Ashlynn Payne
“Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.”
These opening lines have occupied the minds of fans since the 2005 release of Nickelodeon’s series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” If you watched Netflix’s recent live-action remake, you heard the familiar story again. Only this time, the words were not in the opening title screen, but rather eerily spoken by an ominous Gran Gran.
In case anyone has been living under a Ba Sing Se rock, “Avatar: The Last Airbender” takes place in a fictional eastern world in which everyone is divided into nations based on the four elements: earth, fire, air and water. Over the centuries, people have learned to “bend” these elements, and after the Fire Nation declares war on the other nations, the Avatar — master of all four elements — is the only person who can restore the balance.
Katara, played by Kiawentiio Tarbell, and Sokka, played by Ian Ousley, discover Aang, played by Gordon Cormier, who they learn is the current Avatar and the last living Air Nomad. The three then journey together to complete Aang’s training in all four elements before the Fire Nation wipes out the other benders.
Although Netflix promised their rendition would alleviate the pain left in the wake of the 2010 whitewashed live-action disaster “The Last Airbender,” many felt this promise was doomed to be broken. The first sign of disappointment came when the original creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, parted ways with Netflix over “creative differences.”
Even still, I, like many other fans, anxiously anticipated the show’s release on Thursday, Feb. 22. I popped my popcorn and took Buzzfeed’s “What Would Be Your Bending Power From ‘Avatar?’” quiz in preparation. However, no amount of preparing could have prepared me for what was to come.
Despite a multimillion-dollar budget, I could not watch the eight-episode series without being distracted by the lackluster visual effects and unrealistic computer-generated backgrounds. Who knew making floating ice could be so difficult?
The problems did not stop there. The rest of the series featured overly condensed plots that, in the original series, spanned several episodes.
While I understand that not everything could and should be included, the plot changes led to = rushed character development, convoluted adventures and a loss of urgency as Aang attempts to save the Northern Water Tribe from the Fire Nation while outrunning Prince Zuko, played by Dallas Liu.
Along their journey, Aang, Katara and Sokka are meant to forge an undeniable bond; however, they spend the majority of the episodes separated to pursue various subplots. I am sure the creators felt this was necessary in order to fit the necessary plot elements in, but I believe this decision ultimately robbed fans of seeing the three characters become something so much more — a family.
One of the major concerns I had going into the show was casting. The original characters are extremely developed, with unique quirks and all. Netflix had the daunting task of finding actors that could seamlessly step into the once-animated roles. Unfortunately, they missed the mark in some very key areas in the latest adaptation.
The most egregious casting for me was Elizabeth Yu as Azula. Based on her IMDB page, Yu is a relatively new actress. I am sure she has some talent; however, her portrayal of Azula is anything but the menacing, vindictive antagonist fans love to hate. Instead of a fiery, evil passion, Yu almost seems to have a resting sad face, which does the character an extreme disservice.
While I did enjoy Tarbell as Katara, the writers did the character immense injustice by replacing her motherly, strong-willed personality with a shy and submissive demeanor. Instead of taking charge in most situations, Katara seems to be seeking others’ approval throughout most of the series.
However, I am not unreasonable, and I will give credit where credit is due.
Ousley and Paul Sun-Hyung, who played Uncle Iroh, simply carried the show for me. Although many of the original sexist jokes were taken out of the remake, Ousley’s facial expressions and comedic timing brought the role of Sokka to life. Of any actor in the series, Sun-Hyung’s portrayal of Uncle Iroh was the most true to the original animated show.. I would most definitely drop everything to enjoy jasmine tea with him.
Netflix also took me by pleasant surprise with several original scenes that brought more dimension to the story. Witnessing the genocide of the Air Nomads and a detailed story of Zuko’s banishment are just a few of the added treasures that I can no longer imagine the story without.
Long story short, Netflix did a few things right and several things very, very wrong. My suggestion is to lower any high expectations, because some issues were not included for the sake of spoilers. After many unanswered questions and unnecessary changes, my final thought is similar to one of the last lines in the series.
“So…what comes next?”
