Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender is nowhere near the quality of the original animated series. It has to suffice with the review that it is a better version than M. Night Shyamalan’s 2010 film. It is not a win for the series since The Last Airbender 2010 had a Rotten Tomatoes score of 5% from the critics. The only exciting news for the disappointed fans is the upcoming animated movie that will continue the Airbender’s story from the Nickelodeon series.
Avatar: The Last Airbender on Nickelodeon followed the story of Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, and Toph and ran for a total of 61 episodes, spanning three ‘Books’. The show which ran from February 2005 to July 2008 was a ratings success, but many felt that the series still needed to answer some questions.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Will Return As An Animated Movie After Subpar Live-Action Series
The original animated series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, explores a fictional world where some people can telekinetically manipulate one of the four elements—water, earth, fire, or air. Avatar is the only individual who can bend all four elements and the protagonist of the series, Aang, is the current Avatar and the last survivor of his nation, the Air Nomads. Fans fell in love with Aang’s world, especially his friendship with Katara, Sokka, and Toph, as they ventured into their adventure.
The 2010 live-action film and the new Netflix live-action series have greatly disappointed fans of the original. However, they have some good news as well. In 2022, Paramount announced that three animated films were in production (via Deadline). According to DiscussingFilm on X, the first of these films will be released in October 2025 and will continue the storyline of the animated series. It was also reported that the characters, Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko & Toph, will all be in their late 20s to early 30s.
The story of ‘AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER’ will continue in a new animated film releasing in October 2025.
Follows Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko & Toph all in their late 20s to early 30s pic.twitter.com/c6RNiOQPRr
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) February 22, 2024
Fans on X were excited about this update as they badly wanted to recover from the live-action mess. One fan supported the animated movie over the “lifeless” Netflix show, while another fan was elated that the film was finally happening. One of the major questions fans wanted an answer to was whether the original creators were involved in the film. Interestingly, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the original series creators, left the production of the Netflix series in 2020 due to creative differences (via Instagram). Several fan reactions read:
THIS IS WHAT WE WANTED
— trev (@itTrevv) February 22, 2024
We're supporting this & not the lifeless Netflix show!!!
— *.✧ (@Mutant_Menace) February 22, 2024
Wait this is happening! Thank Goodness pic.twitter.com/VeU98UWXnR
— Purp? (@purpyisgreat) February 22, 2024
The Avatar content I actually wanted.
— NoBlueNaga (@Derpin93) February 22, 2024
I swear to god if its not the same creators then I don’t want it
— A Human (@Mr_Lambbb) February 22, 2024
The original series received critical acclaim for the characters and their voice casting. The film also did justice with the cultural references and themes, using rarely touched topics in cartoons like war, genocide, imperialism, and free choice. The humor in the series made it more relatable to a young audience.
Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender Did Many Things Wrong
The live-action series adaptation of the series was confused with its target audience. The series tried to become a more mature adaptation akin to Netflix’s other series like Stranger Things and The Witcher, with a Game of Thrones-like world-building. However, they also incorporated some silly humor, while removing what worked in the original series, to attract a younger audience.
Apart from this confusion, the series also failed at the challenge of adapting the first book of the animated series, with 20 half-hour episodes, into an 8-episode season. The result was the outright skipping of character growth arcs, side missions, comedic elements, and heavily simplified storylines. It almost makes fans unsurprised at why DiMartino and Konietzko left the project.
Despite all its flaws, the series fares better than M. Night Shyamalan‘s movie because of its decent acting, action sequences, and cool VFX. The original animated series is also available for streaming on Netflix.
