
I thought it was a smart move to have the arc of Katara wanting to prove to Master Pakku how capable she is of fighting continue into this episode. Glad we got more time between Zhao killing the moon spirit and Yue restoring it. A lot of the visuals were incredible. Shocking plot twist with Zhao. I was very moved throughout the second half.
Overall
I couldn’t be happier with how this show turned out. It not only stays true to the original animated series, but also offers some surprises for both longtime fans and newcomers alike. Certain plot points, stakes, and character motivations were successfully beefed up a bit. The performances are really good. I really loved how the rivalry between Zuko and Zhao was depicted. The tone is just right in balancing out the seriousness and humor. The visuals are stunning. The action sequences are emotionally engaging. Takeshi Furukawa’s score has some elegant new themes while also successfully remixing some of Jeremy Zuckerman’s work from the original. The overall scope of this thing is so massive. Michael Wylie’s production design impresses more as the series progresses. The cliffhanger definitely leaves you wanting more. Thankfully, this has already proven to be successful enough to get seasons two and three greenlit.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Rating: 4/5
Based on Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko’s 2000s animated series of the same name, Avatar: The Last Airbender is set in a war-torn world inspired by various Asian and Indigenous American cultures where certain people can "bend" one of the four classical elements – water, earth, fire, or air. Aang (Gordon Cormier), the "Avatar" and the last living Airbender, is the bridge between the mortal and spirit worlds, and the only one capable of bending all four of the elements. The Avatar maintains the balance of the world and nature to bring peace, and Aang is now faced with the responsibility of ending the ambitions of the militaristic Fire Nation to conquer the world. With his new companions Katara (Kiawentiio) and Sokka (Ian Ousley), Aang sets out to master the four elements while pursued by Zuko (Dallas Liu), the exiled crown prince of the Fire Nation, who seeks to regain his honor by capturing him.
To give you a bit of background about me, I’ve been a fan of the original animated series ever since it first premiered when I was in middle school. At the time, I was used to TV shows having very episodic structures. Yet, Avatar: The Last Airbender introduced me to the idea of a TV series telling a continuous story over the course of multiple seasons (though I remembered a lot of the 90s Spider-Man cartoon following that structure). I had literally never seen anything like it before. As I was watching the show when it first came out, I remember thinking “This is like a Lord of the Rings for kids.” Even as a preteen, I recognized that this property had a very cinematic flair to it, thinking it’d make a great live action movie someday.
So when I read in the trades in January of 2007 that M. Night Shyamalan was set to write and direct a live action film adaptation, it felt as if my wish was coming true. I really followed that project nonstop. I didn’t get to see the finished product until a couple weeks after its release in July of 2010. Yet I was aware of all the pans it was getting from critics, audiences, and fans of the original animated series, although there were some who personally didn’t mind it. The movie (which had to be titled The Last Airbender because of James Cameron’s at the time recently released unrelated science fiction epic, Avatar), I’m personally more indifferent on. A lot of the problems people had with it, I recognized, even if many of them didn’t bother me as much. Although I do agree that it definitely could’ve been better.
I previously wrote a whole piece about all the behind the scenes drama about that movie. One of the main things I discussed was how Shyamalan really knew the original source material while a lot of the other producers he worked with didn’t care. To make a long story short, The Last Airbender likely suffered from having too many cooks in the kitchen. Night himself has also since admitted his regrets taking it on, saying that he really felt lost throughout the whole process. Between that and the other big budget VFX heavy film he made, After Earth, his experiences there were pretty much what led to him settling on smaller scaled self-financed projects he’s done since.
When the original animated series was released on Blu-Ray in the summer of 2018, it had been a while since I watched it, so I decided to buy myself a copy. As I was rewatching the first two seasons, I thought “if this property ever gets adapted again, it should probably be done at Netflix given how much they value creator driven content.” When I was scrolling through Twitter on September 18th of that year, I came across an article from Deadline Hollywood with the announcement that a live action Avatar: The Last Airbender series was in the works at Netflix. Not only that, but the original creators, Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko, were going to serve as showrunners. Just as I did with the movie, I have since really followed this project nonstop.
When Mike & Bryan announced in August of 2020 that they left the show over creative differences, I understood their reasons for doing so (as they explained on their Instagrams). Although I did wonder what was going to become of this project. Albert Kim, who joined as co-showrunner about a year and a half into development, stayed on board. Now, here we are. What I'm about to do is give some of my thoughts on each of the 8 episodes of the first season. For those who haven't seen it yet, I am going to mention some mild spoilers here and there.
Episode One: Aang
Literally had me smiling from start to finish. From the get go, this show not only stays true to the spirit of the original animated series, but also perfectly expands upon certain areas. We get to see a little more of Aang’s life at the Southern Air Temple prior to him getting frozen. The first 20 minutes are the most intense. The bending is especially more dangerous than ever. The cutting between different sequences feels poetic. There’s several expositional lines of dialogue. Some of them could’ve been refined a bit here and there. Aang’s escape from Zuko’s ship did pale in comparison to how it happened in the animated series, although this one at least has a nice pay off. I found the ending to be very moving.
Episode Two: Warriors
Definitely a step up from the first. The pacing improves. The expositional dialogue is more refined. Each of the principal actors are getting into the groove of their characters. I loved how Momo was introduced. I loved how the relationship between Sokka and Suki during their time on Kyoshi Island was beefed up a bit. As for the guest stars, Maria Zhang as Suki, Tamlyn Tomita as Yukari, and Yvonne Chapman as Avatar Kyoshi all did great. Not only that, but they were also such badasses in the fight sequences.
Episode Three: Omashu
Really loving how the writers have found new ways of bringing in different characters from the original animated series. Glad to see a little more “show, don’t tell” when it comes to the exposition. Daniel Dae Kim and Elizabeth Yu both make great first impressions as Fire Lord Ozai and Azula, respectively. Really liked the guest appearances from Lucian-River Chauhan as Teo, Danny Pudi as The Mechanist, and Sebastian Amoruso as Jet. The former two in particular give such sincere performances. Loved seeing James Sie back as the Cabbage Merchant, a character he originally voiced in the cartoon. One scene with Katara and Jet felt very emotionally moving. Although her change of heart about him did feel a little rushed. Loved the cliffhanger ending.
Episode Four: Into the Dark
While the pacing could’ve been tightened a bit at a couple points, I overall thought this was a really good episode. I loved how they managed to take the basic storyline of ‘The King of Omashu’ from the original series and make it more integral to the overall plot. I thought Utkarsh Ambudkar was so damn memorable as King Bumi. The makeup work on him is excellent. I thought it was clever how they incorporated aspects of ‘The Cave of Two Lovers’ from season two of the original into this one. The visual exposition about Oma and Shu looked incredible. I loved the emotional journey Katara and Sokka took throughout. I must say that Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is really coming into his own as Iroh. I even teared up at one point. I also loved how this episode in particular explored the theme of friendship.
Episode Five: Spirited Away
Very emotional episode. I thought the scenes in the Spirit World were very effective. It was especially nice to see more of Katara and Sokka in the Southern Water Tribe with their parents. I really liked Rainbow Dickerson as Kya as well as Joel Montgrand as Chief Hakoda. Wan Shi Tong and Koh both looked incredible. Randall Duk Kim and George Takei both did great work voicing those characters.
Episode Six: Masks
I thought this was a great combination of different plot points from the first season into one episode. I think this show has so far done a great job of showing us events we never really got to see in the original series. I also loved that Aang and Zuko had a longer conversation after escaping Zhao. The ending was very moving.
Episode Seven: The North
I thought it was a nice touch to give Sokka and Princess Yue a bit more of a connection together. Same with Katara not finding out she can’t fight until after her first healing lesson. I got a kick out of watching her spar with Master Pakku. Meegwun Fairbrother makes an epic first impression as Avatar Kuruk. The Northern Water Tribe looks so stunning. Some of the effects don’t look quite as accomplished as others. A few of the dialogue scenes brought tears to my eyes.
Episode Eight: Legends
I thought it was a smart move to have the arc of Katara wanting to prove to Master Pakku how capable she is of fighting continue into this episode. Glad we got more time between Zhao killing the moon spirit and Yue restoring it. A lot of the visuals were incredible. Shocking plot twist with Zhao. I was very moved throughout the second half.
Overall
I couldn’t be happier with how this show turned out. It not only stays true to the original animated series, but also offers some surprises for both longtime fans and newcomers alike. Certain plot points, stakes, and character motivations were successfully beefed up a bit. The performances are really good. I really loved how the rivalry between Zuko and Zhao was depicted. The tone is just right in balancing out the seriousness and humor. The visuals are stunning. The action sequences are emotionally engaging. Takeshi Furukawa’s score has some elegant new themes while also successfully remixing some of Jeremy Zuckerman’s work from the original. The overall scope of this thing is so massive. Michael Wylie’s production design impresses more as the series progresses. The cliffhanger definitely leaves you wanting more. Thankfully, this has already proven to be successful enough to get seasons two and three greenlit.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Rating: 4/5