Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the animated Avatar: The Last Airbender series has the potential to be an even greater show than the original. While some audiences may view the adaptation with apprehension, there is a lot to look forward to in the live-action show. Building off the success of the original, the live-action Last Airbender promises new angles and twists off the tale we know, bringing new energy to the premise.
Avatar: The Last Airbender takes place in a fantasy world divided into four nations of people who are able to manipulate, or “bend,” the four classic elements: water, earth, fire, and air. When the nation of fire seeks to conquer all four nations, the legendary hero of all elements, the Avatar, is sought to restore peace to the world. Unfortunately, by the time the current Avatar, Aang the Airbender, awakens from a hundred-year hibernation to intervene, full-scale war has broken out. Together with a group of talented friends, Aang sets out to master his abilities and bring peace to the world.
Netflix is excited to bring heightened realism to The Last Airbender, as well as taking the opportunity to bring better representation to the cultures the show takes inspiration from. Appropriate cultural representation is key to the success of the new series; not least for its use of a primarily white cast, the previous live-action Last Airbender adaptation was notably unpopular. Fortunately, Netflix’s revitalization of the series should prove far better than the movie and even the animated show. Here are some of the reasons why the live-action Last Airbender series will succeed.
Live-Action Last Airbender Offers Thrilling Action Sequences
The combat of the Last Airbender adaptation promises high energy and artistry. The animated show is full of exciting armed engagements, with sword and boomerang alike, along with superpowered battles utilizing the world’s prime elements. The adaptation will undoubtedly include similar combat, although these fights should feel far more real and intense, especially the fights between benders.
In designing the different elements’ bending movements, the animated Last Airbender referred to actual martial arts directly; each move a character performs in the series was traced off a live performer before being animated. This indicates that elemental-based combat will translate perfectly to the live-action format. These fights may be even more hard-hitting when done between real people, as the physicality and skill of performing these enhanced martial arts will be on full display.
As for the supernatural qualities of bending, The Last Airbender must make full use of the CGI resources Netflix has to further its realistic elemental combat. Netflix is no stranger to enhancing its programming with CGI. Shows including Locke and Key and The Umbrella Academy make their extraordinary characters’ abilities believable through the use of digital effects. Assuredly, the live-action Last Airbender will make bending more real than it has ever been depicted as before.
Physical Airbender Actors & War Scenes Can Be More Impactful
The Last Airbender may have originally been intended for young audiences, but the subject material is suited for more advanced audiences; much of the show addresses the devastation of war and death, giving special focus to the accelerated maturity the protagonists are forced into. The Last Airbender’s live-action adaptation will undoubtedly utilize its actors to highlight these experiences. The presence of real faces to glean emotion from, audiences receive a different kind of immersion, relating intimately to the situations they view their heroes in. While the cast of the animated Last Airbender handed this drama tactfully, physical actors will drive the show’s emotions in a more real way.
Similarly, the live-action show’s depiction of war itself will be more impressive than previously seen. With the combination of more realistic combat and stronger intimacy with the characters, the danger and desperation inherent with wartime will most likely be front and center. In addition to being able to capture the action of entire battles realistically, it will be necessary for the live-action Last Airbender to address the effects of war on a smaller scale. The war’s consequences on individuals and communities was not ignored by the animated series, and was crucial to the characters’ development. All of this will be possible in the live-action adaptation; as proven by shows like Outlander and Game of Thrones, wars can feel extremely real, even ones set in fantasy worlds.
Altogether, The Last Airbender’s live-action adaptation stands to make its already advanced subject matter more intense. It is very possible that The Last Airbender will adopt a darker, more adult tone, which would certainly be a distinct twist to the franchise. Maturing the content, as well as aging up the actors, could be precisely the move the franchise needs to make, allowing it to be suited for its now-older demographic of loyal original fans.
Live-Action Avatar Can Embrace The Beauty Of The Source Material
The Last Airbender’s world features many unique settings; villages, cities, and kingdoms exist beautifully within the natural environment around them. As wondrous as these scenes look when drawn, their full glory will be realized in a natural, more realist form. Eye-catching martial-arts fantasy worlds have been successfully created in live-action formats before; the settings of the films Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero especially come to mind, for their sprawling, environmentally-informed cities and inventive yet immersive uses of color. The creators of the live-action Last Airbender are fully capable of bringing stronger reality to the show’s settings, as much of its architecture and geography are based in real world landmarks and culture.
As per Netflix’s aspirations, the artistic design of the live-action Last Airbender will faithfully represent the cultures it takes inspiration from, particularly with the costumes. This will be doubly effective to enhance the show: while the costumes will present accurate depictions of Asian and indigenous cultures to a worldwide audience, the beauty of these cultures will be put on display, both emphasizing the importance and art of the cultures represented.
It is rare that shows celebrate culture in this way, especially that of indigenous peoples, but The Last Airbender cannot neglect its animated roots. Taking equal inspiration from both these aesthetics may be for the best. If The Last Airbender balances culturally respectful designs with the vibrant color scheme of the cartoon, then the show’s costumes will be especially unique and appealing.
The live-action Last Airbender will not merely retread the story popularized by its animated predecessor, but be an advanced version of the show. For its now-adult fan base, the intensity and beauty that comes with increased realism will be a welcome and enthralling spin on the beloved show. If the live-action show embraces its potential, Avatar: The Last Airbender will surpass the original to be the best show in the franchise.