After 20 years of waiting, the Airbender universe is back with a blue-eyed live-action boy who trapped himself in an Iceberg for 100 years to save the world. This was a thrilling experience
Avatar: The Last Airbender, Netflix’s live-action adventure drama, is a remake of Nickelodeon’s popular animated series with the same title that debuted in 2005. The 2010 M Night Shyamalan movie The Last Airbender was also a version of the cartoon in live action. However, none of these Airbender properties have anything to do the highest-grossing film of all time Avatar. Its copyright lawyers grabbed the simple, one-word title that everyone wanted. Avatar: The Last Airbender, despite having to add a colon to the title and a cumbersome subheading, is one of most popular animated series. Nearly two decades later, the fanbase continues to be there, eager to continue the story.
This fantasy story follows the same template as many others. It features a world divided into kingdoms, which are either at war or near it. Young people have a unique influence, and magical powers can be used to good or bad effect. There are four distinct regions: fire, earth and water. Each population contains “benders”, people who can bend the local element according to their will. Avatar is the only person who can learn to control all four elements at once and become a celestial peacekeeper with blue eyes when he or she is about to deal with a bad guy.
Aang, a 12-year-old airbender (Gordon Cormier) is introduced in the first episode. He has just been told by his elders that he will be the next Avatar. A comet increases the power of the evil fire people who invade and kill the airbenders. Except Aang. He is trapped in an iceberg and stays there for 100 years before emerging.
Kiawentiio is Katara in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Gordon Cormier is Aang and Ian Ousley is Sokka.
We never asked to be different! Avatar: the Last Airbender.Photograph: Robert Falconer/Netflix
We are not supposed to be deterred by the fact that we don’t know how people figured out Aang was Avatar or how comets work or how Aang decided to trap himself in an icy pod. This is the familiar story of a child with a bright future. Aang, the boy from the tribe that has a large arrow on his face, so everyone knows who the main character is, would prefer to ignore his destiny and play around like any other kid. The dialogue “I never asked for special!” reinforces the idea that a garlanded child must sacrifice his youth in order to fulfill his sacred duties.
Aang’s first encounter with Prince Zuko, a prince from the war-loving Fire Nation, is not long in coming. We know he is a baddie due to his facial disfigurement. The burn mark on his eye indicates that he’s an exile who has been rejected by the king, and is a violent man with unresolved father issues. Aang’s eyes turn blue when Zuko says he will follow Aang across continents to capture the Avatar, and prove himself to his family back home. He also incinerates any civilians that get in his path.
Aang, his friends and the world are on the run from each other. Katara and Sokka’s homeland is reminiscent of Alaska while the island kingdom that the trio visits next has a style that is eerily similar to feudal Japan. Everywhere they go, life lessons are learned and hand-to-hand combat engaged in, with the strongly choreographed fight sequences adding an exciting rock/paper/scissors-esque twist to what would otherwise be regular martial arts battles, as benders of different elements face-off. Will fire evaporate the water? Can water turn the earth into mud? Will air extinguish a fire, or does it just make things worse?
The scenery is stunning, there’s a six-legged flying buffalo that takes everyone from one place to another in the sky and the young actors are up for the challenge. The three actors give Aang a mix of boyish cheek, gentle sarcasm, and inherent authority. They all maintain the impression that A child, two teenagers, and a flying bison can overcome genocidal authorities with their wholesome pluck and gentle sarcasm, and even summon a storm. The Airbender series has confidently revived; this will not be the last time we see it.
For more information about Latest News, News, Fashion News, Technology News, Entertainment News, Sports News, Business News, Bollywood News, and International News
