‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Review: Netflix Makes An Elementary Attempt By Adapting The Animated Show

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Translating children’s animation into live-action is a complicated proposition, as Disney and the 2010 film version of “Avatar, the last airbender” I can attest. Netflix gets the look and action right in a lavish series based on the Nickelodeon show, but overly basic dialogue and uneven acting make this eight-episode run a bit of a chore for anyone past puberty.

Built around four tribes of “airbenders” with the ability to control water, earth, fire and air, “Avatar” establishes a mythical world filled with strange creatures and fantastical powers, none more so than those possessed by the Avatar. , the legendary figure who Only he can control all the elements.

That heavy burden falls on a 12-year-old boy with an arrow strategically placed in his forehead, Aang (Gordon Cormier), who awakens after a century in the ice to discover that firebenders and their leader, Fire Lord Ozai ( Daniel Dae Kim), Han attempted to take over the world and, fearing the return of the Avatar, sent Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu) to neutralize him.

Taken in by Sokka (Ian Ousley) and the waterbender Katara (Kiawentiio), Aang embarks on an episodic quest through this elaborate mythology, producing familiar situations and occasional fleeting hints of romance (which much of the logical audience probably called “disgusting”). ) and no small amount of spinning, kicking and throwing action.

Adapted by screenwriter and showrunner Albert Kim (“Sleepy Hollow”), the series seems to consciously seek to correct the errors of M. Night Shyamalan’s little-regarded film version, without overcoming the creative obstacles posed by having two-dimensional young people as protagonists. . Believable visuals thus grace what too often feels like a community theater package, replete with stilted lines about how saving the world must wait if it means endangering friends.

While derived from the animated series, bringing its elements to live-action perhaps more charitably recalls the tone of “The Neverending Story,” a 40-year-old contraption (with more practical special effects) that also put a child in center. of his journey full of magic.

Ultimately, though, this looks like another pretty expensive gamble from Netflix to capitalize on a proven title and the nostalgia surrounding it, after other live-action animated series like the short-lived one. “Bebop Cowboy” and more recently “One piece.”

As with the latter show, the result is generally inoffensive, with the potential to last for several seasons, but executed in such a bland and serious manner that it is unlikely to convince many who are not well versed in the material and eager to take control. immersion.

On the plus side, in terms of truth in advertising, at least Aang’s arrow points in the right direction.

“Avatar: The Last Airbender” premieres February 22 on Netflix.