Relive past successes and give them a new twist It’s something that’s becoming common in the world of film and television. This Thursday, February 22, Netflix bets on nostalgia once again with the premiere of the version live (live action, with actors) from Avatar, the Last Airbender.
Already It’s been almost 20 years since we first saw this story on the small screen, via Nickelodeon. But fans of the series remain even more fans despite the passage of time. And there was great concern about how this new version of a childhood classic would turn out.
The fears of fans of the original animation, which over the years has become almost a cult series, arose from the creative differences between Netflix executives and the creators of the series, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.
When they both announced they were leaving the project in 2020, All predictions indicated that this adaptation would be a catastrophe. “It was the most difficult professional decision I have ever made and certainly not one I made lightly, but it was necessary for my happiness and creative integrity,” DiMartino wrote in an open letter posted on his personal blog.
Despite the uproar generated by this controversial resignation, Netflix executives started from scratch with the development of the project, which had already been in the works for a full two years. Finally, six years after the official announcement of the launch by the platform of streamingthe series premiered this Thursday the 22nd.
Since they had already advanced a little in the trailerthis adaptation gave those nostalgic for the 2005 TV show a pleasant surprise: they remained quite faithful to the original materialand the changes are promising.
The triumphant return of a classic
The characters from the classic animated film “Avatar, the Last Airbender” are now in the flesh. From the first minute of the series, this is clear the essence of the story is the same, just like the way they tell it. Indeed, only in the first chapter, the classic voice-over was inserted after the introductory minute which told the legend of the Avatar at the beginning of each episode of the animated series.
“Water, earth, fire, air. The four nations lived in harmony for millennia. The Avatar guaranteed peace,” we hear in the first five minutes of the first chapter, as a nod to the original version.
Once again, the series tells the story of Aang, a 12-year-old boy who inherited the Avatar’s powers and he can, therefore, dominate the four elements: earth, fire, water and air. In the midst of a war unleashed by the Fire Lord, he becomes the only person capable of bringing peace between the nations.
The original animation, which inspired the new Netflix live action. But this new episode explores narrative arcs from the first minutes that were little exploited in the animated series. The first chapter takes elements from the original pilot, but deepens them, allowing the viewer who saw the 2005 series to discover new aspects of the story.
And without a doubt this was one of the great successes. Because, ultimately, it is not very attractive in the eyes of the public to repeat exactly the same story, without bringing any new elements to the plot.
Even if the special effects aren’t the best, it’s quite well done if we compare it to other similar adaptations made by Netflix, such as the Japanese manga One Piece.
Gordon Cormier, the young actor who plays Aang in the adaptation, and he does it very well. The great success of the creatives of this live It was, without a doubt, the casting. From the first moment the characters move once again and slowly win the affection of the audience..
While the series has some weaknesses, overall it delivers and is a great option to watch with family or to relive great moments from someone’s childhood.
Source: Clarin
