After much anticipation and some worry, Netflix dropped the trailer for the live-action adaptation of the anime classic, Avatar: The Last Airbender, which will officially premiere on February 24, 2024. When the series was announced in 2018, there was so much excitement over getting a proper live-action adaptation of the beloved classic.
Avatar: The Last Airbender received a huge resurgence when it first popped up on Netflix. Then Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino left the project due to creative differences. As you can imagine, there’s a cause for concern because audiences have been previously burned by another live-action Avatar adaptation. But despite the creators jumping ship, the production looked amazing. Here are the five best moments that highlight the possible greatness of Netflix’s adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
The Fire Nation War
The first few seconds showcase the raging war that the fire nation would ultimately win. The anime itself never actually showed how the Fire Nation was able to win and gain dominance over the kingdoms for over 100 years. Will the live-action show fill in those details? It would be great because it would give us a greater understanding of the power the Fire Nation truly has and just how cruel the nation is. The original Avatar did an excellent job of showcasing that throughout the seasons, especially once Zuko sided with Aang and the gang.
However, the possibility of watching the action sequences of the past war could present us with some unique and groundbreaking moments in live-action television. Even if that moment didn’t represent the showcase of the Fire Nation’s war, this scene immediately gets you back into this rich world that Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino started over 20 years ago.
Zuko and Uncle Iroh
The tricky thing about the teaser is that we don’t hear any dialogue from the characters. Visually, everyone matches their anime counterparts. However, the acting has to be just as good as the visual representation. Nevertheless, one of the best parts of the original Avatar was the relationship between Zuko and Uncle Iroh. There’s no telling how much new will be incorporated into the live-action adaptation, but hopefully, the dynamic remains the same between these two characters.
Zuko has the best story arc in the first Avatar. A big reason for that is due to his dynamic with Uncle Iroh; as silly as the tea-loving war veteran can be, he was a man of wisdom and taught Zuko valuable life lessons throughout the series. If the actors can match the incredible chemistry between these two characters then it would be hard-pressed to fail this recreation of the anime classic.
Firelord Ozai
Daniel Dae Kim is perfect for Firelord Ozai. When the first images were released, Ozai behind a wall of fire was visually stunning and terrifying. The character in the anime was given some nice dimension, especially when it came to his relationship with Zuko and Azula; however, I hope that we get to be more in tune with his psyche. It would be great to have a singular episode with him like Zuko Alone, but if we can get a full glimpse of his every day that documents him as more than just a tyrannical monster, then it would open the layers to his character even more. Given Daniel Dae Kim’s level of talent, he’ll surely pull off his part performing as the Fire Nation leader.
Aang Visits The Northern Temple
The scene in the teaser is a “blink and you’ll miss it” moment, but this is a very crucial piece of Avatar itself. More importantly, this scene helps represent that the creators behind the series understand the lore of The Last Airbender and are going out of their way to recount the key scenes that help Aang grow throughout the series. Of course, Avatar: The Last Airbender can turn out to be a misguided mess that completely misses the mark, but at the very least, the trailer strongly represents what made the original show so special.
The Fire Bending
We don’t see a full-blown action scene in the trailer, but we get glimpses that showcase how the benders use their power and it’s incredible. The most notable is the overhead shot of a firebender (possibly Zuko) spraying directly at an unknown citizen. Obviously, the coolest thing about Avatar is the bending and all of the spectacular action scenes. Somehow, M. Night Shyamalan greatly messed up this detail; one of the more memorable scenes from that film is a couple of Earth benders dancing to move a simple rock across the screen. That was one of the many problems with that film. To finally get a live-action adaptation that closely resembles the anime is exhilarating and I look forward to reliving these moments that captured the magic of the series.
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