I am a fan and lover of the masterpiece animated series Avatar: Legend of Anga, since early childhood. I’ve watched it many times in my life and it’s a benchmark for me. After the announcement of the series, I had no expectations. I realized that everything beautiful was already in the original, and there was nothing I wanted to change. For those years, in 2005, Nickelodeon also showed a great result. But there is a series, and I decided to watch it. Will they be able to capture that vibe, those characters, everyone's favorite Avatar adventure? Not to surpass, but at least to try to create something acceptable to watch. There is no limit to my disappointment, as it was boring and impossible to watch.
Plot
The main problem lies in the heroes themselves and the illogical narrative. At the same time, they sewed different storylines in their importance, which leads to mush from mixed characters and events. A huge number of really important moments have been cut, missed or remade.
Characters
The acting is nowhere worse, the characters exchange empty lines, there is no chemistry between the main characters. Missed the main features and features of the characters.
Katara is the main mother, who has always supported and supported the team, here in general performs the role of furniture. Where is that hot-tempered, purposeful Qatara, who stubbornly tried to master the magic of water and took risks to obtain a scroll of water magic?
Sokka - the main joker, turned into a jester without humor, where all the girls in the district climb to him for nothing, although in the original he bribed with his humor, charisma and the ability to admit his mistakes.
Aang - although an Avatar with great responsibility to the world, he remained cheerful and always optimistic, immediately he is a morose boy who constantly walks with a sad face.
Obviously, we wanted to try to get serious, but why would the characters change their main character traits? Why do these beautifully written characters do this?
They've all been turned into fools who've been accused of a little boy for leaving them all. Almost all past avatars are hysterical—without wisdom or understanding. The only thing that brings joy and warmth is the connection between Zuko and Ayro. Their relationship is really well shown, and the actors themselves are selected successfully. That's all the good stuff - ends.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, we have some amazing shots, some charming characters and that’s it. I do not recommend watching, it is better to start the original or revise it again. It is a sad parody of a series about the theater, not a series.
2 out of 10
A pleasant children's fairy tale in a very popular fantasy universe. I’m not too familiar with the source, but with the full-length animated version a lot in common.
Well done. The kid playing Avatar looks really cool. The types are a bit odd, but overall they look good. Although Ian Asuli with his healthy nose looks odd as Sook. But maybe you should. Like I said, I don't know the source. But in general and in particular, the story is good. It teaches that relationships and friendships are important for achieving goals. You need to believe in yourself, but you also need to trust your loved ones.
Lots of different parallel themes. There's a subpoena. It was amusing how they showed that the world was ruled by either aggressive tyrants or conservative stubborn old men. At the same time, both of them in the younger generation often see only rivals to personal ambitions.
It's a story seed. The magical world is ruled by clans of magicians of air, fire, earth and water. Above all stands the Avatar, who belongs to one of the clans, but has all the powers and is constantly reborn. The hero of the film is Avatar, a boy, an air magician. The fire clan decided to take over the world and destroy other clans. The avatar escapes and freezes for a hundred years. As a result, it is found by young northerners of the water clan and begins a long journey full of adventures, dangers and experiences.
I am a fan of the original series and have watched it at least seven times, so I approached this creation with great care. The fear of being disappointed was very great.
And now in the first series of fears as if began to be justified. Here the actors are not very suitable, but here missed an important joke of the original. Even different connections are revealed much ahead of time and greatly change the past structure. At a certain point I was ready to be one of those who would write about the lost spirit of the original, but what stopped me was the realization that there was an original to the spirit of the original. Immediately adaptation, which in its essence does not have to be literal neither in the construction of the plot, nor in the mood, while the creators somehow managed, mixing and changing all the events of the original, to leave the general line and the idea of the same as before.
So here's the story. The main difference was dictated by the need to reduce timekeeping, as a result of which the authors mixed several series into one with the interweaving of their stories. Differences from the original have varying degrees from small adjustments to a complete change in places and events, but despite this, the character of the characters, the goals pursued by them and their development remain unchanged. Although, in truth, some of the characters have been uncovered much more by giving their actions more compelling motivation. The original is still a cartoon and it is allowed a number of simplifications and assumptions, as well as many buffoonery and jokes. At the same time, the tone is generally more serious, and the heroes have added the depth necessary for live action adaptation. By no means am I saying it was better. The original is still a masterpiece, but this series is a good example of fan fiction, made qualitatively and with the understanding of the source.
The second positive thing is the style, the scenery and the visual. Here, the creators showed great imagination making many locations more lively and believable. Costumes are very well guessed and carefully show the original images, although sometimes this entails the problem of their visual syntheticity. Looking at the cartoon, you do not ask the questions “And what exactly were made of the clothes of Sookie and Qatar?”, whereas here sometimes such thoughts jumped. However, this does not interfere with the immersion especially when you see how the heroes, participating in the battle, or wandering in the wrong place, become dirty and beaten. Such a small thing as dirt on the face, when it is supposed to be there, holds well in immersion, so the shortcomings of costumes are almost not noticeable.
The graphics and choreography of the fights are better than that of Shyamalan’s attempt, although many years have passed since then. The budgets of the series are far from cinematic and here you should not expect a Marvel-level graphics, but what is there does not cause pain in the eyes, and in places it is quite impressive. Objectively speaking, many fantasy series try to concentrate moments with visual effects, or play the scene so as to minimize the cost of graphics, but here the series is not afraid to show in all its glory a world filled with magic, unusual places and creatures.
Finally, it is worth noting a small controversial point - casting. Unlike many, I will not denounce the division of nations into nations known to us. On the contrary, it was done quite skillfully with a subtle hint of our historical reality. But the spot selection of actors in places suffered. At first, the dissonance between the perfect hit (Azai, Ayro, Soka, Aang) and the controversial choice (Zuko, Azoula, Jet) is unsettling, but over time you get used to it, and the actors begin to be perceived as their characters. Especially since the character and behavior of the original characters, they convey very skillfully. It is only a pity that not only controversial, but completely inappropriate examples such as May have climbed into the caste. Sorry I don't believe this is Zuko's love interest.
In the end, I really liked the series. It looks perfect as an interpretation of a familiar story that you’ll want to revisit. And in this context, it's frustrating that many ardent fans couldn't, like me, consider the high quality of this product.
In the hope that the bar will not be missed in the next season:
9 and 10
Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the original series. But for some reason, I watched a rather unsuccessful film ' Lord of the Elements' and this, more successful, adaptation from Netflix. I don’t really like anime, so I was hoping to get acquainted with this story about the avatar through this series. Like the animated series, the adaptation will last three seasons, but we must decide whether to wait and watch the next two seasons. While watching the first season I came to the conclusion that this story is interesting, but personally I was not very hooked, I think it is still worth reading the original source. If you evaluate the series based only on it and nothing more, you can draw several conclusions:
1. Pretty nice and quality graphics, but sometimes it cuts your eyes or seems too unrealistic. e
2. The battle for supremacy unfolding in the plot is not particularly explained and the motives of the fire people are greatly blurred. In general, this story is reminiscent of the battle of brave rebels against a powerful empire. At the head of the fire people is a tough dictator who keeps the whole world in fear, and the main character is a boy who alone (in theory) can defeat everyone and study all four elements.
3. There are no complaints to the actors, almost everyone played well. I especially liked the main character and performer of the role of Qatar.
4. The world of spirits is not very interesting, I think in the future it will be more emphasis.
5. The humor is often rather silly and superficial. As I understand it, Sokka (the chief humorist) should be more aware of this.
6. In places, events unfold for quite a long time and some insignificant little things are given too much time. The main events of the first season can be summarized in several sentences and this is frustrating.
In general, this story is not very impressive and does not cause desire to wait for the continuation, but for the sake of interest it is definitely worth reading the original (as in any story).
7 out of 10
After the relatively successful Vanpeace, there was hope that Netflix and Avatar would do fine, and some trailers even looked good, but, alas, the series “The Legend of Aang” is at best a passerby. Even if you perceive it in isolation from the original, which is extremely difficult to do, it is still an extremely average craft. But thank you for being able to surpass Shyamalan.
To begin with, the original animated series is one of the main cartoons of my childhood and one of the best animated series in general so far. Therefore, any of his film adaptation is doomed, at least, to yield to him, or even completely fail. The adaptation from Netflix, of course, cannot be called a failure (I am surprised by the seven on the KP), but it does not compare with the original sources.
Yes, it’s not as bad as it could be: there are good special effects (for example, Appa and Momo are made acceptable), some of the cast is not bad (especially successful were the male characters of fire and Suyuki) and the format of the series clearly better tells the story than the film. But none of this outweighs the shortcomings.
The first thing that caught my eye was the sterility of the image. The picture is so unnaturally clean that it seems cold and lifeless. Throughout the viewing, the artificiality of everything that is in the frame is felt. It seemed like some kind of neural network was doing it. The characters are all the time combed and sleek (except for some moments with action), clothes and costumes are always washed and ironed, as if this is a cosplay for Comedian Cohn, and the surroundings almost shine with cleanliness. There is one show scene where Zuko and Ayro (one of the few characters well played by well-chosen actors) go through the market, Zuko complains that the surroundings are dirty, and there is not even a speck of dust on the ground - everything is almost laid out with tiles. From all this does not leave the feeling that everything that is happening is not real - a complete sham in which there is no life.
Special effects, as I wrote, in some places not bad, and in some places not so. The scale doesn't feel literally anywhere. It seems to be a multi-budget project from a large studio, and the locations are scanty (if not drawn on a computer) and it is clear that there were no full-scale shootings at all - scenery and pavilions are recognized everywhere; there are practically no extras, and battle scenes and chases are more like local scuffles in which a thin stream of air or water can knock down several armored soldiers.
The cast for the most part also leaves much to be desired. Aside from the few good examples I mentioned above, it’s almost a complete miscast. I am especially sorry for Avatar and Qatar, who are the basis of the story, and they are played by wooden children, completely devoid of charisma. Their only advantage is getting older. Sokka, on the contrary, more or less pulls the character with moments, but he looks too adult - I do not believe that he is 16 years old (actor 21). Boomie is disgusting.
But the worst nightmare is Azula with her friends. Not only that they were introduced into the plot immediately, although in the original they appear only in the second season (apparently, the creators needed to show the maximum recognizable characters from the first series), so they also look like bakery products. And maybe it wouldn't be so critical if I didn't know the original, because the actress on Azoula at least tries, but here's May - it's just aahtung! Sorry about the fatshaming, but I think it was made as round as possible, so that against its background Azula did not seem so fanciful. It's just impossible to watch - it's some kind of mockery!
And finally, the plot: of course, it is impossible to put even one season of the animated series into 8 episodes without cuts, but the creators, along with some story arcs, threw out the essence. At the inside level, I was bothered by claims that Sokka had been ‘fixed’ by removing his ‘sexism’ to Omasha, which essentially narrowed him down as a character and removed one of the layers of conflict, but when I watched it, I realized that this was just the tip of the iceberg. I will not list all the changes, but will focus on the main thing: removed any hints of romantic interest between Aang and Qatar. In this version, they're just friends. Perhaps in the present time it is no longer possible to show the love of teenagers on the screen, but in the original story it played a huge role and, removing it from the adaptation, the authors deprived her of her soul.
And of course, a huge part of the side story branches is lost, some arches are crumpled into one, and others are completely thrown out (but for some reason, talentless new ones are added), there is no depth of conflicts, emotional moments and almost everything that made the Nickelodeon series great. Of course, all this was expected, but still there was hope. I'm sorry I didn't. But this series always has a winning comparison with the adaptation of 2010, because there was nowhere to fall below.
Whether you watch it or not, you decide. Still, there are those who even liked this version, judging by estimates. I gave my opinion. This is a very average product.
Finally, the incarnation of anime has found a worthy adaptation in the series, which apparently passed the playoffs and is ready to go to the second season. Unlike the previous failure, the creators finally did not depart from the original and remained faithful to the original source.
It must be said that the Legend of Aang has always cast a shadow over the complex Naruto and was anime for children of a younger age who are familiar with the principles of good and evil and learn the basics of true friendship. However, in the Avatar there was a place for complex characters with an ambiguous fate, where they chose their path between light and darkness, so the built world perfectly covers the audience much more than just children.
In the new film adaptation, we are greeted by the incredible beauty of the world of four elements, exciting dynamics, interesting creatures and elegant costumes of different peoples and tribes. All this under special effects, not inferior to the modern Willy Wonka and painted Marval: even though the film has fewer explosions and battles, it looks all together at least fit.
To pay tribute to the study, it should be noted that in the series a very beautiful cast is not a stump of political correctness trends, where the creators cram one Hindu, one black, one Mexican and one transgender, but really well-chosen actors with authentic appearance of the source.
Let the story stretch a little in dynamics and sags in color after a few episodes, starting to smear the same type of heart-wrenching dialogues on timekeeping completely without falling into the former beat, you should close your eyes to this and return to the essence - the series is designed for the younger audience of this world, which, in addition to action, requires a repetitive technique of repetition of the basics of benefactor. And, of course, once again I remember - originally this is a series, still, for children, do not judge adults from the bell tower.
Everyone knew that the bar was too high initially.
Many expected that to shoot something at the level of the original and not hit the dirt face in front of fans of the animated series is a very difficult task.
But there was hope.
They held my interest for two episodes with visual components. Very colorful cities, special effects, landscapes, costumes. Epic shot moments of martial magic. It's a very beautiful wrapper, don't complain.
On the third episode, they lost me.
The Trinity of Azula, May and Tai Lee.
Is this some kind of failed cosplay?
It is clear that the actresses felt uncomfortable in these images and costumes, looked very ridiculous in the frame.
If Aang and Sokka outwardly harmonize with the original characters, then a complete embarrassment happened with the fiery trinity.
Alas, only appearance and costumes connect them with original characters.
Katara was surprised by her worthlessness.
She has no specific role and influence on the plot, place in the team, important lines in the frame, she does not teach Aang the magic of water, she does not interact with the rest of the characters at all, she just ballast.
Take her out of the picture and nothing will change.
If in the original she was an important part of the trinity, inspired and motivated Aang, raised the spirit of the team, she had feelings, memories, aspirations, then in the series she simply is. She follows everyone, smiles at the camera, does not say or do anything important to promote the plot, she is absolutely nothing.
The same can be said about Aang and Sokku, so cardboard characters I did not expect.
When the creators decided to mix a thermonuclear vinaigrette of three original episodes in one city of Omashu, they lost my attention and interest. It became boring, boring, uninteresting.
I understand that in the animated series there was more screen time in reserve to smoothly promote the plot, but there all this was served so harmoniously, smoothly, fervently, with humor, the plot never pressed or tired. Everything was done with soul and attention to detail, I think no one will argue with it.
I am not ready to watch as mercilessly cut into pieces one of the best and most integral plots in the world and mold it into an absurd, commercial and tedious spectacle.
I'm always trying to see the good. Because all work must be respected. And this series is no exception, as it is clear that people worked and noble. I want to make it clear that I will not compare the animated series and the series. Everyone lives in their own way, but...
Of the pluses:
Definitely computer graphics.
1. Here and recreated worlds to the smallest detail
2. The magic itself - the heroes cast perfectly, all lovers of magicians - will appreciate. The magic is alive and happening in front of our eyes. The animal character is beautiful. Usually, transferring from 2D to realistic characters turns out very clumsy characters, but not here.
3. All animals, let’s say, are really anatomical, meaning they could easily exist in our lives. And the costumes are rich, exquisite and beautiful, but they have a minus. . .
Cons:
1. Beautiful costumes, but they are forgotten. And it can be seen with the naked eye that all the costumes just came out of the needle of the seamstresses. And so all the “live” characters are not so alive came out, because we do not walk every day in completely new clothes.
2. Play actors - we're a spoiled spectator. If it used to be OK, it's not now. You don't believe children. Adults too, only a few show some real feelings and emotions.
3. Characters - it seems that all the characters are divided into hippies, let's call them that, and harsh uncles and aunts - without emotions without anything.
4. The development of the plot is very strange, since we are watching the 3rd point and from such clumsy characters you simply do not understand their intentions and even sometimes their place in the series.
Very vague feelings.
As a fan of the series, I didn’t expect anything. However, the creators were pleasantly surprised!
Let's break the series down by shelves:
Actors. It's 50/50, some characters are really similar, both in appearance and play. Others came out medium, and there's Azula. This character should be much more colorful, it should be more madness and sadism, so that you, as a viewer, hate her through the screen. Unfortunately, the actress failed to awaken these emotions in me.
Changes in characters. You can't see it right away, but if you look closely, Aang is more serious about this adaptation. I believe that this change is rather a plus, because in such an environment, it is not quite realistic to fool around with pebbles.
But Qatar has been changed for the worse. In the series, she was a little more hysterical and jealous, which set her apart from the rest and added color to the character. Here it is... a little dry, or something.
I want to note the increased emotional torment of the characters.
This innovation raised the bar for the series, making it focused on a more adult audience.
However, I think it was overdone. Aang has a question, he asks everyone, everyone gives him an answer, and he asks it again! This happens to a lot of characters and I think it’s too much and, more importantly, it starts to turn empathy into disgust.
Changes in the story. It's all good here. Many scenes were changed, making the story more logical. Without cutting anything important! Of course, not everything entered the series, this is impossible, but the work to improve the plot was competent, for this great respect.
Special effects. It's like we can and should do better. In the first series, the battles are weak, then a little better, but the residue is still not the same. Actors very remotely convey the characteristics of the battle of each culture, although they try. I think it will be better, so now I can close my eyes.
The cities are beautiful, the sounds in the background are worked out, the clothes look theme, and not as if the heroes are paper T-shirts.
8 out of 10
The story is very well written, I like it even more than in the original. The actors came out well (except Azula). Special effects and combat are fixable. Am I expecting a second season? Yeah. So far, I prefer it, I recommend it.
The series Avatar: The Legend of Aang is an exciting journey into the world of fantasy, which successfully combines all the best features of the original animated series and adds new details to create an even more vivid and exciting story.
Avatar: The Legend of Aang takes us back to the world of elements and adventure, where each character has its own unique strength and character. This series fascinates with its beauty and emotionality, combining different genres to create a unique atmosphere that captures from the first minutes and does not let go until the very end.
Each series is filled with interesting events and unexpected plot twists that will not leave anyone indifferent. The series has everything you need for an exciting and exciting viewing: fantasy, action, drama, comedy and adventure.
The series tells the story of Aang, a guy who knows how to control the four elements, who together with his company is trying to stop a long war. The plot of the series is full of exciting moments and unexpected turns. One of the series, filled with the spirit of adventure, attracts the viewer with its exciting dynamics and makes him worry about the heroes. In general, the series is full of interesting moments that will not let you get bored.
Dialogues in the series are of great importance: they help to show the emotions of the characters and understand their inner world. Their work is very good - they are bright, emotional and memorable.
For example, one such dialogue occurs between Aang and his mentor, the monk Gyatso. In this dialogue, the monk Gyatso explains to Aang that the real force is not physical, but spiritual. This helps to understand that the power of Aang is manifested in his spiritual development.
The idea of this series is very interesting - to connect a fantastic world with human values. Each series raises important questions about friendship, love, loyalty and other important things. In one episode, Aang and his friends meet Prince Zuko, who can control fire but cannot control his emotions. This episode makes the viewer think about the importance of emotional control.
* Acting game in this series is simply on top. Gordon Cormier, Kiaventio, Ian Ausley, Dallas Liu and other actors have created bright and convincing images that are remembered by the audience for a long time. Each character is worked out to the smallest detail, which makes them even more real and alive. Their play makes the viewer empathize and experience every adventure with them.
Gordon Cormier perfectly conveys the emotions of Aang, who seeks to save the world, but at the same time experiences fear and doubt.
Kiaventio as Qatara perfectly conveys the strength and determination of his character, as well as his emotional depth.
- Ian Ausley in the image of Sokki brings humor and lightness to the series, but at the same time shows the serious aspects of his character.
Dallas Liu as Prince Zuka perfectly copes with the image of a complex and controversial character, demonstrating both his weaknesses and strengths.
Paul Lee as Uncle Zuka creates a bright and memorable image that makes the viewer empathize with his hero.
Maria Zhang is a beautiful decoration of the series in the image of Suyuki, she conveys her grace and strength, as well as internal conflict.
Elizabeth Yu as Azoula shows her as a dangerous and ruthless, yet intelligent and charismatic person.
* The directorial work in this popular series is impressive. Michael Goi, Rosanna Liang, Jabbar Raisani and their team have created a real masterpiece that delights the audience with its beauty and emotionality. Each episode, such as the characters’ visit to the northern city on Appa’s giant flying bison, shows the fantastic world of the series and makes the viewer feel part of it. Each scene is filled with magic and mystery, and the talent and skill of the directors elevate Avatar: The Legend of Aang to the title of a real masterpiece in the fantasy genre.
The script of the series was written by talented writers who skillfully combined all the best elements of the original, adding new details and colors. The script is filled with many interesting twists and unexpected events that make watching a real adventure. Each series is masterfully built and complements the overall plot, leaving no unnecessary details or worn-out moments. In one episode, the creators of the series successfully combined tense battle scenes with deep emotional moments.
* The work of the operator in this series is amazing. Operators create cinematic masterpieces full of beauty and emotion. Particularly noted are their landscapes, panoramas and the art of using the camera. For example, the scene of Aang and his friends visiting the temple on the top of the mountain captures the viewer with its views. This demonstrates the skill of the operator.
Editing, composition and special effects in the film are imperfect. The transitions between the scenes seem a little clumsy, the special effects are not impressive in their realism, although in the last episode they are perceived well. Otherwise, the graphics are too noticeable, which prevents you from enjoying the film. But the acting and the overall atmosphere compensate for all the shortcomings.
The musical accompaniment of the series is excellent. The music of Takeshi Furukawa is easily combined with visual effects, creating a perfect sound that deeply conveys the emotions and atmosphere of the series, adding drama. In the scene where Aang reveals himself and becomes the Avatar, the music and visuals make up a beautiful episode.
* Personal impressions
'Avatar: The Legend of Aang' - this is an exciting series that will surely appeal to fans of the fantasy genre. This masterpiece offers a unique blend of adventure, magic and realistic human relationships, making it even more fascinating to watch.
The series attracts attention from the first minutes and does not let go until the very end. He surprises with unexpected plot twists and keeps in suspense, turning viewing into a real adventure.
After watching Avatar, you’ll probably think about many things like friendship, love, betrayal, and forgiveness. This series evokes many emotions and leaves behind mixed feelings - from delight to reflection on the deep topics it touches.
* Output
I do not hesitate to recommend this series to all fans of fantasy. This is a true masterpiece that deserves everyone’s attention. I would love to watch it again to plunge again into this amazing world filled with many interesting details and unexpected turns.
The series Avatar: The Legend of Aang is an excellent representative of the fantasy genre, which fascinates the audience with its beauty and emotionality. This series is a real masterpiece that deserves the attention of all fantasy lovers. I will not hesitate to recommend this series to everyone.
Avatar: The Legend of Aang will surely appeal to fans of different genres and will make you think about important things in life.
Did you want the best? But it worked out like always.
Admittedly, expectations regarding this series were no positive, therefore, and not so much upset.
From the first seconds of viewing, there was discomfort, starting from the selection of actors, ending with the narrative and the general atmosphere.
It is clear that in general adaptations will rarely have a completely similar narrative, but in this case, in my opinion, overdoing everything, because many things were rewritten absolutely logical, bland and meaningless, it could be justified by a bad script, but, in this case, it is not clear, because there is already a great script written for the cartoon.
For example, the city of Omashu and the meeting with the king of the city. They tried to visually convey the image of the king, and it turned out, to put it mildly, with the effect of Spanish shame. The actor incomprehensibly crooked, the makeup is applied disgustingly, the feeling of a vile fake did not leave. The image itself did not convey insanity in a positive way, but rather some obscure form of senile dementia. I even decided to revise the scene from the original cartoon and it’s just incredible how low quality this adaptation has.
I also have a list of key points:
1) The narrative is meaningless, it was quite difficult to understand where the trials were from the king, what the meaning was in them and why Ayro was arrested at all, as well as their presence in Omasha.
2) In the animated series, Boomi played along with the madness and then in places, while in fact he was a prudent and wise ruler, with an excellent sense of humor. Here, as I said before, a bland, dull, demented grandfather with terrible curvatures.
(3) Where's Flopy? Why was the avatar alone? Why was the dinner absolutely dull, where there was no "joke" interrogation from the king, indicating the fact that an avatar was present?
(4) The last test - a duel, was compromised, the avatar was not given a chance to choose a "weak" king, and immediately put before the fact, here, fight.
The further meaning is clear. I would really like to understand whether the creators of this adaptation watched the original, how many times and how?
The atmosphere was not transmitted absolutely.
And yet, very surprised by the choice of actors, it is clear that the series is Asian-themed, but absolutely everything cuts the eye incredibly, as if I’m watching some drunken master, but with a more serious theme and some problem of obesity. Well, and glued hair from the series "Pei Mei".
It makes no sense to write about graphics, because 2024 is in the yard, so there is nothing surprising here.
I don’t need to explain what this piece is about. Four states. Magicians who own one of the elements, and the Avatar who owns all the elements to maintain order. But something went wrong and the Fire Nation went to war when the young Avatar Aang mysteriously freezes in the ice for a hundred years. If he thaws, he'll be surprised. . .
The original cartoon, despite my negative attitude to it, looks quite fresh and will be so for many years to come, so making a remake of special sense was not, unless you try to look at the story from a different angle. And, of course, in addition to cutting down cabbages. However, there were no radical changes, and this remake turned out to be a copy of the animated series.
The story became shortened while maintaining the timekeeping that was in the original. The authors almost completely got rid of comic scenes in favor of a deeper disclosure of the characters. If I were ten years old, I would probably be impressed.
However, when compared to the original in the first season, the film adaptation looks better due to the fact that there is no contrast. The whole season is at the same pace and in the same mood.
I have exactly two claims. First, it's caste. On the one hand, he is very successful in relation to Aang, Sokki, Katara, Suyuki, Zuko and Ozaya. On the other hand, Azula and Uncle Ayrault stand out from all. If Ayrault is bad as a character, because he is completely lacking the charisma of the funny man that was in the original, then you can not look at Azoula without tears. It does not pose a danger, just as the acting of the actress does not look convincing. In the original cartoon Azula and the danger that came from it, could give odds to his father Ozaia. She was such a terrible antagonist.
Second, we could change a couple of storylines for the better. Well, it is very strange to see Sokki’s nascent love relationship first with Suyuki, and after a couple of episodes – without normal storyline already with Yui.
At the end of the day. I hope that in the future, due to the inevitable maturation of young actors, the tone of the narrative will become even more serious. Maybe even Azula will stretch out and get rid of the plump cheeks that I wanted to squeeze.
7 out of 10
I’ve been waiting for this series since I was a fan of the animated series Avatar: The Legend of Aang since childhood! The first pictures looked very interesting. The teaser and trailer were very impressive. Even the musical accompaniment provoked goosebumps - it is the same as in the original! I was really hoping the series would be good. After all, with “Van Piece” Netflix everything worked out – preserved the spirit of the original in terms of almost everything!
And now, the long-awaited 8 series came out. I started to look at them at my own risk, and ... I had quite mixed experiences. We were even shown a screensaver (albeit a modified one). We were shown how cruel fire magicians (here literally burned people alive). The first and second series were not bad for me. I looked pretty calm, and I knew they were going to be a little redesigned. Adaptations are always different from the original source. But since the third episode, something has gone wrong.
Let's go through all the pros and cons. This is my personal opinion.
In 2010, we have already seen one adaptation of Avatar – a film called “Lord of the Elements” from M. Night Shyamalan. I really liked her when I was a kid. But if you watch it now, you will see how bad it is... What is CGI, what is the plot.
In the Netflix adaptation of Avatar, we see how good CGI is (although at times I thought he was limp). Different creatures look cool – Appa, Momo, Hey Bai, etc.
I want to praise the series for the fighting scenes – the fights are set quite well and cool, it is very interesting to watch them. Of the actors and characters, I liked the well-chosen actors for the role of Suyuki (Maria Zhao) and June (Arden Cho).
The serial adaptation is definitely better than the 2010 film adaptation, but still... I’m upset. I understand that in some ways it is stupid to compare the series with an animated series. Comparing real people and animation is always difficult. And you can't demand anything exactly. But at least the story could not change so much. Sometimes changes in the plot are good for the film. But not in this case. Let me tell you what really bothered me.
Spoilers are coming. If you haven’t seen the show yet, don’t read my review.
In the series there are only 8 episodes of about 50 minutes (the first was an hour). There were 20 in the animated series. Now imagine what it was like to fit in the eight episodes of the event twenty??? The creators tried to cram everything possible into this unfortunate timekeeping. Because of this, a terrible mess happened. In the initial series crammed events from the series, which were in the middle, or almost from the last. They somehow managed to mix everything together to look quite logical. In addition, they took some pieces of the plot from the second season (as if they were missing the first one). For example, in the third and fourth series, Jet, his guys, mixed events from the seventeenth episode of the animated series (where Theo and his inventor father were), King Boomi, musicians and small excerpts from the second episode of the second season of the animated series “Cave of Two Lovers”.
It was nice to see the events in the series go canon. In the beginning, I was delighted with the series Gone Ghosts. But then everything went absolutely wrong... In the spirit world together with Aang got Qatar and Sokka. After that, they met the spirit of the owl (what did you forget in the first season?!) You were supposed to be in the second episode of the library! And then there was the face thief in this series! That whirlpool made me dizzy. I also liked some of the episodes of The Blue Mask. But it's a pity that a lot of things have been reworked again...
I am not talking about the North Pole series. Aang flew there to study the magic of water, BUT! They never show us how they teach him. There is only training for Qatar. Sokka and Princess Yui – their arch embarrassed me. If in the animated series, their relationship began gradually and logically, then they gallop around Europe! When they met, they suddenly fell in love and kissed each other. In general, the events in the series ran for me quite quickly.
Characters. I want to say a lot about them too. I didn’t have enough emotions for the actors. Remember what Aang was like in the series? And in general, all the characters. Each has its own character, in which a certain trait prevails. Aang was very positive, radiating a huge dose of optimism. He was really a living character. In the series, Aang lacked these emotions - they were much less than in the animated series. Sokka is serious here. I sometimes joked, but there were few. I didn't like serial Boomie. It turned out to be completely different, and the scene of his meeting with Aang disappointed me. In the animated series, Boomi hid until the last from the air magician that he was his best friend. And when it was revealed, it was quite moving and joyful. Everything was known from the beginning.
Another character I didn’t like in the series adaptation is Rock’s avatar. In the original, Rock radiated wisdom, kindness, seriousness. He instructed Aang on his way to the avatar. And here Roku is some strange old man who is very frightening with his behavior.
I think this film adaptation will mostly appeal to those who are unfamiliar with the original. Perhaps someone will experience nostalgia. Maybe it's two-fold. Well, I guess I'll go and review the original, because there really is nothing like it.
When it turns out that Netflix is able to remove the adaptation without inappropriate cut-off, gender change, race and orientation of the main characters.
Well, that was fine. I watched the original animated series four times, I breathlessly waited for the film adaptation of Shyamalan. I spit when she came out and gave him a 1. Now, after 14 years, my fervor has certainly diminished, but anyway, as soon as the opportunity arose, I swallowed these 8 episodes in 2 p.m. 90% of content is a very accurate hit. And even where I initially doubted (for example, in the choice of the actor who played Sokka), then at certain points I came to understand the idea of the authors.
Visuals, action, great. The chemistry between the characters is there. All the plot details, invented beyond the original, came to me and seemed very relevant. Without special spoilers - even the first shots - a great lead to the story itself.
There is a small mishmash of plot in the middle (transferring the scene of several story branches to Omasha), but again - this did not affect the essence and meaning, but allowed to show more interesting characters in fewer episodes.
Someone writes that there was not enough jokes and “fun” inherent in the original. But even then, I thought everything was optimal. I laughed and sometimes even squeaked with delight. Just everything that seems organic and appropriate in animation will turn the film into a three-comedy, one of those, where everything is held on the curves of Jim Carrey.
Questions, of course, appeal to the caste of Ozai's angels - Azula, Tai Li and Mei. But at certain moments, Azoula was very convincing, and her girlfriends were simply not given a chance to prove themselves - maybe in the next seasons. Well, what to do if the cartoons usually draw female characters translucent fairies with a chin like the tip of a needle, and Asian girls round-eyed and tightly knocked.
Jet, June, Suyuki - charm and delight, Boomi and Ayro - miracle!
Cabbage salesman!!! -
It should be noted that if we abstract from the monumentality of the original, the Legend of Aang appears, in general, a good fantasy story for evening viewing. The world is still extraordinary, the scenery is meticulous, the special effects... range from decent to tolerantly mediocre. Well, to the credit of the original, the series is not boring to watch, so 8 hours here fly much faster than in the case of the Rings of Power or the Wheel of Time, for example. If you just need a rest for the current working week - this option is still quite harmless.
But I just can't ignore the fact that the original animated series was and remains a massive layer of my childhood. When I didn’t have a Nickelodeon channel, I had to wait for it to be shown on 2X2. But soon the parents still gave the child the first laptop, after which one of the first desirable things was to download all the series so that your favorite cartoon could be watched constantly, without excruciating expectations.
Now that you have understood what the Avatar means to me, it is necessary to explain the expectations of him. And I wanted to see a simple story that would become a legend for a new generation of viewers. I remember the creators somewhere talked about the desire to create a series in the spirit of Game of Thrones – that is, a darker reading. Okay, I don't mind. It is something new that has the right to exist. Just bring to it what significant authors bring - your own vision.
But what happened? And as a result, Netflix took the laziest model - Disney. Or rather, the one that has been helping them create classic remakes for a decade. That is, to take the original - reshoot with minimal changes, reduce important moments and, conversely, stretch those that did not need it at all. Well, add a little bit of chub under the sauce of "laur expansion." What about the promised inspiration for Game of Thrones, you ask? Well, apparently it was about cutting 80 percent of the cartoon's humor and putting VERY serious faces on the characters. This “inspiration” has no effect. Maybe only the magic of fire finally began to look cruel.
The story continues to move in the same direction. Katara and Sokka find Aang in the ice, help him escape Prince Zuko, and embark on a slow but sure journey to master all four elements. Only now, in the beginning, there is a long preface, which immediately shows the mentor Avatar Gietso and their relationship, which emotionally causes the story to lose weight. After all, now the viewer does not learn the terrible truth about his fate together with Aang, everything is initially clear. It seems not a strong change, but dramatically very meaningless.
In the third series, they decided to stuff three stories ("King Omashu", "Jet" and "Northern Temple of Air") into one plot, as a result of which a strange porridge came out of the storylines of the heroes who were interesting as individuals in the original, but there is simply because it is necessary for fans.
And all this we go through the heroes who sharply reduced in charisma on the background of the animated series. I understand that it is much harder to recreate hyperbolic emotion in live action than in animation, but then the story should be presented differently. Because otherwise, we have Aang constantly talking about his insecurity, instead of the smart kid in the cartoon, Qatar, who was simplified from a strong woman with a character to a strong woman-trademark, and Sokka, who instead of humor simply states the situation believing that it should be funny. Zuko came out better, mainly due to the efforts of the actor and a deeper immersion in his conflict with his father and sister Azula. Well, Ayro here may not be as funny as in the original, but more restrained, and all the same tactful and wise. In my opinion, one of the few competent changes of the characters of the series.
But the main problem with the new Avatar is the neglect of the rule of “show, not tell”. Yes, as paradoxical as it may sound, but the characters too much describe feelings, not feel. Aang constantly talks about his suffering, Qatara says how she is hurt by the loss of her mother, and Sokka sorts through the shelves of his suffering over the denial of his father. And can the characters feel, and not just read from a piece of paper about their feelings? Shyamalan also sinned in his shameful adaptation, albeit in a much larger volume.
But did this interpretation come out right at the level of the Lord of the elements? Not at all. There, the director openly despised Avatar and harked at him from a high bell tower. Here, at least the characters reflect the cultures from which they came, and you can see what the authors know about the existence of the original. Key word 'know'. But they seemed to understand perfectly well that it is better to remove if not unreal, then at least extremely problematic and therefore did not try. That's why the story came out so dry and inconspicuous. If recent Van Pis has created a separate world that contrasts well with anime and manga, the Last Airbender feels like an optional appendage. An appendage that will go down for a one-time viewing, but not as a permanent companion, which was the beloved Avatar.
You can make a long list of why this adaptation is not a good one, but one way or another, all of its points will come down to one simple answer. Because that's the way Netflix works.
And no, it's not even that Omasha was turned into a Hindu city, the king was put on a turban, and two lovers who created a network of tunnels under the mountain, were two girls. A lot of things have changed from the original animated series, but that’s not always a bad thing. Take the same story of Zuko's exile, the plot twist with squad 41 cannot help but feel the viewer. Unfortunately, the trouble with adaptation is that such emotional moments in the series simply no longer exist. How can the audience believe what is happening if the actors themselves do not believe it? The performers of the roles of Qatar and Aang, frankly, simply did not cope with this task. Many other members of the crew also failed: soap shots, close-up faces for half the screen time of the episode, a terrible yellow color. And scripted teleportations from place to place, killing the spirit of adventure, in the same piggy bank. In general, there is nothing to see here.
The way out is a kind of meaningless empty space. No one wanted to tell this story, let’s be honest, the relevance here really stands under a huge question mark. Hardly adaptation on a real stage with real actors can be compared with an animated series, but what is inferior to one, one way or another wins the other. The bar, of course, was very high, and a miracle did not happen.
But why didn’t a project with such an impressive budget ($120 million, for comparison, the final season of Game of Thrones and even less) meet its expectations? Netflix’s strategy is marketing, not production. Hence, huge advertisements on the “sphere” of Las Vegas and an extremely scarce product on the way out.
It is a pity that the beloved animated series of childhood became another sad addition to the list of unsuccessful adaptations from Netflix.
2 out of 10
The new series on Avatar is a herbivorous frame-by-frame adaptation of the cult cartoon, the dialogues in which you need to look only at x10
If you formulate the main task of this project, then everything can be summed up in a few words - ' do not offend the fans' I didn’t pass chipping as a kid, so I first got to know Aang’s universe in ‘39; Masterpiece’ & #39; Shyamalan. As you can see, it is difficult to think of a worse entrance. So a blank slate like me is very hard to offend. But the rest of the series is difficult not to notice.
Globally 'Avatar: The Legend of Aang' exists at the junction of three genres. Stuck under fake anime, techno-fantasy and philosophical prank based on Eastern practices. The first one didn't work at all. Even the original cartoon. Neither the drawing nor the plots are like the classic anime canon. Calling fans ' Avatar' anime is as silly as inserting cliffhangers at the beginning of the series. A trick that didn't work well even in 'Zen - Queen of Warriors'.
Techno fantasy is getting better. Even without points in minus 5 diopters, you can see how much borrowed from Avatar 39; many canonical universes created after. Although he's no stranger to homages himself. Find in 'Avatar' the same Miyazaki case is not cunning. The city of Omashi is written off as a copier, like almost all aircraft. Yes, even the ships of the firemen come from the bowels of the studio Ghibli.
According to Eastern teachings, here is a familiar hodgepodge for America. Yogis from India, Chinese dragons and Japanese samurai are all intertwined in one tangle of eclecticism. But in general, the world ' Avatar' created skillfully, and for children 6-7 years old is a wonderful entrance to Asia.
The series is really cool. After the tortures that Netflix fed us in 'The Witcher', the graphics here are at the level 'Game of Thrones' or much more expensive 'The Ring of Power'. To twist the picture normal (at least acceptable) sound design, and audiovisual part ' Avatar' would be a canon, at least for another 5 years. A little worse choreography of battles, although again see item 'The Witcher' from Netflix.
There are hardly any serious concerns about character adaptations. Yes, there are questions about Azoulay, who here seems just an envious teenager. Similar to her retinue. Perhaps the logic of some racial issues is not fully respected. But costumes, hairstyles, movements are copied from the cartoon with the accuracy of a modern printer. Zukko, Ayro, Aang himself, Qatar, Sokka - with all of them make-up artists and artists did a very accurate job. There's no nagging here, 10/10.
But here's the problem. The series sags when the characters open their mouths. The dialogue here was written by someone's child. Even in the finale of the show, you really want to squander them, at least to the next action scene. U'Avatar' boring and ridiculous exposure. The first two episodes were the worst of the entire first season. Had it not been for my perseverance and the promise of a couple of friends to watch, I would hardly have made it to the third.
The plot is driven by the character frames and turns conceived in the original cartoon. Showrunners, under pain of painful death, are afraid to enter their meanings. This is especially sterile when the basic story changes are much better than the original. Take the same ending, which in the first season of the cartoon was very different. And here is just the episode 'Game of Thrones'.
Having omitted the claims to the infinitely bad script and made a discount on the school audience of the series, I am ready to admit that the new ' Avatar' lives somewhere within the same ' doubtful, but OK'.
Grown up fans of the cartoon will be happy to see the old heroes again. Children will love flying fireballs and soaring ninjas. For everyone else, 'The Legend of Aang' will remain an obscure object of a strange cult. A naive story about a naive boy who naively defeats naive enemies. He doesn't want to grow up at all. So are his fans, though.
Mortal Kombat for the smallest, or an evening of nostalgia
And yet, live action adaptation is not bad, the conclusion can be drawn from the first season of “Avatar: The Legend of Aang”, released on Netflix. "Cowboy Bebop" was boring, "Van Piece" luck, and "Avatar" is located in the middle, creating the impression of a good start, which has something to work on, but which is a good evening for fantasy fans. Unless, of course, you take into account the fans of the animated series, who will discuss and condemn the adaptation in any case. Although it’s worth just saying thank you, to all the outraged from almost empty space, which was without crazy casting decisions, fans of “The Witcher”, for example, wonder why elves can be dark-skinned, and magicians of the elements, no.
The disadvantages of adaptation, which are actively forcing fans of anime are obvious even to those who have not watched it. The series has a plot that has been crammed into too many events, erasing all the fillers that are needed for better character chemistry. Indeed, jumping around locations and simplifying the details of some arches does not benefit the spectacle. On the other hand, all of them, according to the canons of the modern show, led to the finale, and he was good, looks a little different from the rest, but spectacular and on his own, for which you can forgive something.
Another disadvantage of the project is in the atmosphere. Netflix overdid with a cast that looks too childish, not creating the epic that is needed, and as anime fans say, much to the romantic fluids between the characters who are too small for this. Probably a few seasons, the production of which will stretch for years, but right now the adventure has lost enough. Close-up plans for children’s faces in ceremonial suits give a little false, looking like Indian cinema, some even look round and overfed, as if they came from Grandma, this definitely leaves an imprint.
What turned out in “Avatar” impeccable is action, and a couple of visual solutions. The locations are presented vividly and tastefully, the expositions are worked out, from the city in stone to the ice fortress, from Tibetan nature to the gloomy world of spirits. Well, fights, there are a lot of them, they are beautifully served visually and conceal positive wibas of Mortal Kombat, especially in the end, than Sab-Zero against Scorpio, of course with a children's rating. The dramatic part limps, at least the main character has only one moral dilemma, which has been stretched, but the line of Prince Zuko is conveyed quite qualitatively, the character in general turned out to be the most understandable and integral.
"Avatar: The Legend of Aang" is a medium-quality fantasy with the potential to shoot further that could bring fans an evening of pleasant nostalgia more likely than disappointment. To call the spectacle a circus like the “Lord of the Elements” the language will not turn, but the hitiness of “Van Pisa” the project will not achieve. It will greatly depend on the fans of the original, who know what will happen next, the rest will probably come to the conclusion that they have seen the spectacle and more epic.
This is the case when the series is shot as close as possible to the original. I mean the famous animated series, which became a classic at the time of its release. No matter how many people tried to make films based on various works, it always came out ' based on '. Fans, and just people, ' who in the subject ' were dissatisfied with the free retelling and changes in the appearance of the characters. Here, as it seemed to me, tried to comply with everything 'canons', ranging from clothes to weapons, storyboards and external environment. Personally, I watched the cartoon for a long time, perhaps for this reason, I did not notice any discrepancy and contradiction with the original. It seemed to me that the series was shot with great respect and love for the original and the director, at least, is a big fan of it. The series lacks some less significant episodes (such as ' riding otter-penguins', ' Appa sneezing on Sook' and so on, in detail). But here's everything else... I've never seen a TV show that close to 'text'. For some time, actors were normally picked up (well, with the exception of the Princess of Fire - she is the only one who seemed to me ' not so'). Since the film is about martial arts, then the masters of these martial arts should star in it, which was achieved. One Prince Zuko is worth it. Impressive technique. I look forward to the second and third seasons. A living classic.
It is difficult to compare the original and its adaptation.
Avatar: The Legend of Aang is a legendary cartoon that combines a very soulful lamp story about the campaigns of a boy with friends and a dark story consisting of genocide, war and disruption of the world balance.
The problems of this series are few and they are, both from the side of the miscast, and from the side of plot construction, in which the plot of 2-3 episodes of the original is trying to cram into one big hour episode, trying not to tear the viewer away from the screens.
The pluses of the plot are in adaptation. Very well and competently introduced into the history of Zuko and Uncle Ayro, showing them not complete antagonists, as in the original, and initially made not as they seem to us. Someone will consider it a disadvantage that the past of Uncle Ayrault we learn in the original only in the second season and from that moment we caught ' wow' effect, and now, in the current adaptation of such ' wow' there is no effect and we are consistently revealed his past, thereby showing the depth of the character. Same thing with Zuko. I am very pleased to show his fight with his father, that he fought straight and could even inflict damage on the Lord of Fire, but could not (in the original he just vomited like a coward), thus, our Zuko appears to us as a very sensitive and morally healthy main character due to other elements of the disclosure of his story.
Cons. Absolutely useless Azoula and her girlfriends, scenes with them should never have been on the show. They show nothing, they reveal nothing. There is one cringe on their part, from statements to actions. May is a complete miscast.
Another big drawback of the plot in terms of logic is that Aang arrives in the Northern Kingdom of Water, not knowing anything about this element. He lacked even basic skills. He’s just the last two episodes constantly whining that he can’t do anything, asking for help, and then completely refuses it, then asks again. 7-8 episodes very much spoiled the impression of the main character, thereby lowering it in our eyes.
Summing up, I will say that the adaptation left me only positive emotions from watching, despite the above disadvantages. Action, camera work, graphic work, acting at a very high level and the series lives up to its budget very well. But we love the original not only for good fights. We'll wait and see.
In this review, I am not trying to touch heavily on the characters and their characters, I am just analyzing the information that the creators of the adaptation give us and what we know and remember from the original.
The big question. Was it for people who are already familiar with the original or for a new viewer?
Why was this created? Because the adaptation has done better.
Netflix's avatar isn't a masterpiece. But he has his moments, with which he spits out the original.
Yes, technology has advanced significantly over the years, and thanks to that we have cities that look like cities.
They developed the stories of some characters, weaved individual plots together, and threw something away: I liked the fact that Zuko sails on the ship whose crew he saved. That he had a scar, not because he refused to fight his father - aka the Muslim Shadow - but because he showed compassion and restraint. I like Azula’s arch, I like Kyoshi’s wars, I like Princess Yui and the spirit world. Damn, we've been shown avatars of the past. And it also struck me that Katara, although she could not cope with Paku, was on a level with him and thus earned her right to be a warrior, not Bollywood history ' I am your long-lost grandfather, sister of the mother of your uncle's neighbor'
Of the downsides, caste could have been better. But the painted fantasy can not be surpassed - and God, thank God, this is not a Misscast of the level of Borderlands.
What else -- well, it could be a musical. They could spit on the original and put the canon in a different direction. Or there could be more episodes. What else...
. . .
Yes, the series definitely needs more - the feeling that the team is constantly running apart from each other, and barely communicated to become a team. There's not much Appa here - he plays the role of a regular Zubrolet. . .
Maybe magic could have looked better, but frankly, realism would have hurt it anyway.
Zuko, have a cup of jasmine tea, it's soothing. . .
A journey through the prism of nostalgia.
A cup of tea here is unlikely to help calm down, but still.
We all like to remember the past: review old animated series and understand that with age they have become better, find new meaning in them, understand, in the end, what they wanted to convey to us with the actions and thoughts of the characters. But adaptation... This is a little different conversation.
The plot and motivation of the characters will be the main factor why I decided to write my thoughts. The adaptation turned out to be a kind of porridge, incomprehensible in taste, in which mentally, remembering the series, we add sugar, and this sugar, in my opinion, oh how sweet.
But first a little about special effects, the picture and the staging of scenes, beyond any praise, there is even nothing to talk about, I will not focus on this, everything looks alive and pleasant to our eyes.
Why would I want to see an adaptation? For the sake of adapting the development of heroes, for the sake of their emotions, experiences, relationships and, of course, motivation for certain actions, I want to talk about this.
Can I compare the adaptation to the original? Of course, because it's built on it. We have seen a lot of examples where adaptations are cut in favor of timekeeping and transferring the basis of the plot to the viewer, but, sorry, so kill the disclosure of the heroes, kill the very chemistry of the relationship between the Avatar team & #39; - it was necessary to try and the authors coped with this in favor of sticking in just one barrel.
I haven't seen the development of Qatara and Aang's relationship, they just don't, despite the chemistry from the start in the original series. With all this, we are shown the relationship between Katara and Sokka, where one tries to be a father and the other a mother, but even then we lose the thread, the thread which is unwound, wrapped back in a disgusting way. I watched with excitement the formation, maturation and development of the characters in the cartoon, did I get it here? The expectations were not met.
But we are shown several times how Azula is trying to show his legacy to the throne - why? What do we know about a character who hasn't been revealed for a whole season, but her combat girlfriends? Not to mention the fact that in the original she appears only at the end, showing us her involvement in the second season.
Separately, it is worth commending for revealing the most controversial character - Zuko, the enthusiasm and desire to learn about how the disclosure adapts here with each series only intensified.
The series pulls the tandem of Ayro and Zuzu is the storyline of Zuko, it is executed magnificently. You will get the impression that the main character is not Aang, but a prince in exile, it is this sugar that we add to our porridge that turns out to be very tasty.
What about the story? Sometimes I want to shed tears, but the above held me back.
The basis of the plot was killed, finally and irrevocably, almost at the very beginning of the season, I realized it already at the time of Aang’s visions of the north pole, the doubts in the temple of the avatar Rocca, one of the epic moments in the animated series, it is impossible to forget about it, those who watched with warmth remember this plot twist, because it is here that we will learn what the plot of the original will begin to build on. After all, the original motivation in the original series to visit the North Pole was the desire to learn the magic of water and have time by the end of summer for the arrival of a celestial body to the people of fire. The base is to have time to master the elements before it is too late, exhausting pace, fussiness, worrying about the heroes, alas, there is no such thing here, only experiencing Zuko.
In conclusion, I can only say that this adaptation will appeal to those who did not watch the original series, and fans who watched it will have many questions about the large-scale changes, but this creation will not leave you indifferent, beyond any doubt. Very reserved, quite tolerable.
Why is the review positive? I am content to get what I didn’t get in the original, but to lose what was in it.
Enjoy your viewing, everyone.
As a complete fan of the original show, I’ve been waiting for this adaptation since the announcement, which is 2018. I've been following all the news and rumors, and in a way, it's also been part of my film experience with the series.
I think the main problem when considering any adaptations or film adaptations is that we approach viewing in advance with an evaluative eye, thus preventing ourselves from opening a new show. This is bad, because it is disrespectful to other people’s work, because people in front of the camera or for, spend a lot of energy. Also, I do not quite understand the reaction of viewers to the very existence of such adaptations, because they are given a chance to visit their beloved universe again, and in case of failure, even more appreciate the original.
It is worth understanding that this show will have to find its otherness as well as the original show. The 2005 series began as an adventure, largely carefree and casual, but ended in 2008 with reflections on the nature of war, imperialism, revenge and selflessness. The new show will have a difficult path, the beginning of which is located in the shadow of the cult predecessor, but only the authors decide where his path leads. Maybe we will get a huge number of new points of view and interpretations, some of which we already get in season 1: a conversation between the earth magician and Ayro or the consequences of the battle for the North Pole (where there is much more tragedy and cruelty). Writers and producers can, of course, start playing giveaways with the audience in the future, reducing the adaptation to a trivial retelling with slightly changed details or playing on one-off feelings of fans (as did the last seasons of Game of Thrones), but I will continue to expect courage from the show, because if this universe has the ability, it is to inspire hope.
I hardly talked about the artistic or technical part of the series because I don’t think it’s necessary. If you can still talk constructively about the technical part of the work, then there are nuances with the artistic part. A huge number of conditional demands from the audience and banal lack of discernment. Approaching the consideration of creative work with some attitudes, we simply destroy the imagination and its introduction to our work. And when it comes to adaptations, these settings become a pond, still compounded often by the inability to talk about it as an independent project, with its own pace and mood.
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The first part of my review is a lot of thinking and thinking about adaptations and how we relate to them. I understand that many people find it difficult to get rid of nostalgic feelings, but I also strongly oppose the arrogant attitude to creativity. The series immediately makes it clear that it is different from season 1 of the original show: it is much more political and espionage intrigue, cultural diversity, moral dilemmas, dirt, pain and death. This adaptation has every chance to go in this direction even further, thereby creating itself not as a toothless retelling, but an ideological and spiritual follower of the animated series.
The avatar universe is not just one animated series, it is a whole world filled with different fates and questions, and the new series clearly shows this.
He placed too high hopes on the film adaptation of a beautiful story, from which he was disappointed more than usual.
“For” to view (still can not devalue the work).
1. The work with the scenery was incredibly surprising – the setting of each people is not only reproduced on the screen with detailed accuracy, but the efforts of artists have enriched many times. I want to consider in detail the Great City of Omashu, the colorful halls of the Fire Master, and unusual temples of air. Although there are some traces of plasticity.
2. VFX magic is very naturalistic – this is how I imagined the magic of water, earth, fire and air in my head, playing with friends after school.
3. A large number of mise scenes from the original animated series. From scene to scene, you are overwhelmed by the fact that the picture has acquired a bulge. If you watch them in clippings or reassemble them into a separate teaser / trailer, it may seem that it is still the same story repeated by live actors.
However. . .
'Against' viewing.
1. The main drawback that might seem new or not very familiar with the story to the audience interesting / innovative is the mixing of filler episodes with story-forming. If you simplify (which, perhaps, the authors sought), it is a kind of Frankenstein: assembled from the corpses of different stories into one ridiculous lump. On the one hand, as a loyal fan, you agree with that decision. But in the course of the series, you simply do not have the strength to watch from the incredible number of torn seams.
And if you step back and look at it with a general view, you can clearly see at least three pieces in one series. Moreover, it is not organically crushed and mixed grains of sand of different stories. These are literally huge pieces, composed into a single “puzzle” – all poeticity is killed.
2. It follows from the first. Having gone through such a meat grinder, it is difficult to maintain the motivation of the heroes. The original plot gives the viewer a clear, massive and absolute motivation for the main characters. Here is a strange attempt to postpone or break down into stages / parts of the threat facing the world. This is not only confusing, but also does not allow you to penetrate the heroes and their tragedy. The authors do not speak directly to the audience, but walk around.
3. Details. You can call me "suffocating", but the devil is hiding here. For all the similarity (for which the unconditional respect), the nuances changed by the authors destroy this similarity. The reactions of the characters, their phrases and actions, if not radically, change their character. Rock's ridiculous jokes, Aang's bizarre actions, a violation of the original lore (we changed the logic of the world and you didn't notice). It may sound too categorical, but in comparison with the peer-reviewed and phrase-learned original series, such changes simply do not seem appropriate.
Total.
Kringu with each scene, I felt myself on the same bench with the heroes in the theater on the Emerald Island. Yes, the author clearly made inquiries, but it had nothing to do with reality.
Suyuki: 'Nothing special effects!'
'Avatar: The Legend of Aang', another adaptation of the super-popular animated series, enters a mixed world of hopes and disappointments. An attempt to be inspired by the unquestionable success of an animated series about young Aang and his travels to end the war turns into a misunderstanding of the key elements that made the original story so compelling.
The visual side of the series is the first stumbling block. Despite the impressive budget, special effects remain somewhat underdeveloped. Elements that need to be focused on, such as controlling the elements, are not convincing, and the use of CGI often does not seem as harmonious as you would expect from a series of this scale.
The adaptation of the story also raises questions. By trying to expand the subtexts of the original story and add layers of innovation, the series often becomes confused and oversaturated by exposure, weighing down the perception and distracting from the main storyline. From here comes the excessive pathos, which outweighs the balance and draws naturalness from the scenes.
Of course, there were interesting plot changes in the series, which in some moments went to the plot in the plus. In some cases, these changes are a refreshing addition to an already known story, opening up new perspectives in character motivation and development. Such moments stand out as bright spots on the heterogeneous canvas of the series. Also, in addition to the series, you can note the perfectly staged action scenes, but from which there is also a double feeling due to bad special effects.
The cast, especially young actors in leading roles, do not always cope with the load. Their acting sometimes seems unnatural, which can be a consequence of both their lack of experience and the director's unbalanced leadership. This problem is especially noticeable in scenes where it is necessary to demonstrate deep emotions or strong connection of characters.
The main problem of the series is the excessive amount of exposure. Constant explanations of characters and situations prevent the viewer from immersed in the world of the series and truly empathize with the characters.
As a result, the film adaptation ' Avatar: The Legend of Aang' leaves a double impression. The idea, full of potential, is overshadowed by a number of performance and adaptation shortcomings. However, for all its flaws, the series may be the starting point for future discussions about how and why many of the adaptations fall short of the original’s fans’ expectations.
Almost completely created a live adaptation of the scene behind the scenes from the animated series.
Aang is devoid of the innocence and depth we have come to love in the 12-year-old protagonist; instead, he is presented as a youthful warrior typical of youth novels.
The characters are devoid of the comic features that defined them, which leads to scenes devoid of emotionality and too dark.
Directing seems ‘frozen’, the characters are rigidly placed and give exposure instead of dynamically interacting with the world around them.
Many unnecessary changes distract from the important moments, unexpected revelations and character development that made the original series so fascinating.
The visuals and fighting scenes are level, but they shouldn't be the only focus of production with such a significant budget.
More than four years I have been waiting for the film adaptation of the animated series "Avatar: The Last Airbender", which I sincerely loved after the first viewing many years ago. And so, unstable in its quality Netflix it released. In order not to walk around the bush, I will immediately describe all the minuses and pros of this series.
Plus
Characters. I was most worried about the four characters and how they could be brought to the screen. Azula, Sokka, Ayro and Zuko. And if we talk about the first one later, the next three turned out really well. I genuinely believed in the chemistry of Uncle Airo, the soulful Airo with his unrestrained nephew. Not only the images of the characters are perfectly transferred from animation to series, but also their characters, interaction. Sokka is truly my favorite both in the animated series and here. As if copied and turned into his 3D version, he is also a grumpy pessimist, eager to eat something and always joke.
In general, most characters are transferred with due respect and well adapted for live action. Therefore, almost all caste I can call ideal (but only almost).
Visual In this category I want to put everything at once. Operator work, costumes, scenery and special effects. Everything is done in Hollywood well and with due attention to detail. This includes the visualization of Appa and Momo. The emotions of these 3D animals are so vivid that you really get into them. The image of the magic of the elements was not always perfect, precisely in terms of dynamics. But visually (especially the fire element) were shown impressively. In fact, like all the action in the series.
Music Transferring all the music from the original, adapting it and making it epic is the wisest decision you could imagine.
Minuses
Characters. Now back to Azoulay. It is worth noting that it should not have been in this season. But I will introduce conventions that this is an adaptation, not a literal adaptation, it was introduced ahead of time in history and, alas, in vain. I didn’t believe in that character for a second. Who is Azula in the original? The intelligent, cruel and calculating true heiress of her father, the Lord of Fire. Unstoppable and deadly like lightning. Is that what she is here? I'm not. I hope that this flaw will be seriously reworked next season, where it first appeared in the original. Without going too far – May and Tai Li. Friends and companions in pursuit of the Avatar Azula. If visually Tai Li is still tolerable, then May, sorry, but this is an absolute miscast. And with their characters did not cope with both actresses. But again, like the Azulas, they should not have been here and there was nothing to reveal to us in this season. We'll see what happens next.
Appa and Momo. Why is it in the negatives, if I marked them in the pluses? Because here the creators of the series made a fatal mistake. They drastically reduced their role in the series, which will further affect, because the same Appa is not just a flying bison. It's Avatar's best friend and it's an important element of the story, especially in the original second season.
Avatar Aang
I decided to take this character beyond pros and cons for one reason. It's not a poorly ported character. But this is not the Aang we know and love. More serious and thoughtful, he is like a doubting, confused adult monk trapped in the body of a child. Whereas in the original it was rampant and free, like the wind of a boy who had to grow up early. And if externally it is really one hundred percent hit in the image, then the character of the cartoon version was and remains closer to me.
Conclusion.
There are many more flaws and advantages of this adaptation, which could be analyzed on the example of changes in the plot arches ( not critical, but still), or the absence of some key characters of the original ( the seller of cabbage in place - relax). But I saw the real desire of the creators to respect the source, but to make the story more mature, as it became in the original for the third season. It's a decent adaptation that gives credibility for next seasons, but not without flaws. And in fact, the most serious drawback is only one – the character of Azula. The rest has the right to exist in this form. We’ll wait until season two to see how well they can fix the bugs, and if they don’t allow more. We are waiting for the Blind Bandit.
7.5 out of 10
From time immemorial, people loved to rush to extremes, and the film adaptation of famous works similar also touched. In the eyes of the viewer will be either “the best film adaptation ever” or “boring mediocrity”. And, unfortunately, the adaptation of 'Avatar: The last airbender from Netflix was placed in the frame of the second option. Not least because of very strange news from the creators of the show, as well as ratings from professional critics. What is the real situation?
Well, it's not as bad as it might seem. For starters, everything about the technical part of the series was done at a decent level. Yes, a couple of times the green was striking, but it did not happen so often, and the staging of the action this time came out at the level. Costume designs, selection of actors and locations, some small details and scenery - everything is at a decent level. Regarding the acting work itself - somewhere they were especially successful (like the same Sokki, Ayro or Zuko), and somewhere - quite mediocre (the same Qatar), but there are no serious problems or miscast in the series.
The problem lies elsewhere, in the pace. No matter how you feel about the filler episodes – especially in the first season – they allowed you to strengthen both the relationship between the characters and their achievement. Moments of rest and quiet are always needed for such projects. And that's where Netflix's version of the series hits the rake. Attempts to fit all the storylines and events of a bunch of series in one small arch lead to the fact that the viewer simply does not have time to feel enough what is happening on the screen, because he needs to follow five more sub-sites at a time.
The worst thing that brings with it pace problems is the chemistry between the Avatar team. Each of its members is given its own story arc. This is not a bad thing, but each hero goes through it alone. Because of this, various jokes and micro-conflicts between the guys do not occur, and the same lamp atmosphere of a friendly team does not arise. Yes, Aang, Qatar and Sokka behave like friends, but their relationship lacks weight, lacks the time and those subtleties that were in the animated series.
Moreover, the creators of the series can create good innovations in the old story, allowing you to beautifully reveal the character of the characters. And so it seems strange that they, having so many opportunities, decide to just pile it up and try to make mush out of it. Although, it is worth admitting - porridge, in the end, turned out not bad.
The Netflix avatar is a generally tolerable adaptation of the cult animated series. Characteristics remain the same; central themes are the same; even humor slips in places. And if the viewer has not previously watched the original project, then from the adaptation he will in principle understand what the magic of the Avatar is buried in. And he may not even notice some oddities in terms of pace and congestion. However, they are still there, and I think they will be the cornerstone for the fans and haters of the project.
6 out of 10