It’s been just over ten years since Avatar: The Last Airbender first hit our screens. When it first aired in 2005, the series captured the imaginations of a generation that had never seen anything like it, with fluid animation, a thrilling story, and philosophical themes that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best shonen anime of its generation.
It’s also safe to say that, in the years since Avatar: The Last Airbender, the series’ creative team has had a tough time trying to recapture lightning in a bottle. Avatar: The Legend of Korra premiered to rough reviews, though it’s since gained its own cult following in recent years. Live-action remakes of the series have faced even stiffer critiques, with fans passing on both M. Night Shyamalan’s 2010 film adaptation and Netflix’s recent live-action TV series.
As a result, expectations surrounding Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender were sky-high, with many hoping for a sort of “return to form” for the series. Having now seen the film, I can say that it doesn’t quite get there, but it tries its best to.
First of all, I have to say that this film is stunning to look at. If an animation studio could have a performance of a lifetime, this would be it. Australia-based Flying Bark Productions brings their wealth of animation experience to the film, with fluid character animation that masterfully renders every emotion expressed in the script, whether it’s a tender romance or action-packed fight scene.
It’s not only the characters who look great – the world around them does, too. The environment comes to life in rich colour and stunning detail, whether it’s a bustling city, ruined sanctuary, skyscape filled with rolling clouds, or the surreal planes of the Spirit Realm. You could proudly hang up any of the background paintings from this film on your wall and find new details to admire every time you passed by it.
Unfortunately, the animation is the only thing I have unequivocal praise for. Korean-American singer and entertainer Eric Nam takes on his first major acting role as Aang, and his inexperience really shows, with a flat affect that fails to convey the necessary emotion for some of the story’s more intense and dramatic scenes.
Nam’s inexperience is highlighted even more by having to act opposite Dave Bautista, who plays Tagah, an Airbender from the past who was also frozen in ice like Aang. The two share many scenes together as they bond over being the last of their kind, with Bautista delivering a much stronger performance as a man struggling to adjust to a new world.
Still, to be entirely fair, the film in general seems to struggle with a lack of clear voice direction, with even seasoned actors like Dionne Quan (Toph) and Steven Yeun (Zuko) affected by the same flat, unconvincing tone of voice. However, their flaws aren’t quite as noticeable… as their characters simply aren’t really present in the film.
For a film that was billed as a never-before-seen adventure featuring an adult Gaang, the Gaang themselves play a quite a minimal role in the story. The film seems to rely on our memories of how close the Gaang were to each other in the original series, and doesn’t really bother to reestablish their bond to us on-screen, let alone explore how their dynamic might have evolved and changed in adulthood.
This omission sucks out all of the drama from what should have been one of the film’s most emotional scenes – a moment where Aang is forced to choose between his friends, and Tagah’s promise of being able to bring back the Air Nomads. More scenes where Zuko, Toph, Sokka, and especially Katara, spend time with Aang would have helped to reinforce the themes that the film was going for.
Speaking of Sokka, the film also seems to misunderstand his character from the original series. While he was mostly written as comic relief, he also had his fair share of serious moments. Here, though, nearly every line Sokka has is paired with goofy animation and silly voice acting, flattening him entirely into the butt of the joke.
Verdict: 6/10
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is a beautifully animated film, one that’s worth seeing on the biggest screen you have, even if it’s weighed down by a middling script and voice acting. Despite my gripes with this film, I would still encourage anyone that loved Avatar: The Last Airbender to check it out. If anything, it’ll at least tide you over until Avatar: Seven Havens premieres this October 9.
