By The reviews are for Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the acclaimed Nickelodeon animated series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and the results are mixed.
Neither a disaster like “Cowboy Bebop” (47% on RT) or a success like “One Piece” (85% on RT), reviews for the series are decidedly mixed – a far cry from the original 2005 cartoon which was universally praised.
On Rotten Tomatoes the series sits at 61% positive with critics. That’s leagues better than M. Night Shyamalan’s prior live-action adaptation of the property in 2010, with that film earning an almost unheard-of rating of just 5% positive.
Here’s a sampling of review quotes from a number of critics:
“While not a beat-for-beat adaptation, this beautifully crafted revival captures the original’s spirit while updating aspects that needed to be addressed better.” – Karama Horne, The Wrap
“I count the original as one of my favorite shows ever, and I have to say Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender is much better than I thought it would be. By the end, I genuinely enjoyed it.” – Paul Tassi, Forbes
“This new Last Airbender is entertaining enough to work for newcomers to this world, and respectful enough to remind the cartoon’s fans why they loved that world in the first place.” – Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone
“Cheesy acting and some Disney Channel-like dialogue turn what could have been a resounding epic adventure into a whimpering thud.” – Aramide Tinubu, Variety
“Some canny casting choices can’t rescue the show from uninspiring craft and tonal confusion.” – Kambole Campbell, Empire Magazine
“The new Avatar’s pacing is what makes it feel out of sorts. With a bit more room to breathe, the show’s subplots could have felt richer and its central heroes more compelling — and helped Netflix have another One Piece instead of a Cowboy Bebop.” – Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge
“Rather than breathe fresh life into a familiar world, this Avatar serves only to remind that some beloved properties might be better left on ice.” – Angie Han, THR
The show unfolds in a fantasy world divided into four nations, and each centred around one of the four elements. A century after the Fire Nation launched an attack and pledged war on the world, a new young Airbender named Aang – an Avatar who can master all four elements – is discovered.
The cast includes Gordon Cormier as Aang, Kiawentiio as Katara, Ian Ousley as Sokka, Dallas Liu as Zuko, Daniel Dae Kim as Lord Ozai, Paul Sun-Hyung as Uncle Iroh, Elizabeth Yu as Princess Azula and Ken Leung as Commander Zhao.
Also starring are Amber Midthunder as Princess Yue, Lim Kay Siu as Monk Gyatso, Utkarsh Ambudkar as King Bumi, Momona Tamada as Ty Lee, Thalia Tran as Mai, James Sie as Cabbage Man, Arden Cho as June, Danny Pudi as The Mechanist, and George Takei as predatory ancient spirit Koh.
This series is showrun by Albert Kim and executive produced by Roseanne Liang, Lindsey Liberatore, Michael Goi, and Dan Lin.
The post “Avatar: The Last Airbender” Reviews Are In appeared first on Dark Horizons.
