It is not easy to meet expectations when you have in your hands a high-budget product destined to become a global success and which, in addition, is the adaptation of a well-loved previous one with a loyal fan base. Of course, a remake like this will always have the attention of many eyes – it is one of the reasons why they are made – but they are also willing to evaluate each modification of the original with a magnifying glass. We remember atrocious grotesqueries in this jump from animation to live-action – I still can’t erase the latest version of ‘Knights of the Zodiac’ from my mind, for example – but The precedent of ‘One Piece’ gave us some hope before the arrival of ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ on Netflix.
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With a budget of 120 million dollars for a first season of eight episodes, Netflix placed its hope in finding its new phenomenon in the adaptation of the Nickelodeon fantasy series broadcast between 2005 and 2008. It was no wonder. In addition to being a cult title, this intellectual property had all the makings to conquer a new mass audience: a classic but interesting hero story, a rich and attractive world and mythology, charismatic characters and the return to an always effective genre like adventure. If, with the transfer from one format to another, the main values were maintained (and although some things were lost along the way, others were also gained), the balance could be very positive.
And fortunately for fans of ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ and neophytes eager for this type of epic story, the new version is a true success in general terms (although, obviously, upon closer scrutiny one can find some other error). The first thing to applaud about the Netflix adaptation is the visual result: The series has a bill that would have nothing to envy of a cinematic blockbuster (and, for that matter, it brings out the colors of M. Night Shyamalan’s 2010 version in many aspects), especially highlighting the fight scenes and the special effects to bring the powers of fire, water, air and land of the teachers. It is exciting to see the characters throw fireballs or lift the earth under their feet, as well as how accomplished the flying bison that the protagonist uses as a pet and means of transportation and the flying lemur that accompanies them.
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But, on top of that, the special effects would be useless if we didn’t find some heart and charisma in the central characters: little Gordon Cormier bears well the weight of the entire story falling on him and his companions, although they do not stand out excessively, also endure the pull. Both the main trio (Aang, Katara and Sokka) and their two nemeses (Zuko and Uncle Iroh) do well both with the flips and when they have to deal with deeper emotions. That’s what a series like this requires – and, in fact, it was one of the strengths of the original ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ – that it doesn’t just matter where the path goes but who you accompany along it.
Although the original was quite transversal despite having seen the light on a children’s channel, There is no doubt that Netflix is looking for a family audience in ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’, although it is not a silly proposal. Let’s not forget that ‘Wednesday’ was not necessarily a series for children, nor was ‘Stranger Things’, but they swept that demographic profile. Something similar can happen with this, although doors are not closed to adults. Yes, it is a simple proposal, but not simplistic, in terms of its approach (which, by the way, is not far from ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’, although Disney’s is later and other fantasy and adventure stories). We are, above all, facing a hero’s journey, that of little Aang who is destined to become the Avatar, that is, the legendary warrior who dominates all the elements and can bring peace to a world devastated by the greed of the Kingdom of Fire. What does weigh on fiction regarding this desire to be accessible is the excessive use of underlining, which lowers the tone and quality of his scriptsbut it’s quite bearable.
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As for the adaptation, the changes are not too bothersome (the most notable being that the initial twenty minutes are dedicated to developing the plot of the past that the animated series told in its intro), although they will surely be a cause for discussion among the most fandom. protective. Perhaps you do miss a little more time for the development of the story and the characters, which, in only eight installments, falls somewhat short. But, Broadly speaking, ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ meets its objectives: It presents the story in an entertaining way, manages to immerse us in an attractive world, the rules are clear and the mythology is explained and it makes us become fond of its young stars. As the first stone for the construction of a vast universe – which can not only be expanded with a couple more seasons but also with sequels and spin-offs – it is more than solid.
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I was born on Wisteria Lane, I was roommates with Hannah Horvath, and ‘Chicago’ drove me crazy because Roxie Hart is me. I have a sharp tongue, but, as Lola Flores said, “they had to give me a subsidy for joy.”