The live-action remake of the popular and critically acclaimed Nickelodeon show aired in the late 2000s is under scrutiny. Although the original is beloved and regarded as one of the best television shows of all time, this new take on the “Avatar: The Last Airbender” (“ATLA”) universe comes after an unsuccessful attempt to rehash the show as a film in 2010. The new series, released in February 2024, has been launched in an era when the prospect of live-action adaptations is disillusioning to most viewers, often hindered by shorter time constraints, poor direction and misinterpretations of the source material. So how does this new rendition of “ATLA” measure up?
The show is set in a fictional world split into four nations based on a four-element system: water, earth, fire and air. Some people from each nation can “bend” or manipulate a specific element. The story follows Aang, the last survivor of the Air Nomads after the Fire Nation wiped them out during a 100-year-long war. He is the next Avatar and the only person capable of bending all four elements. In this season, Aang travels with Sokka and Katara, a brother and sister from the Southern Water Tribe, to the North Pole so that he and Katara can learn water bending. Throughout their journey, he is pursued by Prince Zuko, the banished son of Fire Lord Ozai, who seeks to capture the Avatar and reclaim his honor.
Overall, while this new adaptation of “ATLA” is certainly an improvement on the 2010 movie and was made with great care, it leaves much to be desired. The CGI and visuals are well done; most bending feels realistic and incorporates martial arts into the movements and the fight choreography feels dynamic and intense. Many of the locations from the original series, such as the city of Omashu and the Northern Water Tribe, look lush and have a unique atmosphere.
With shorter screen time, the producers had to rearrange some plot points and cut some storylines to fit everything into one season. In some areas, this is extremely effective, with the writers merging two different arcs into one episode to enhance the emotional impact of both. This creative shuffling of story beats is necessary to make the show more enjoyable and gives it a separate identity beyond being just a remake; most viewers will appreciate that this new adaptation is not a completely one-for-one reshoot of the original show.
Although this recombination of specific plot points is often done well, in other cases, it makes the story seem bloated and needs to be executed better. Some episodes are an amalgamation of different storylines that are only loosely connected, preventing any of them from being fully explored. Because each story gets so little screen time, especially compared to the original show where they would typically get at least one full episode to themselves, there is no justification for their inclusion beyond the fact that those scenes were in the original. While it is nice to see an earnest desire to make the show as faithful an adaptation as possible, at times, this makes these otherwise interesting plotlines seem flat and meaningless compared to the overall story.
Where the writing in this show truly fails is in the dialogue. Much of it is expository and repetitive, breaking the viewer’s immersion in the story. Some critics argue the actors are also stiff in their presentation, but most of that comes from how the directors wanted to portray the characters and how uninteresting their lines are. Everything is handled without subtlety, with all “telling” and no “showing”; the audience cannot interpret anything about the characters because the show tells them directly through boring and ineffective dialogue.
Finally, how this remake handles its female characters is extremely disappointing and frustrating. The original show explored misogyny through characters like Sokka and members of the Northern Water Tribe, which, although rather unnuanced and straightforward, makes viewers interested in seeing how those mindsets are challenged and evolve. The remake reduces these sentiments in the Northern Water Tribe and completely removes them from Sokka’s character but ironically treats its female characters in a way that is arguably even more sexist. Katara was an interesting character in the original because of her ambition, feistiness and feminine rage. She is completely watered down in the new series; sometimes, her personality is hard to discern. Suki, Sokka’s main love interest, has her independence and strength greatly diminished to quickly get the romantic subplot moving, which is a disservice to her character and makes it seem like she only exists to be Sokka’s girlfriend. In the directors’ attempts to remove most of the sexism from the show, mainly from Sokka’s initial characterization and the “emotional woman” stereotype, they unintentionally add even more back in.
Overall, the new adaptation of “ATLA” has merits but needs to improve in writing and characterization. While visually appealing, there’s significant room for improvement. As feedback accumulates, one can only hope for necessary changes if the show is renewed for a second season. Yet, the question lingers: Was this adaptation truly necessary? With fans’ immeasurable expectations, the show needs help to surpass its source material. Though it holds potential, it has yet to reach the heights of the original series.
