Shame on Paramount for not putting this film in theaters.
While it was once set for release on the big screen, “Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender” was pushed to Paramount Plus as a streaming title. The movie, deserving a theatrical outing, picks up just over a decade after the original series from the 2000s ended. The flick picks up with Aang (Eric Nam) maintaining peace in the world while also trying to preserve Air Nomad culture.
On one of his travels, a series of events leads him to discovering another airbender, Tagah (Dave Bautista), who’s been frozen in ice for centuries. Upon awakening, Tagah informs Aang he knows a way to bring more airbenders back to the world. To make this happen, Aang recruits his old team to help. However, their journey becomes more perilous than originally thought.
Two months before I became a film critic, back in 2008, I watched the final episodes of one of my favorite television series. “Avatar: The Last Airbender” concluded its run that summer, and yours truly has forever been a fan. All that’s to say, I went into this movie a bit bias.
Surprise, surprise, I found it to be fairly good. But I’d be willing to guess most general audiences who didn’t see the show would find this to be at least entertaining. While it’s a continuation to a show with about 60 episodes, it feels entirely accessible thanks to its well-defined characters and stand-alone story. It also features an adventure with plenty of thrills and action for universal appeal.
For non-fans, it’s a perfectly fine, but not Earth-shattering animated adventure flick. For those who are fans of the series, it’s a compelling, enjoyable time spent with characters we all love. Seeing the group, now adults who’ve lived through a war and a period of reconstruction, feels like a reunion of old friends.
The only issue is the balance writers Tim Hedrick and Christopher Yost attempt to find in how the leads are portrayed. It’s clear there was an aim to keep some of the personality from how the characters were when they were younger, while also capturing their matured identities. Some scenes work better than others in this respect, but it’s largely fine for the most part.
For those who may be meeting these characters for the first time, there’s overall, plenty to like and it’s an easy crew to root for. As for the journey those characters are on, at times it can feel a bit rushed, with a few developments in the third act especially sped up.
There’s a feeling that the movie needed just more breathing room. But again, as a breezy animated action flick, it works well enough. Narratively, it doesn’t meet the high bar set by the original show, with the story certainly thinner and not quite as fresh. Yet it it works well enough. Not only does it set up an exciting quest, the story also continues exploring the effects of genocide and war on a younger generation.
Voice acting-wise, “The Last Airbender” is on point. From Nam’s work as the hero Aang to Jessica Matten playing his Avatar’s future wife Katara, and all the others in between, each figure on screen has a distinct personality. There was good work here capturing these classic characters who’ve matured since we last saw them. Dave Bautista, known for bringing a great deal of screen presence and charisma, powers the newcomer in the film, Tagah, as well.
Perhaps the best part of the film, and the reason why it’s not only worth seeing, but should’ve been widely released on the big screen, is the animation. This film is absolutely gorgeous. Reminiscent of some of Studio Ghibli’s best, “Avatar Aang” is downright gorgeous, with wonderfully expressive character designs to the attention to detail in creating the world they live in. This movie is, without a doubt, beautiful to look at from start to finish.
The spectacle and entertainment value with “Avatar Aang” alone makes it worth a watch. Beyond that, it offers a fun, likable group of characters with its protagonist dealing with some heavy issues. At the same time, the dialogue can be hit or miss and the film tends to speed through some events. But it’s still ultimately a good film, and for fans of the original series, it’s a real treat. It’s just a blast hanging with the Gaang again. 3.85 out of 5.
Photo courtesy Paramount
