The original Airbender animated series has become the barometer that I use to determine if someone is cool. I’ve had new managers come into my life and at times the only question I had for them was “Have you watched Avatar the Last Airbender?”. I would try to act casual but the determination made by the answer is anything but. If someone had not heard of it, that is surprising, but ultimately acceptable; if not disappointing. If they did not like it, we’re ultimately not going to get along. If they love it I know I am safe.
That is the power of the show. Not just the contents of its plot, but the feeling that it evokes from watching it. The feeling inside of you, when you imagine yourself in the world depicted. A thousand fan-fictions spawn in the nooks and crannies alone amidst the ingenuity of the original Avatar: The Last Airbender. Each character arc has almost been raised to a sacred position. Something to be admired from the perspective of an audience member, fan and artist.
This is to say, I love The Last Airbender and the sequel series Legend of Korra as well. I have always been curious what it would be like, if the series was translated to live action. It is fascinating that we haven’t seen such a thing, until now in 2024.
But seriously. Whether we want to or not. A holistic review of the live action series cannot be complete without discussing the reality of the live action movie from 2010. I remember seeing it when it came out and it covers the same span of time as the recently released series. How these series approach interpreting the story and pacing it is inherently different. Not just because of the direction, but the medium.
The first season of the 2024 Last Airbender covers Book 1 of the animated series, as did the 2010 movie. I believe it is a vastly superior live action interpretation of the animated series that while not perfect, is something commendable and worthy of praise. I quite enjoyed the whole of the first season of the show. This review will go over my considerations and thoughts, but for those interested in a simple tagline:
A passionately produced adventure through a beloved world. With minor missteps, and many more bright smiles. The 2024 Last Airbender series is a captivating showcase of a legendary story.
Initial Impressions
I just liked it.
Now look. I get it. That’s almost a bit of a cop-out. At least, the current climate as it relates to media may leave an impression that is it. While I am happy to offer a deeper analysis, and even a few small critiques. Now only a few hours out from finishing the first eight episodes of the 2024 series. All I want is MORE. I want to see the story get further! I want to see Toph! I want to see Ba Sing Se! I love what has happened so far, and I found myself smiling a lot or just going “YES! That is what it should look like!”
I can’t deny, that part of it is simply the retribution of what the 2010 movie sort of soured. Now, I don’t think that film was entirely without merit. There were things it showcased, or tried to do that I understand. That said, as a fan of the original animated series what I craved wasn’t an artistic interpretation of the story. What I wanted was as close to a live action OVA as could viably be created. It is for that reason having Aang as a 12 year old. Getting to see the Southern Water tribe costumes exactly as they should be. The Fire Nation ships kicking pollution out as they break ice through the vast oceans. APPA! Iroh! Ozai!
I feel as if, while watching it. The show has to work double-time to serve as both an adaption of Last Airbender and an apology for the 2010 movie. It needs to both go “We’re doing this story as well as we can.” and also “Hey sorry about that, here is some hyper accurate costuming for you. Sorry again.” Which I personally appreciate.
I will be the first person to admit that I don’t like overly dramatic acting. I don’t like over-wrought speeches and monologues delivered by characters that haven’t been sitting behind a desk, turning phrases and practicing tone. It isn’t how people behave, and even fantastic speech writers can infrequently improvise something worth repeating. Every now and then a fantastic sentence or two may escape but broadly speaking it isn’t reality. Nor, do I expect children to be verbose.
For this reason, I loved Aang. I thought he was a realistic kid, who had the inherent capability to become an airbending master, since he is so free floating. Yet he is also someone who struggles with serious weighty components; again something I feel is inherently characterizing and believable. Aang is believable as a master, and a child. Which is the most important thing. He also reminds me of savants I have met in my own life, who skip steps in one place, but not in others. It is easy to, even in the animated series, forget that Aang is a kid, who just happens to be incredibly powerful. It works here, and I adore it.
Sokka just is Sokka. I think most of the casting in the 2024 series is spot on, but this casting is beyond accurate and is sometimes eerily concerning. Did they…bring an animated character to life? How? Who is next? This depiction of Sokka won me over within roughly 10 seconds of seeing him appear in the first episode. It is that simple.
Katara looks like Katara, and sounds like her. I feel a bit like she is too mature at this point in the game, but her scenes are well acted and she handles the physical choreography of water bending well. I feel like of the main trio, Katara is the one that missed the most development. I would of liked to see her obstinance showcased more before her conflict with Pakku. As a starting place and introduction to the character it is lovely, and insists upon further growth. I think this is a Katara that will be very interesting to see use blood bending as an example.
As it relates to the first episode, I thought it was quite interesting to see the genocide of the air benders. Not that it is something I liked, but the opening scene with an earth bender trying to escape with the message. Sozin’s ruthlessness. The attack on the air benders. It sells the seriousness of the situation. It confirms the weight of what is happening, and the cultural shift that is going to occur. This is something I will repeat throughout this review, but I feel as if the 2024 series does a fantastic amount of work to add to how the Fire Nation is depicted. I really enjoy the expanded scenes with Azula, Iroh, Ozai, Zuko and all the capital city residents.
Something worth mentioning, and something that came up in the back of my mind throughout the whole time I was watching the show. Is that the original series really found an impressive way to handle incredibly serious topics in the context of an animated show for young audiences. These are topics that cannot be handled the same way in live action. You simply can’t disregard the seriousness of a complete and total racial genocide in live action. You can’t have the people performing it act anything but serious, or if they’re truly atrocious villains: gleeful. The mistreatment of this sort of story in live action causes an instant departure to the uncanny valley. So while it may be odd to a long-time fan to witness the brutality of a Fire Nation soldier burning someone to death, I feel as if it would be a discredit to the reality they are trying to showcase if the series did anything else.
That said I think one of the only handicaps to this season of the series is that I personally am so excited for the story that comes after this story, that while I enjoyed watching it through. I cannot deny that I’m excited for what we don’t have yet. Where things will go. Azula let loose on Team Avatar. Ty Lee fighting! There is so much to look forwards to, and while I have hope beyond hope that we will get there. I also had to take a moment, still my breathing and enjoy where we are at.
While I enjoyed pretty much everything, I would of reworked the Omashu sequence just a bit. This isn’t something I will touch on too much, and it is a minor complaint in reality. I liked having the Mechanist and his son in Omashu and thought it made more sense if anything. I liked Jet and his crew in Omashu, setting off bombs. It mirrors the intention of the original waterfall plot and the characters are still there. My only real complaint is with the context of how Aang meets Bumi. I thought the actor for Bumi killed it since that is such an insane role to have to adapt to live action. They did it as well as it could be done. I only wish a bit more wisdom of the character got to leak through the mad king act.
Outside that critique, I really can’t say I am upset about anything. I would of loved for episodes that were mentioned or referenced to have been depicted. Things like the cavern crawlers, and a more expanded version of the Secret Tunnel storyline would of been fantastic. While there is an argument that episodes like those are foundational to the flavor of the series. I equally would of loved a billion dollar budget and twenty hour long episodes, with expanded backstories for everyone. There are always concessions when it comes to adaption, and those things are among them.
For what we have though, what was released. I found the special effects to be TOP NOTCH. The focus on the other Avatars is something even the original series lacked and I am glad to see. The back story and some expanded scenes across the Fire Nation are fantastic. The core crew of Team Avatar are exceptional and well acted. I find everyone believable and some characters maybe even better then their animated origins. An easy example of this is Zhao who has such a believable depiction. I think his ambition and ego come across as well, if not better then the animated character. Every scene he was in, I just thought “Ew, this guy.” In the the best possible way.
Sokka x Suki was cute. Sokka x Yue was cute.
Arguably, the spirit realm could of been edited a bit. I don’t think we needed to add Koh, and the Spirt of Wisdom to the sequence. I understand why they are there, and honestly there is no major harm done. The Owl can simply be visited in the library in his physical form later, easy. Koh is still alive, and didn’t reveal the information he reveals in the original series. So that story isn’t harmed. So while I don’t entirely know why there was a rush to include these characters, I can’t deny that Koh looked so sick, oh my god, he was horrifying. He was just…icky and big. Him looming around and looking down at Aang was a perfect scene, and perfectly framed.
As it relates to the Koh scene, I noticed something. At this point in time Aang and crew don’t know that Koh can only steal your face if you don’t show him any emotions. Now both Katara and Sokka show emotion (prompted by visions of their past) and Koh does indeed steal them to take their faces. Aang, seemingly, doesn’t offer any emotion. He may not know this actively, but some part of him or his heritage seemed to manifest as he didn’t emote. This could be a setup for later, where they are given better information on how to approach Koh.
A new scene to the series, the scene with Zuko and the crew that we learned he saved from being sacrificed by his father. That was a fantastic addition. It is an enjoyable way of showing that Zuko isn’t a bad person, but one motivated by dogma and disgrace. He has been manipulated, and grown up in a propaganda machine. I know the influence of his mother competes with the domination of his father and that scene where his crew learns that he saved their lives and lost his in the process; it is a victory for the memory of Zuko’s mother. It is an early indicator to a new audience that Zuko isn’t really battling the avatar, but the expectations set upon himself that are at conflict with an inherent sense of goodness.
As the final scenes set, and we witness the aftermath of the battle between Admiral Zhao’s forces and the Northern Water tribe. All I want is more. I feel like the brief was hit, and the status quo has been fulfilled. I live in eternal hope for a second season!
Plot Analysis
I find it fascinating when discussing how something has been interpreted to consider the differences in medium and delivery. For example if you are adapting a book and turning it into a movie you are inherently going to condense an experience that was incurred over days or weeks for the reader depending on their reading pace into a 1-2 hour spectacle. This almost always means sacrifices.
To lay it all out, let us review the run-time across each of the Last Airbender renditions specific to Book 1: Water. This is a rough average of the runtimes, since episodes vary.
| Series | Total Episodes | Average Total Runtime | Estimated Total Runtime |
| 2005 Original | 20 | 23 Minutes | 460 Minutes |
| 2010 Movie | 1 | 103 Minutes | 103 Minutes |
| 2024 Series | 8 | 50 Minutes | 400 Minutes |
The reality of the numbers presented above may vary, however only by a bit. The reality of it showcases that the movie may well have been doomed to fail. I’m not here to rag on any creative efforts because the reality of creative work is that it is challenging. It is often combatted and it must be done through a miasma of budgeting bullshit. Whether or not I liked the 2010 movie doesn’t mean I can disregard the work that went into it, the time or dedication. Even to bring something to market at all I believe the grand majority of audience members are entirely unaware of the effort required. With that said, a movie adaption of ATLA may need to set a very specific scope to succeed.
Whereas the 2024 series is much closer in overall runtime. It has to contend with three things the original didn’t:
- Exorbitant special effects costs.
- A massive legacy and army of critical fans.
- A popularized attempt at a live action adaption that is considered by many to be a spectacular failure.
This means that the 2024 series was coming up against some reasonable challenges before it even got out of the gate. That there was such a big gap in between attempts further cements the fact that getting it approved through what were probably countless internal budget committees was a monolithic effort. It is completed and we have a live action adaption that cuts a lot of the filler, but delivers the broad strokes of the Book 1 story.
The 2024 series is not a shot for shot recreation of the animated series as maybe some fans had unreasonably expected. There are however, a great number of shared frames and set pieces across the series. It is clear there is a love for the source material as it relates to showcasing the locations as they are, and or should be presented. Locations such as the opening Southern Water tribe, or the Southern Airbender Temple are represented as accurately as can be and this continues with locations like Kyoshi Island, which appear exactly as I recall them.
Elements of the original story haven’t been showcased, but there appears to be evidence that they occurred. An example of this would be a reference to the episode “The Great Divide” where in the original series, Team Avatar navigated a cultural conflict, while navigating a literal conflict; a deep desert canyon filled with monsters. In the 2024 series, a tavern patron reports that they heard the Avatar helped out a “Canyon Guide” which implies the events of the episode “The Great Divide” did indeed occur. The choice to make this reference may frustrate some fans, while getting a smirk from others. It does however, feed into something about how the plot was handled that I interpret as passionate impatience.
By passionate impatience I mean that, the people behind the 2024 series love it. They love everything about the universe, and they, like the fans, want more. They are also cognizant of the 2010 movie that covered the exact same source material. That for better or worse, ends in the same place. I have a theory that the plot and pacing of the first season were decided by these factors:
- Fascination with later stage character arcs.
- Overall love of the series and ambition to get beyond the content of the 2010 movie.
- Internal/Executive fear about the success of the project.
- Focus of the budget on things like bending.
As it relates to the 4th point, I want to point out that I LOVED the special effects in the whole series. I found almost every single movement, or moment; believable. I love how they handled Appa and Momo from a technical standpoint. The bending looks PERFECT. I will literally hear no other perspective, it is just as it should be. It is definitely powerful but I think that sells the in-world threat of bending. The battles we see, the usages of bending. Especially how the water looks. It is tremendous. That said, I do think it is part of the reason that some sections of the original series were omitted.
Let’s look at episode four “The Warriors of Kyoshi”. This episode opens with Team Avatar going to ride on giant koi fish, and then ultimately tussle with a massive sea serpent known as an Unagi.
This creature shoots water, rides through the water and battles with Aang. Now, does it look cool? Yes. It’s a cool monster, and a fun sequence. Is it consequential in the large scope of the story? No. Is it more important then showcasing the bending correctly, or getting the world building/costuming right? No. In a perfect world would I still like this sequence? Of course. Yet I am almost certain that restrictions placed upon the production team by the real world meant that some of these moments couldn’t make it into this adaptation.
If we review the major plot points of the original series:
- Aang isn’t present when the Fire Nation attacks the Airbenders during Sozin’s Comet.
- Aang is lost in a storm, alongside Appa, and frozen through time.
- The Fire Nation attacks and dominates the rest of the world, using Sozin’s Comet as a catalyst for the war.
- 100 years later, the war isn’t resolved.
- Zuko, the son of Ozai, the current Fire Lord, is searching for the Avatar alongside his uncle General Iroh.
- Sokka and Katara find/awaken Aang after he is frozen.
- Zuko finds Aang in the Southern Water tribe then pursues him after Aang escapes initial arrest.
- Katara is a water bender, and is gifted enough that through her experiences becomes a master.
- Aang, Appa, Sokka, Katara and Momo form ‘Team Avatar’.
- Team Avatar visits Kyoshi Island, and encounter the Kyoshi Warriors. A society of female led warriors who are the descendants of Avatar Kyoshi. One of the warriors is known as Suki and becomes somewhat entangled with Sokka.
- The city of Omashu, which hasn’t fallen in the war, is led by a king named Bumi who appears to most to be a senile old king. He is, in reality, a master earth bender who understands he must wait to make the right moves.
- Team Avatar discover, and break out the occupants of an earth bender prison.
- Team Avatar encounter a spirtual disruption, an enraged forest spirit and Aang must travel into the spirit world to resolve the concern. Around this time, a bounty hunter on a blind animal that tracks scent looks for the team.
- Aang can activate something known as the Avatar State. He is also capable of speaking to his past lives, or asking for their advice. He does so with Kyoshi and Roku. At times, past Avatars may speak through Aang or borrow his body.
- A character named Jet leads a band of rebels that ultimately plot a false flag operation to implicate the Fire Nation.
- Team Avatar lead two rival groups through a canyon.
- An ambitious officer named Zhao learns of Zuko’s pursuit of the Avatar and joins; his ambition causes him to pursue greater and greater means of retrieving the Avatar.
- Zuko breaks Aang out of jail as the ‘Blue Spirit’. The two almost connect, but Zuko’s pride/dogmatic view prevent him from allying with the Avatar.
- Aang encounters a firebending master known as Jeong Jeong who attempts to teach him firebending, after being persuaded by Roku. This does not go well and Aang becomes afraid of learning other elements.
- Team Avatar encounter an engineer known as the Mechanist, living in an abandoned Airbender temple, who has created a flying device for his handicapped son, and creates plans which are used by the Fire Nation to create their war blimps.
- Team Avatar are required to reach the Northern Water tribe, to meet a water bending master to help Aang master water bending.
- Katara is relegated to a group of female only healers, and won’t be taught combat. She ultimately challenges the male master to prove her worthiness as a combatant. While she earns his respect, she loses the battle. She is ultimately deemed a master, or close enough to one based on her own talents and growth.
- When the team reach the Northern Water tribe, a battle occurs led by Admiral Zhao and his forces. Admiral Zhao discovers two spirits who live alongside the Northern Water tribe, and aims to kill one of them to remove the power of the water benders. The water benders are revealed to draw their power from the moon. Zhao kills the original moon spirit. The ocean spirit empowers Aang and he goes into a rage, using the Avatar state. Aang in this state, as a big water monster, pushes back the Fire Nation invasion of the Northern Water tribe.
- Princess Yue, who seems to be romantically entangled with Sokka on a positive trajectory, dies to bring the moon spirit back to life. This is because her life was saved by the moon spirit and she holds a degree of its energy. By offering herself, she becomes the moon but loses her physical body.
This isn’t a perfect list, but it to me represents a reasonable summary of the first season of the original series. The primary concepts, and major plot points that illustrate the whole story. Now, that is not the whole picture of the original series. There are character moments, side plots and internal relationships that are developed which are not adapted into the 2024 series. Segments that aren’t included in the 2024 series are:
- Earth bender prison. Pretty much the whole of the episode “Imprisoned”.
- The pirates and water-bending scroll from “The Waterbending Scroll”.
- The canyon, rival groups and contents of the episode “The Great Divide”.
- The fortune teller story included in the episode “The Fortuneteller”.
- Bato is referenced, the episode “Bato of the Water Tribe” doesn’t occur. Bato is only seen in a flashback, and Sokka doesn’t re-challenge his ice-dodging by dodging rocks.
- Jeong Jeong is not in season one. The content of the episode “The Deserter” is not included.
- The Mechanist is not in the Northern Air Temple and is instead the official mechanist of Omashu.
There are some moments or elements that aren’t included, which occur across episodes. Things like:
- Aang and Katara’s budding romanticism.
- Sokka and Katara’s sibling rivalry.
- Aang and Appa’s partnership/bond.
That said a huge amount of the content from the original series was included, and it was done quite well. There are expanded moments in Iroh and Zuko’s shared backstory which I thought were quite well done. That said some of the omissions may be handled by dramatic critics as nails in a coffin, I’m not quite as defeated. There are some changes that I feel like could be slotted into future seasons seamlessly. Particularly, I feel like the earth bender prison, the waterbending scroll, the fortune teller, Bato and Jeong Jeong all fit fine into a season two.
Ultimately, when looking at what is there, and what isn’t. I think it is clear that a live action adaption of the series may require four to five seasons while the original show was capable of covering the whole story in three. As the plot is presented here, and based on where it needs to go. I would posit the following structure for the 2024 series to follow:
| Season | Content to Cover |
| 2 | Twelve episodes. Focus this season on Aang learning to water bend. Refocus the water bending scroll from the pirates to be further techniques that Aang/Katara can practice together to become more advanced. Meet Bato. In the town where we meet Toph, have the festival that leads to Aang meeting Jeong Jeong. Adapt up to “The Desert” and end the season on a note of despair. Aang misses Appa and he has been stolen. Everyone is at odds with each other a bit. Hype up Ba Sing Se. |
| 3 | Twelve episodes. Adapt from “The Serpent’s Pass” to “The Crossroads of Destiny” of Book 2: Earth. |
| 4 | Twelve episodes. Adapt from “The Awakening” to “The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse” of Book 3: Fire. |
| 5 | Twelve episodes. Adapt from “The Western Air Temple” “Sozin’s Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang”. |
Positives
The casting was fantastic, as was the costuming. Huge swathes of the character arcs are fulfilled, and important moments that are displayed feel monumental. The expanded sections of other avatars and of Iroh and Zuko are stand out exceptions. It is impossible not to be pleased with the world that is presented, and how the central “magic” of bending is displayed across iterations. The special effects worked for me, in almost every single moment. The weight of the original story is presented respectfully in live action, given that it is much harder to look away from the atrocities being committed in live action. The story presents the sorrow of war, especially as it involves young people in a believable way.
Negatives
A reordering of some scenes where episodes have been condensed could of been done with a bit more patience. If some things were withheld, their impact would be greater in more dedicated moments. I missed a bit of the interplay between the main cast, and the relationship they have with their animal partners as they camp across the world. I wanted more, and could of easily used an extra four episodes to round out the pace.
Final Review
The 2024 version of Avatar: The Last Airbender is a fantastic adaptation which makes me crave more. Producing this series required surmounting multiple, incredibly challenging cliffs. It demanded a massive budget, dedicated actors and inspired special effects. It delivers across the board, and showcases itself to be the sort of deserving project that should be given the option to slow down and finish the entirety of the original story.
I think the single most important thing to remember, especially as a fan, is that this is leagues better then other adaptions we’ve seen in the world. It surpasses the 2010 movie by an incredible amount. Compared to the Artemis Fowl movie, this isn’t an adaption that kills the souls of its fans. I would imagine if anyone gets frustrated, it is because it was so good, they wanted the things they missed. They know it would be good, and simply miss it. This is reasonable.
If we look at the collection of animated series, adapted to live action. I believe Avatar: The Last Airbender stands alongside the recent One Piece by respecting the source material, adding some of its own and earning its spot on the shelf. There are stand out character actors, fantastic setups and nothing but exciting places to go.
Netflix, please give us every season this story needs to complete!
Josh Perry: Canadian Author 