For almost a decade, Avatar: The Last Airbender has been hailed as one of the greatest Western cartoons ever made. A near-masterful combination of compelling narrative, eye-popping action, and stunning animation, Avatar changed the landscape of animated television in the 2000s. There have been several attempts to continue the story, such as the equally highly regarded sequel series, The Legend of Korra, and the infamous live-action movie by M. Night Shyamalan.
Now, Netflix has produced its own live-action adaptation that covers Season 1 in eight hour-long episodes. Netflix's Avatar is far from perfect, but better than Shyamalan's movie. The added run time allows the show to stick true to many major events and even make a few positive tweaks here and there. However, it still condensed and re-arranged a lot of characters and important moments, which created new problems. Each of Netflix's Avatar's 8 episodes has strengths and weaknesses, but how do they compare against each other?
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Live-Action)
TV-14ActionAdventureComedy610A young boy known as the Avatar must master the four elemental powers to save the world and fight against an enemy bent on stopping him.
- Release Date
- February 22, 2024
- Creator
- Albert Kim
- Cast
- Daniel Dae Kim , Paul Sun-Hyung Lee , Ken Leung , Tamlyn Tomita , Gordon Cormier , Kiawentiio
- Seasons
- 1
8 Episode 3: "Omashu"
Director: Jabbar Raisani
On their way to the Northern Water Tribe, Aang (Gordon Cormier), Katara (Kiawentiio), and Sokka (Ian Ousley) spot what appears to be another Airbender outside the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu. They go inside but find that it's not an Airbender but the son of a Mechanist (Danny Pudi) working on inventions for the war. After witnessing some bombings, Aang and Sokka agree to help find their source, while Katara befriends a group of freedom fighters led by a young man named Jet (Sebastian Amoruso).
"Omashu" is the episode that best showcases the biggest sin of this adaptation: too much happening in too little time. Alongside adapting three unrelated storylines from the cartoon and trying to make them fit, this episode also introduces Azula (Elizabeth Yu) and her friends, has an obligatory fight scene between Aang and Zuko (Dallas Liu), and a cameo by the beloved Cabbage Merchant (James Sie) that goes on way too long. As such, the ones who suffer most are the main trio, who feel pulled in so many directions that they have little to no time to develop as a found family. "Omashu" is rushed and underdeveloped in pretty much every major aspect, leading to an uneven and unsatisfying outing that feels all the more egregious considering the season's 8-episode length.
7 Episode 2: "Warriors"
Director: Michael Goi
In an attempt to learn more about his Avatar powers, Aang directs the group to Kyoshi Island, named after one of his past lives, Avatar Kyoshi (Yvonne Chapman). There, they meet Suki (Maria Zhang), leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, who takes a liking to Sokka. Meanwhile, Zuko attempts to track down Aang, which leads to a partnership with the ambitious Commander Zhao (Ken Leung).
The highlight of "Warriors" is getting to see Avatar Kyoshi early, especially when she takes control of Aang's body to repel the Fire Nation soldiers who have come to claim him. Besides this, the episode is pretty boring: the show's serious tone means that fun moments like Aang riding giant fish are replaced by rigid acting and an isolationist mindset. Although a beloved part of the animated series, the romance between Sokka and Suki suffers here due to this tonal shift. Both feel stiff and awkward trying to hit on the other, especially Suki, who comes across as a stoic robot with no understanding of social interaction. "Warriors" is perhaps the most out-of-place episode of the bunch, failing to sell most of its major plots.
6 Episode 1: "Aang"
Director: Michael Goi
On the night of the comet festival, as all the Air Nomads gather in the Southern Air Temple, Aang learns from the Monk Gyatso that he is the Avatar. As he goes flying on Appa to clear his head, they get caught in a storm, and Aang's power freezes them for one hundred years. When he emerges in the South Pole, he learns that Fire Lord Sozen (Hiro Kanagawa) wiped out the Air Nomads, and the Fire Nation has been fighting a ceaseless war against the rest of the world.
"Aang" suffers from the same pacing issues as the rest of the show, but the first act saves it from being too bad. The relationship between Aang and Gyatso is touching and includes some of the strongest emotional performances, making the subsequent massacre all the more heartbreaking. The battle itself is also well handled, showcasing the strength of master Airbenders even when caught off-guard and the raw power of the Fire Nation when powered by the comet. "Aang" is an action marvel, but its subsequent events fall short of the pledge made by the outstanding opening minutes, an issue that continues throughout the season.
5 Episode 4: "Into the Dark"
Director: Jabbar Raisani
After stopping an assassination attempt on King Bumi (Utkarsh Ambudkar), he reveals that he is the same Bumi Aang knew and subjects him to some tests to see if he's worthy of being the Avatar. To rescue Aang, Karara and Sokka go through a secret tunnel to sneak into the palace. Meanwhile, Zuko temporarily abandons his hunt for the Avatar to rescue his uncle, Iroh (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), from being taken to an Earth Kingdom prison.
"Into the Dark" continues immediately from where "Omashu" ends. While it suffers from many of the same problems, this episode also fixes a few mistakes. Katara and Sokka have some sibling bonding moments, and Abudkar does an admirable job trying to imitate Bumi's eccentric nature. The episode's highlight is Iroh's story, which touches on themes of the cost of war and the dangers of losing oneself to grief. Lee gets many moments to shine, such as his conversations with his guard captain and an original flashback regarding the death of Iroh's son. Iroh is already one of Avatar's best characters, and Lee does him justice, elevating what could easily be another underwhelming episode.
4 Episode 5: "Spirited Away"
Director: Roseanne Liang
Team Avatar arrives at a village whose local forest spirit has turned feral due to damage caused by the Fire Nation. Aang agrees to try and rescue some of the villager's missing people by travelling into the Spirit World, but he accidentally takes Katara and Sokka with him. As they begin their search, they are preyed upon by a dark spirit named Koh (George Takei).
The spirit world is the highlight of "Spirited Away." While it's mainly depicted as a mist-filled forest, there's an ever-present sense of otherworldliness, even before a giant animal spirit appears on the screen. It also serves as a good excuse to dive into the mindset of the main characters, especially Katara and Sokka, who are forced to confront some of their worst memories related to their parents. However, the strongest scene in the episode goes to Aang, when he receives the chance to reunite with the spirit of his father figure, Monk Gyatso (Lim Kay Siu). Although it doesn't quite rise to the now-iconic animated movie from which it takes its name, "Spirited Away" is among live-action Avatar's most consistent and solid outings.
3 Episode 7: "The North"
Director: Jet Wilkinson
At long last, Team Avatar arrives at the North Pole to warn the Northern Water Tribe about the Fire Nation's coming offensive. As Aang goes to speak with Avatar Kuruk (Meegwun Fairbrother), Sokka becomes close to Princess Yue (Amber Midthunder), while Katara suffers a culture clash when she is denied the chance to learn offensive Waterbending from Master Pakku (A Martinez). Meanwhile, Zhao, suspecting Zuko is responsible for freeing a captive Aang, attempts to kill him before leading his navy north.
"The North" is the calm before the storm episode as the main characters do what they can to prepare for the upcoming battle. It does a good job of giving time and development to the many new characters from the Northern Water Tribe, especially Yue, whose relationship with Sokka feels genuine. Sadly, it again suffers from the rushed pacing, especially in Katara and Aang's storyline. Azula also has a subplot about standing up to her father, but it feels disconnected and like it could have been cut without missing anything. Overall, though, "The North" is far more engaging than other episodes in Netflix's Avatar; it's a case classic case of "some things might not fit, but what works reallyworks."
2 Episode 8: "Legends"
Director: Jet Wilkinson
Zhao launches his attack on the Northern Water Tribe while traveling with Iroh to track down the Moon Spirit, currently in mortal form, and kill it to wipe out Waterbending. If that wasn't bad enough, Zuko has snuck into the city, determined to finally capture Aang. Against such overwhelming odds, the defenders will have to make hard choices and noble sacrifices if they want to survive.
"Legends" delivers a satisfactory climax to Netflix's Avatar, with plenty of strong action and character moments. Nearly every major player gets a moment to shine, from Zuko and Zhao's showdown to Aang merging with the ocean spirit to unleash wrath and ruin upon the Fire Nation. It also does a decent job setting up for the next season, with Azula becoming more active in the Earth Kingdom. Overall, "Legends" concludes Season 1 as best as possible, highlighting its strengths and reducing its weaknesses to a minimum. Indeed, "Legends" is the perfect way to end this live-action exercise, leaving the audience with a great last impression—even if it can't quite make up for what came before.
1 Episode 6: "Masks"
Director: Roseanne Liang
To rescue his friends from the spirit world, Aang travels to the temple of Avatar Roku (C. S. Lee). He is first captured by mercenary June (Arden Cho) on behalf of Zuko and later by Zhao, who takes him to a secure Fire Nation prison. Before Zhao can take him to the capital city, a warrior wearing a blue mask frees Aang and helps him escape. Interspersed between these events are flashbacks to the event that caused a rift between Zuko and his father, Firelord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim).
The flashbacks in "Mask" are some of the show's best-paced sequences, feeling tense, pressing, and suitably epic in scope. Along with telling the familiar and tragic origins of Zuko's scar, the show adds some new drama by revealing that the crew of Zuko's boat is made up of the people who would have been sacrificed in the military operation he opposed. Kim is a great Ozai, bringing the iconic animated villain to life with confident and menacing gusto. Roku's talk with Aang was also a highlight thanks to Lee's playful take on the character. "Mask" is the best episode in Avatar's first season, expertly balancing lore, character development, and action in a way no other episode could.
All 8 episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender are available to stream on Netflix.
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