While Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender didn’t stoop to the levels of the 2010 film, it was still a pretty unimpressive attempt at a live-action adaptation of the animated series. The Nickelodeon series had the approval of generations of young fans and critics alike. One thing the Netflix series failed to do largely, but found success when it did, was incorporating nostalgic elements from the 2005 iteration. One particular easter egg in the Netflix series put a smile on the faces of many fans.
Avatar: The Last Airbender centers around the story of Aang, the Avatar who can control all four elements in the universe. Aang, along with his friends Katara, Sokka, and Toph, strive to end the Fire Nation’s war against the other nations.
Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s Netflix Version Pays Homage To The Animated Version
In the original animated series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang is presented as a loveable, happy-go-lucky character. This aspect of the character was made evident in one funny sequence in the opening credits of the animated series. Despite largely throwing out the comedic nature of Aang as well as the entire show, Netflix’s version of the series has included a homage to this particular sequence in the series.
In the opening credits of the Nickelodeon show, Aang creates a spinning ball of air and rides it merrily like a bicycle, before bumping into a large statue. What makes the scene iconic is the voiceover by Katara, who explains, “Although his airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he’s ready to save anyone.” The scene also points to one crucial aspect of the series, that Aang is still a child despite basically trying to save the world.
Fans first noticed the inclusion of the sequence in the Netflix series, when its trailer dropped on YouTube. In the second episode of the series, titled Warriors, Aang, Katara, and Sokka visit the warrior community of Kyoshi Island, where they are welcomed with a grand feast. Gordon Cormier‘s Aang is approached by a few curious children, who ask him if he’s really an Airbender. He shows off his skills while also playing with the children.
While entertaining his new friends, Aang creates his signature spinning ball of air and slams into a stone statue. While the moment satisfied many fans of the OG series, it also misled them into believing that the show would carry over the humor from the animated series. Unfortunately, Netflix adopted a more mature and serious tone with the series that didn’t really click well with the audiences.
Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender Has A Lower Rotten Tomatoes Score Than Expected
The Rotten Tomatoes score for the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series currently stands at 59%. It is lower than what fans expected of the series, especially after the impressive trailer. The series made attempts at changing several aspects of the original, including adding mature themes like the genocide of the Air Nomads and the rise of the Fire Nation.
However, the series failed to find a balance between satisfying Netflix’s regular mature audiences and the fans of the original animated series. It also had a lot of source material to cover in its 8 episodes, including the first book of the original series which had 20 half-hour episodes. Many of the major character arcs and side missions were excluded from the live-action adaptation. Notably, the series did well in the action and VFX departments.
The animated series is also now available for streaming on Netflix.
