I often find people, whenever things like these come out asking “Why does this exist?” While I understand the feeling behind it, I find those questions kind of moot, because, it doesn’t change the fact that this thing does in fact exist. We got it here now, and whatever our different opinions on the show, I think we should be able to agree that nothing can be worse than the movie (admittedly a low bar, I know, but take a win when you can).
Something needs to be quickly said: this is not a shot-for-shot remake of the original. It changes, moves around, and compresses many things over the series. The skeleton of the story is still there (Aang emerging from the iceberg, and traveling to the North Pole while dodging the Fire Nation), but different plot points are transplanted, and/or tweaked. How that affects the quality I’ll touch upon in due time, but if that’s a deal breaker for you, then bail out now.
I’ll start with the good parts, of which there are many. I think the characters in this are really good, matching the general spirit and pathos of their original counterparts. It does change a few things about them, as the primary page indicated, with more focus put on Aang’s guilt over being gone for 100 years, and Sokka’s feelings of inadequacy as a warrior, but I feel it never really detracted from their character arcs. The show also knows how the characters play off each other, and takes time to let the characters sit with themselves, and each other, and let a scene play out. For example, there is one particularly good scene, where we actually see Lu Ten's funeral, and there's a nice, heartwarming moment between Zuko and Iroh. We also get scene at the Southern Air Temple where Aang slips into the Avatar State, and Katara holds him as he just weeps in her arms with no dialogue. These are good scenes, which showcase their emotions and dynamic of the characters in an effective way.
It looks good, and while the CG (particularly the green screens) isn’t the best at times, it’s usually not to the point where it hurts the scene ("usually" being the optimum word; there are a few points where certain effects really don’t mesh well); it might not always look real, but it does generally look good. The bending is also pretty good, being fast paced and sharp, while also incorporating hand to hand fights, making it seem more up close and personal (this is important, because one of the primary aspects of bending in the show, is that it’s a martial art, not just a superpower). The costumes are also good, capturing the imagery and looks of the characters… for the most part. There are some pretty unimpressive wigs on a few characters, and a few costumes have a little too much going on them.
Where the weaknesses start to clearly show, though, is in the writing, and the plotting. Certain elements give the impression of the show runner seeming to want to include certain elements (no pun intended) from the show just for the sake of including them (and as a big fan of the original, I can understand the sentiment), but wasn’t entirely sure how to incorporate them in such a way that fully worked. For instance, the episodes set in Omashu also incorporate elements of the episodes "Jet", "The Northern Air Temple", "The Winter Solstice”, and even "The Cave of Two Lovers". Consequentially, the episodes sometimes feel in-cohesive, with multiple, overlapping elements, that were clearly not conceived, or meant to intersect with each other. The series also relies on exposition a bit too frequently; now I understand why, since there is a lot to cover in a limited amount of time, but there are always ways around it. Not helping things is some surprisingly uninspired dialogue.
Also, and this might sound a little strange, I don’t think it’s very well plotted out; certain scenes are cut, and new scenes inserted that don't actually end up contributing to the broader narrative, and in some cases, hamper it. In the second episode, Aang meets with Kyoshi to try and learn more about what it means to be the Avatar, and she tells him about the impending Siege of the North, and that he needs to get to the North Pole. I think I get what the writers were trying to do here; they wanted to give a sense of urgency and drive to the characters' quest, instead of them just hopping from one destination to another. Now I think this could've worked, but it was delivered to Aang through more exposition, when it really should've been something he learned on his own. There’s also a scene with Katara confronting, and beating Jet is also resolved in the episode after his plan was foiled, and it’s resolved before even the 15 minute mark until a nearly 50 minute episode (the best I can figure is the previous episode was running long, and they couldn’t fit it in).
When all is said and done, this series is a mixed bag overall, and while there is definitely an incredible amount of passion and dedication from the people working on it, that doesn’t mean everything they do is going to work. As I was watching it, I found myself noticing a lot of glaring issues with it as a narrative, that I did find myself rolling my eyes and shaking my head at. That all said, when I finished it, I found myself bizarrely satisfied, and found myself coming back to it. In the end, I give this series a 6.5 out of 10; it passes, but it’s got a lot that needs improving if they’re going to go forward from here, which it seems to want to.
Series Plenty of strengths and weaknesses
I often find people, whenever things like these come out asking “Why does this exist?” While I understand the feeling behind it, I find those questions kind of moot, because, it doesn’t change the fact that this thing does in fact exist. We got it here now, and whatever our different opinions on the show, I think we should be able to agree that nothing can be worse than the movie (admittedly a low bar, I know, but take a win when you can).
Something needs to be quickly said: this is not a shot-for-shot remake of the original. It changes, moves around, and compresses many things over the series. The skeleton of the story is still there (Aang emerging from the iceberg, and traveling to the North Pole while dodging the Fire Nation), but different plot points are transplanted, and/or tweaked. How that affects the quality I’ll touch upon in due time, but if that’s a deal breaker for you, then bail out now.
I’ll start with the good parts, of which there are many. I think the characters in this are really good, matching the general spirit and pathos of their original counterparts. It does change a few things about them, as the primary page indicated, with more focus put on Aang’s guilt over being gone for 100 years, and Sokka’s feelings of inadequacy as a warrior, but I feel it never really detracted from their character arcs. The show also knows how the characters play off each other, and takes time to let the characters sit with themselves, and each other, and let a scene play out. For example, there is one particularly good scene, where we actually see Lu Ten's funeral, and there's a nice, heartwarming moment between Zuko and Iroh. We also get scene at the Southern Air Temple where Aang slips into the Avatar State, and Katara holds him as he just weeps in her arms with no dialogue. These are good scenes, which showcase their emotions and dynamic of the characters in an effective way.
It looks good, and while the CG (particularly the green screens) isn’t the best at times, it’s usually not to the point where it hurts the scene ("usually" being the optimum word; there are a few points where certain effects really don’t mesh well); it might not always look real, but it does generally look good. The bending is also pretty good, being fast paced and sharp, while also incorporating hand to hand fights, making it seem more up close and personal (this is important, because one of the primary aspects of bending in the show, is that it’s a martial art, not just a superpower). The costumes are also good, capturing the imagery and looks of the characters… for the most part. There are some pretty unimpressive wigs on a few characters, and a few costumes have a little too much going on them.
Where the weaknesses start to clearly show, though, is in the writing, and the plotting. Certain elements give the impression of the show runner seeming to want to include certain elements (no pun intended) from the show just for the sake of including them (and as a big fan of the original, I can understand the sentiment), but wasn’t entirely sure how to incorporate them in such a way that fully worked. For instance, the episodes set in Omashu also incorporate elements of the episodes "Jet", "The Northern Air Temple", "The Winter Solstice”, and even "The Cave of Two Lovers". Consequentially, the episodes sometimes feel in-cohesive, with multiple, overlapping elements, that were clearly not conceived, or meant to intersect with each other. The series also relies on exposition a bit too frequently; now I understand why, since there is a lot to cover in a limited amount of time, but there are always ways around it. Not helping things is some surprisingly uninspired dialogue.
Also, and this might sound a little strange, I don’t think it’s very well plotted out; certain scenes are cut, and new scenes inserted that don't actually end up contributing to the broader narrative, and in some cases, hamper it. In the second episode, Aang meets with Kyoshi to try and learn more about what it means to be the Avatar, and she tells him about the impending Siege of the North, and that he needs to get to the North Pole. I think I get what the writers were trying to do here; they wanted to give a sense of urgency and drive to the characters' quest, instead of them just hopping from one destination to another. Now I think this could've worked, but it was delivered to Aang through more exposition, when it really should've been something he learned on his own. There’s also a scene with Katara confronting, and beating Jet is also resolved in the episode after his plan was foiled, and it’s resolved before even the 15 minute mark until a nearly 50 minute episode (the best I can figure is the previous episode was running long, and they couldn’t fit it in).
When all is said and done, this series is a mixed bag overall, and while there is definitely an incredible amount of passion and dedication from the people working on it, that doesn’t mean everything they do is going to work. As I was watching it, I found myself noticing a lot of glaring issues with it as a narrative, that I did find myself rolling my eyes and shaking my head at. That all said, when I finished it, I found myself bizarrely satisfied, and found myself coming back to it. In the end, I give this series a 6.5 out of 10; it passes, but it’s got a lot that needs improving if they’re going to go forward from here, which it seems to want to.