AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER -- Passable Live-Action Adaptation Thrives In Its Action

Review by Sean Boelman

Despite only lasting three years, the cult classic Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender has a lasting legacy, including being one of the most popular shows of all time on the streaming service Netflix despite not being an original title to the streamer. Although there are certainly some strong elements to Netflix’s new live-action adaptation, it doesn’t focus enough on the things that make it unique for it to stand out in a crowded genre.

As with its source material, the series is set in a world where different tribes control the elements, and a young boy arises as the “Avatar” — the savior of humanity who can bend all four elements and is destined to unite the warring world. Even if you haven’t seen the animated show on which it was based, Avatar: The Last Airbender tells an incredibly familiar story, and it ends up feeling like just another hero’s journey.

Interestingly, unlike many adaptations, Avatar: The Last Airbender is working with a similar runtime to its predecessor. This is eight one-hour episodes, while the animated series was 20 twenty-minute episodes — each adding up to eight hours in total. Yet, this live-action adaptation often drags, feeling like it’s going through the motions rather than telling the story earnestly. 

The show does an incredible job of building the world of ATLA through mostly excellent production design and CGI. The series’s creators clearly wanted to make an adaptation that was faithful in the ways fans would demand. The only thing they don’t quite nail is the tone, which feels a bit too self-serious to work.

That being said, the scale of the series is massive, allowing it to give the audience some truly awesome action sequences. The bending scenes look great, and the spectacular finale that the entire season builds up to is shot in a way that is creative and exhilarating. This show has come far from being a Saturday morning Nickelodeon cartoon.

As far as the cast goes, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Gordon Cormier is excellent, having all the charm he needs to be Aang, nailing the delicate balance between maturity and youthfulness the role calls for. Kiawentiio and Ian Ousley are fine — not making much of an impression, positive or negative. The weak link is Dallas Liu as Prince Zuko, who seems utterly unable to deliver his lines seriously.

In terms of the adults, the show has an incredibly talented cast. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Daniel Dae Kim, and Ken Leung all do a great job in their roles, propping up the younger, less experienced actors working alongside them. Fans of the series will also be delighted by James See’s performance. 

Ultimately, Avatar: The Last Airbender is a passable adaptation. Strong casting for its lead and some very well-done action sequences make it worth watching, even if the writing has glaring weaknesses. But hey, it’s better than the M. Night Shyamalan film — although that’s not a very high bar to surpass.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is now streaming on Netflix. All eight episodes reviewed.

Rating: 3/5