Live action ATLA

In this article, Rylie Revercomb will discuss the newest edition to the Avatar fanbase, and what people are saying about it.

ATLA Live action adaptation

By: Rylie Revercomb

Water… Air… Earth… Fire. Long ago, Nickelodeon blessed us with the greatest TV show of our childhoods; Avatar: The Last Airbender. It was a show that had everyone glued to the TV, a show that is somehow still alive and thriving despite having premiered in 2005 and ended in 2008. The show is over, but the love for the franchise still thrives-- that is, until M. Night Shyamalan ruined everything we loved with one of the worst live-action adaptations of the decade. Only a new show, a master of all things Avatar, could possibly save fandom… But, will it live up to the hype? Let’s see.

The Dark Times

Before we get into the details of the new live-action show, we first need to dive into the deep and dark abyss… Shyamalan's movie. A movie that barely managed to get a 5% score on RottenTomatoes, unlike its cartoon predecessor, which charmed critics with a score of 100%. This left critics making statements like, “How did Shyamalan get it so wrong?” and “The worst film of the year.” Fans were far from happy and nowhere near satisfied. The actors for the characters, (who are all indigenous), were almost all white, leaving these beloved characters whitewashed. Not to mention, they took away all personality from our favorite angry Katara, and our witty and sassy Sokka. On top of horrible visual effects, terrible acting, a bad take on the spiritual aspects of the original show, and many other elements… This film was a disappointment.

Shyamalan's Failure- Image By: IMDb

A Visual Representation of Happy and Unhappy Fans- Image by: YouTube

Mixed Reactions

Now, because of Shyamalan's epic failure, long-time fans of the show were not exactly optimistic upon hearing that a new live-action take on the cartoon was coming out. All around social media platforms and websites, people were talking about the upcoming series. There were a few spoilers that were leaked, and a lot of them left fans with mixed emotions. On the more positive side, this show greatly improved upon the last live-action's take on special effects and visuals. The spiritual creatures looked just like they did in the cartoon, and characters like Koh, the face stealer, were just as terrifying in this rendition. The bending was incredible, and looked much more believable… However, on the less positive side, fans were complaining about how characters were stripped of their personality. Sokka no longer had character development by growing out of his misogynistic ways, Katara was no longer passionate and strong-willed, and characters that made more jokes were… Well, adultified. With mixed reactions, only the release of the show could determine its fate amongst fans.

Doomed or Perfect?

Feb. 22, 2024 arrived much faster than expected, and fans of the series were finally able to get a good look at what this new show was about. The first season was cut down into at least hour-long episodes, with the last two being longer, shortening the episodes and making it perfect for binging. By the next day, the reviews were in… And they were, as expected, split opinions. Some long-time fans were upset that changes were made, and seemed to only focus on what was left out and what changed, refusing to see the bad. Meanwhile, others said that they really liked the series' approach, and how it honors the original show but still brings about new ideas to the plot. Some users on Reddit shared their opinions-- the good and the bad. These include statements like, “It exceeded my expectations!” Others said, “The show was doomed to fail from the get-go.” More neutral reviews say, “There are things I love about it, and things that leave a bad taste in my mouth.” Fans were split.

The Already Much Better Show- Image by: Forbes

This Show is Much Better- Image by: IMDb

The Verdict

However, despite the reaction of nit-picky fans, the show actually did most things really well. Yes, the acting was a bit cliché and dry at times, but the cast put their hearts into the show in other moments and viewers can really see it. The extra scenes, like the Air Nomad genocide, Azula’s struggles, Gyatso waiting for Aang in the spirit world, and Zuko being honored when returning to his ship are some of the content that the live-action did well… and they were all new elements. Fans seem to always want to hold an adaptation to a standard of perfection, but there are always going to be strategies that are done differently. Are there components that I would have changed? Yes. But are there angles that I never thought of that are absolutely brilliant? Yes. The show does a lot of tasks splendidly, and that is most likely why the series was green-lit for the other two seasons.

While the new series has some problems, of course, many people agree that the first season of the original show was the least interesting. I personally believe that the next two seasons can really amp up an already great show. With new characters, a better plot in the second and third seasons, and all the good stuff to come, it is certain that the live-action series is worth the hype. To conclude this article, I humbly give the live-action series an 8/10 stars, with hope for further improvement. Flameo, Hotman!

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