A young boy known as the Avatar must master the four elemental powers to save a world at war — and fight a ruthless enemy bent on stopping him. A television series by Albert Kim, starring Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley, Dallas Liu, Ken Leung, Daniel Dae Kim, Elizabeth Yu, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee.

The television series “AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER” is a live-action adaptation of the 2005 animated series “AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER” on Nickelodeon, originally created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. I consider it one of the best animated series ever made.

I was initially thrilled when Netflix announced, in September 2018, a live-action adaptation of my beloved animated series “AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER.” The original creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, were attached as executive producers and showrunners, alongside returning composer Jeremy Zuckerman. This assemblage of talent seemed like a dream team, promising a faithful and potentially exceptional adaptation. What could possibly go wrong? Netflix could make everything worse. In August 2020, DiMartino and Konietzko announced their departure from the project due to creative differences. That was when I knew that Netflix series will never surpass or even as good as the original animated series.

Long time ago, the world was ruled by four nations: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. These people lived in harmony with nature, each possessing the ability to control their own element — these were known as Benders.

Among them existed the Avatar, a unique individual capable of mastering all four elements. Only one Avatar existed at a time, reincarnating into a new nation after their death, perpetuating an endless cycle. The reincarnated Avatar trained to master the art of bending, destined to maintain the world’s balance and act as a bridge between the physical and spiritual realms.

Lord Sozin (Hiro Kanagawa) of the Fire Nation, driven by ambition, devised a sinister plan to conquer the entire world. He believed the world should bow before him, just as fire naturally spreads and consumes everything in its path. However. The Avatar stood as the sole obstacle between him and his dream. He plotted an attack on the Earth Kingdom, a mere distraction for his true purpose to wipe out the Air Nation, where the Avatar, a twelve-year-old named Aang, resided.

At the Southern Air Temple, Monk Gyatso (Lim Kay Siu), pressured by the council, revealed Aang’s true identity. The council hoped it would make Aang (Gordon Cormier) take his training seriously, understanding the weight of his destiny as the chosen one. Learning of his destined duty, Aang, overcome with fear, took a ride on his sky bison Appa to clear his head.

While Aang was away, Sozin led an army of firebending soldiers to attack the Southern Air Temple. Fueled by a red comet in the sky, their power was amplified, making their assault devastating. Though they knew the Avatar was reincarnated in the Air Nation, they were unable to pinpoint the individual. The firebenders killed every airbenders, believing they had eliminated the Avatar.

Caught in a storm, Aang and Appa were tossed by a gigantic wave. As the ocean threatened to engulf them, Aang’s eyes and tattoos glowed. Triggered by the danger, he entered the Avatar State, unconsciously forming an iceberg around himself and Appa. Encased within the ice, he remained trapped for the next hundred years.

Meanwhile, the world descended into chaos after the Fire Nation eradicated the Air Nomads of the Southern & Northern Air Temples . Other nations retreated in fear of the Fire Nation’s attacks. Anyone deemed a threat, including the Southern Water Tribe warriors, was killed. Since then, Southern Water Tribe has forbidden everyone from training waterbending.

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the fire nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished…

A century later, while fishing, siblings Sokka (Ian Ousley) and Katara (Kiawentiio) are swept away by a mysterious current, causing them to fall overboard onto a glacier. As Sokka notices their boat drifting away, Katara uses her waterbending ability, which she has secretly practiced, to pull it back. In the process, she inadvertently cracks open an iceberg, unleashing a powerful beam of light into the sky. Aang emerges unconscious from the shattered ice. Despite Sokka’s initial disagreement, Katara decides to bring Aang back to their Southern Water Tribe village.

This scene presents a significant deviation from the original animated series. In the original, their boat is destroyed, and Aang, riding his bison Appa, transports them both back to their village. Notably, this scene showcases the characters’ lively and humorous interactions, contrasting with the darker and more somber tone adopted in the Netflix series.

The beam of light is seen by Prince Zuko, who has been banished by his father Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim), the current leader of the Fire Nation. Zuko is on an impossible mission to capture the Avatar, the only key to regaining his honor and birthright as the heir to the Fire Nation throne. Zuko and his uncle Iroh lead their soldiers tracking down the mysterious light to the Southern Water Tribe village.

To protect the village from being pillaged by firebenders, Aang surrenders himself to Zuko. However, Aang manages to escape the prison and is rescued by Katara and Sokka, who follow Zuko’s ship on the flying bison Appa. Together, they embark on a journey where Aang needs to master all four elements of bending to become the Avatar, the only one who can restore balance to the world.

I understand that transferring everything from the original animation to a live-action series is inherently challenging, certain aspects were lost in the adaptation. For instance, Katara’s strong emotional expression becomes muted compared to her animated counterpart. Similarly, Aang appears almost constantly grieving and depressed under the burden of his responsibility.

Overall, Netflix’s version seems to lack the magical spark that made the original animation so beloved. Despite being toned down and less humorous than their animated counterparts, Ian Ousley’s portrayal of Sokka and Dallas Liu’s Prince Zuko manage to capture the essence of the original characters remarkably well. Elizabeth Yu’s Princess Azula initially feels less menacing, but she displays potential for growth in future seasons.

Notable supporting characters include Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Uncle Iroh, Ken Leung as Commander Zhao, Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai, Sebastian Amoruso as Freedom Fighters’ leader Jet, Arden Cho as bounty hunter June, and Amber Midthunder as Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe.

The pacing suffers due to the Netflix series’ shorter runtime. While it condenses the original animation’s first season (over 8 hours) into 7 hours, it inevitably sacrifices the smaller moments that enriched the entire narrative. The show’s direction remains unclear, particularly in the final three episodes. These episodes take a markedly darker turn, both thematically and visually. The use of darker visuals significantly hinders the audience’s ability to follow the action. It’s worth exploring whether this stylistic shift was intended to evoke the darkness of war portrayed in series like “Game of Thrones” or “The Lord of the Rings,” or if it served another purpose.

While the firebending and earthbending visual effects are stunning, the waterbending and airbending often appear inferior in several scenes. Additionally, several background locations feel unrealistic, appearing either too vivid or overly clean. I know that these fantastical places don’t exist in real life, but with careful attention, they could be crafted to evoke a sense of believability instead of resembling video game environments.

The first season of the live-action television series ” AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER,” consisting of eight episodes, premiered on Netflix on 22 February 2024.