Netflix Series: Avatar: The Last Airbender (discussion thread)(drops 2/22) (Season 2 & 3 confirmed)

[ViCiouS]

finished ep 8


I completely understand why the creators walked away from this

Netflix got the same things right and made the same errors it made with Bebop

they kinda get the beats but are held back by poor character development, world building and story

(they try to get in every main / impact character up front instead of letting story and characters develop - if Netflix were to redo the Wire we would meet Bunny, Carcetti, Naimond, Vondas, and Marlo in the first 5 eps of season 1, or Breaking Bad would intro Gus Fring S1e1)

why is there no subtly and mystery built around characters like Iroh Ozai and Azula?

I like the actors but they are not being given much to work with

to any that intend to rewatch the animation - you will notice its not only excellent acting -its supported by excellent screenplay and story


pet peeve - fight choreography - the animation went to great lengths to incorporate traditional asian styles into the bending - so far this show chose not to be bothered with that detail nor the cinematography

 

[Mello Mello]

I kept skipping over it thinking it was the M.Night Shalayman movie again, didn't even pay any attention to it was a series.

I come into the living room and my girl had it on and I watched it, it's actually better this way.

Im enjoying it.

 

[durham]

I watched a few episodes and I don't really like this take on an all time show. The actors are below average (it may be the script), the scenery looks like a Disneyland ride and the story line jumps too far, too fast. There is no back story development.

The casting department really did a bad job matching certain characters to the actors, especially Aang and Sokka , oh well.

 

[fonzerrillii]

On episode 5… this shit is really good.

I really like the kid playing Ang… he is doing the version of Ang that I really loved in book 3 and that’s the Ang that really felt the weight of what he had to do. Ang in the first season of the OG series was too much of a kid and wanted to play around in the early episodes and the Ang in this series really feels like a Kid trust in a world that really needed him 100 years ago and now he wants to fix it.

Also the dude playing Zuko is killing it. Killing it.

 

[keone]

First ep was good. The action was dope. They did their Thang. They look too much like the cartoon.

This pisses me off cause shamamamlaalal fkd it up

 

[BlackRob]

On episode 5… this shit is really good.

I'm also on episode 5

The best so far Omashu/Into the Dark (episode 3/4)

Great episodes.
I like how they handle the topic of war.

Only question? How does that flying pig live for 100 years?
well, it's scifi, it's alright

BOOMIE!!
How are you still alive?
And still a child?

Also, two Lost series actors in here
Especially my fav from Ken Leung from XMen/Lost/SAW

 

[fonzerrillii]

Wrapped it up… bring on Season 2

This was fucking good. Was it a masterpiece.

No

Was it exactly like the cartoon..

No

Was the acting perfect..

Nope

Dialogue

Nope..

But damn it…

I was not bored at all

People took L’s in this… like a shocking amount of L’s….. I don’t know if this is for kids under 5

But

The is Easily the best live action adaptation of Avatar since the cartoon and I love how they didn’t have filler episodes..

I don’t know what the critics were talkin about

A lot of my complaints can be fixed in season 2.

 

[0utsyder]

Wrapped it up… bring on Season 2

This was fucking good. Was it a masterpiece.

No

Was it exactly like the cartoon..

No

Was the acting perfect..

Nope

Dialogue

Nope..

But damn it…

I was not bored at all

People took L’s in this… like a shocking amount of L’s….. I don’t know if this is for kids under 5

But

The is Easily the best live action adaptation of Avatar since the cartoon and I love how they didn’t have filler episodes..

I don’t know what the critics were talkin about

A lot of my complaints can be fixed in season 2.

This was like they gave M. Night Shamalayn a second crack at a live action Avatar! The direction was hokey. The characters always seem to be looking off into the distances giving their lines. I get the dialog and direction in the animated series had such a high bar and would be hard to translate to live action, but are people really asking for a live action Avatar or are they asking for another Avatar series?

Iroh SEEMED like an idiot in the show, but you always had a feeling that he knew more than he was letting on, and that was what made him loveable and dangerous at the same time. This Iroh, you never got the feeling of wisdom. They made sure to get the WHITEST Katara, Sokka and Aang. All their dialog just seems really forced this is like a better Cowboy Bebop. Zuko's scar seems more like he got bytch slapped instead of a burn that calloused.

The cartoon set such a high bar that these live action shows look like garbage in comparison, so it isn't fair to them, but if you know you have that impossible mountain to climb, the money you used to make another live action version you could have been made to make another animated series.

It wasn't like Avatar's filler episodes were like One Piece or Naurto. The filler gave the ability to tell more story of the characters. instead of just showing up at their destination like no time had passed.

 

[fonzerrillii]

So I started Rewatching the animated show and I don’t get the complaints with this Live action version…

It’s not a beat for best adaptation but its light years better then the movie.

the biggest difference to me is the tone…. While Ang in the animated first season was mostly about still trying to have fun on his way to the northern tribe… This Ang carried the weight of what who is was and the effect that he has on the world by running away.

Iroh is basically the same that he was in the show…

The burn on Zukko is the same

I get some of the other issues…

The show isn’t perfect but you are comparing a show that was completely designed for kids to a live action version that designed for older children.

The thing that I do like about this live action show is the sense of momentum with heading to the northern temple. I don’t like how they took away some of the Fierceness that Katarra had. She is more powerful here but she doesn’t assert herself like the OG show. I think that change was on purpose because a lot of that assertiveness went to this version of Aang.

 

[Bullet]

It was good not great. The one part they nail was Zuko and Uncle Iroh, I felt that. They kinda made the Fire Lord look more like a Father driving and grooming Zuko like he did care more that in the original series and Izula was the one he dismissed. Side note on her character, she was awful and wrong casting. The face stealer plot was a fumble from the OS. I did like the change with Bumi.

 

[fonzerrillii]

Avatar: The Last Airbender Review - Restoring Balance

Fan-pleasing spectacle won't replace the animated original, but it has its own charms.

www.gamespot.com

 

[fonzerrillii]

It was good not great. The one part they nail was Zuko and Uncle Iroh, I felt that. They kinda made the Fire Lord look more like a Father driving and grooming Zuko like he did care more that in the original series and Izula was the one he dismissed. Side note on her character, she was awful and wrong casting. The face stealer plot was a fumble from the OS. I did like the change with Bumi.

I can agree with all of this…. Especially the change to Bumi. I loved that he was like … You fucking left me alone to deal with all of this awful shit. That actually seemed more realistic then how he initially was shown in the cartoon.

Definitely agree with miscast on Izula.. she is ok but she doesn’t seem like a threat.

The thing that you pointed out that I missed was the Fire lords interactions with Zuko. You are right he definitely seems like more of a father in here. I loved how you could see the tears in his eyes right before he burned Zuko’s face. This is going to pay off when we have the inevitable betrayal by Zuko against Iroh when he sides with his father. It will make more sense.

I also like how they combined Jet’s story and the mechanist’s story with this version of Bumi and had things happen in Omashu….

It makes more sense here..

 

[fonzerrillii]

Something else that I noticed while rewatching Season 1 of the OG series is that the new series tried to incorporate some of the fight choreography from some of the scenes in OG series big fights.

 

[Darkness's]

Why make this when there's already a cartoon? Either way I'd like to see what they do with a live actin Dragonball.

 

[fonzerrillii]

Why make this when there's already a cartoon? Either way I'd like to see what they do with a live actin Dragonball.

You got it fam

 

[0utsyder]

Giving reactions as I watch.

Did anyone else think the fight with the Fire Nation and the Air Nomads seemed off? Based on Aang's style of fighting earlier in Season 1 and pacifist philosophy most of their fighting should have been defensive and redirecting. That back and forth of that battle made it seem like the Air Nomads COULD win.

Aang, Katara and Sokka don't seem like children, they all seem like child actors.

 

[0utsyder]

Why make this when there's already a cartoon? Either way I'd like to see what they do with a live actin Dragonball.

...you must be new here!!!

 

[ViCiouS]

Something else that I noticed while rewatching Season 1 of the OG series is that the new series tried to incorporate some of the fight choreography from some of the scenes in OG series big fights.

 

[ViCiouS]

I really wish Netflix spent the money instead on animating either Zuko's quest to find his mother or Aang and Zuko resolving issues that came because of a liberated Earth Kingdom

 

[fonzerrillii]

I really wish Netflix spent the money instead on animating either Zuko's quest to find his mother or Aang and Zuko resolving issues that came because of a liberated Earth Kingdom

Paramount is coming out with Avatar movies…

A new one based on the OG group set 20 years later drops in 2025.




Netflix only has the live action rights for the series…

There’s plenty more Avatar coming.

 

[godofwine]

I’m glad that the fam are thinking the same thing

I don’t get the critics at all cause this shit is good

It’s just like I was watching season 1 of the cartoon. I’m on episode 5 and I’m loving this shit.

I think I'm on episode 3 and I'm loving it so far

 

[fonzerrillii]

I think I'm on episode 3 and I'm loving it so far

If you look at it as an adaptation …. I really enjoyed it.

I had some questions when I saw the first trailer but I got into it really on episode 2

 

[The Plutonian]

I like it. Much better than I expected!

 

[godofwine]

finished ep 8


I completely understand why the creators walked away from this

Netflix got the same things right and made the same errors it made with Bebop

they kinda get the beats but are held back by poor character development, world building and story

(they try to get in every main / impact character up front instead of letting story and characters develop - if Netflix were to redo the Wire we would meet Bunny, Carcetti, Naimond, Vondas, and Marlo in the first 5 eps of season 1, or Breaking Bad would intro Gus Fring S1e1)

why is there no subtly and mystery built around characters like Iroh Ozai and Azula?

I like the actors but they are not being given much to work with

to any that intend to rewatch the animation - you will notice its not only excellent acting -its supported by excellent screenplay and story


pet peeve - fight choreography - the animation went to great lengths to incorporate traditional asian styles into the bending - so far this show chose not to be bothered with that detail nor the cinematography

A lot of shows suffer because of this. I don't know what to call it, but there are characters that are only great when they are in small doses

People who love Abbott Elementary don't believe that Ava the principal should have her own show even though she's amazing in her role as the principal.

Sometimes it works, characters who became fan favorites given more of a role, like Adriana in The Sopranos. She was only supposed to be in a couple episodes. Sometimes, like Steve Urkel on Family Matters, it just becomes Overkill having a supposed minor character now the focus, even though the show wouldn't have lasted half as long as it did if Steve Urkel wasn't Steve Urkel

But to your point, it doesn't make sense to add popular characters earlier than they needed to be brought in just for the sake of having the popular character

 

[ViCiouS]

A lot of shows suffer because of this. I don't know what to call it, but there are characters that are only great when they are in small doses

imo this is a really a reflection on the skill of the writers - eg Better Call Saul is an entire series built on formerly great background/ supporting characters from Breaking Bad and in the end Saul's writing and development becomes arguably better than Bad's

Justice League Unlimited and Batman TAS built entire episodes around characters that were practically extras

series like Star Trek TNG / DS9 - Battlestar Galactica - Lost - Band of Brothers etc etc spotlighted background characters in to becoming main characters and some even got multi episode arcs as protagonists / main characters


Now in the case of Netflix' Avatar for whatever reasons they thought Azula needed more obvious motivation NOW and Ozai needed more complexity NOW vs allowing the story to develop and reveal the depths of the characters - letting the audience earn new or deeper perception

eg. the build up and payoff in S3 of learning the connections of how Ozai and Iroh's father's cruelty climaxed after the death of Iroh's son and how far Ozais' wife was forced to go to protect her family while simultaneously abandoning and damaging Zuko Azula and Ozai...

But to your point, it doesn't make sense to add popular characters earlier than they needed to be brought in just for the sake of having the popular character

its the short cuts - Avatar like all great anime became great because there were no gimmicks no shark jumping no false urgency -> convenient solution

 

[0utsyder]

Episode 2: I feel like they hit the Northern Water temple before getting to the Kyoshi island. I will need to watch again to confirm. Zuko and the commander fought they didn't join forces. I am interested how this plays out, this hurts how deadly Zuko is supposed to be. The actor that plays Iroh is getting better, but I just don't see that he's purposely letting you think he's a dummy. Again MAKO gives a LEGENDARY performance and it is next to impossible to top, I am just not seeing the attempt from Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. Daniel Kim as the Fire Lord Ozai? Chef's Kiss!!! I will say one thing I did like was the ethnicity of the Fire Benders in the Avatar Movie. But Daniel Kim can play a good bad guy! Episode 3 starting now...IS THAT AZULA?!?!?!

 

[fonzerrillii]

Now in the case of Netflix' Avatar for whatever reasons they thought Azula needed more obvious motivation NOW and Ozai needed more complexity NOW vs allowing the story to develop and reveal the depths of the characters - letting the audience earn new or deeper perception

eg. the build up and payoff in S3 of learning the connections of how Ozai and Iroh's father's cruelty climaxed after the death of Iroh's son and how far Ozais' wife was forced to go to protect her family while simultaneously abandoning and damaging Zuko Azula and Ozai...

So I'm about to finish my rewatch (21st time) of Avatar and you know what I think I now like the change to Azula in the Live Action version when compared to the OG series.

In the OG series... Azula was basically a force of nature. Cruel to everyone... She was a prodigy and it was pretty clear that Ozai favored her over Zuko. But like you said the payoff in Season 3 when you find out about Ozai's father's cruel punishment was the chef's kiss.

But in the live action... they kind of flipped shit where Azula was basically the child in the background and her climb happened after Zuko fucked up when he had a place at the table. If later seasons show that Ozai favored Zuko more and show that their mother saw her as a Monster then her insanity when we get to Season 3 should hit more.

I think my true issue with bringing her in so soon is really with Mai and Ty lee. They are fucking wasted this season. There is a missed opportunity by taking out how Azula forced both of them to come along with her to track down her brother. Especially when it comes to Mai, because Mai was happy just being a circus performer.

Also... I don't know if the chick playing Mai in the live action is going to be able to pull off her rapid fire Bender blocking moves.

 

[ViCiouS]

Also... I don't know if the chick playing Mai in the live action is going to be able to pull off her rapid fire Bender blocking moves.

yeah - they didn't cast these actors on athleticism/ kinetic ability

I would have definitely cast certain actors seeking some or a little bit of dance or martial arts background

 

[0utsyder]

Episode 3: Was that supposed to be the MY GABAGES dude cart?

So I'm about to finish my rewatch (21st time) of Avatar and you know what I think I now like the change to Azula in the Live Action version when compared to the OG series.

In the OG series... Azula was basically a force of nature. Cruel to everyone... She was a prodigy and it was pretty clear that Ozai favored her over Zuko. But like you said the payoff in Season 3 when you find out about Ozai's father's cruel punishment was the chef's kiss.

But in the live action... they kind of flipped shit where Azula was basically the child in the background and her climb happened after Zuko fucked up when he had a place at the table. If later seasons show that Ozai favored Zuko more and show that their mother saw her as a Monster then her insanity when we get to Season 3 should hit more.

I think my true issue with bringing her in so soon is really with Mai and Ty lee. They are fucking wasted this season. There is a missed opportunity by taking out how Azula forced both of them to come along with her to track down her brother. Especially when it comes to Mai, because Mai was happy just being a circus performer.

Also... I don't know if the chick playing Mai in the live action is going to be able to pull off her rapid fire Bender blocking moves.

Did we really need a chubby Ty Lee?!?!?!

 

[0utsyder]

yeah - they didn't cast these actors on athleticism/ kinetic ability

I would have definitely cast certain actors seeking some or a little bit of dance or martial arts background

There is too much of a seriousness to the actors in this. They acted like kids in the animated series! These kids are more mature than me!!!

 

[0utsyder]

Episode 3: The Mechanist Danny Pudi I think is an actual fan so I am sure he is paying THEM to be in this. He gives a good performance, but they kind of rush his involvement with the devices he creates and his work with the fire nation. This was an episode for story drivers and lesser known characters in the series as I like the actor who plays Jet as well.

 

[0utsyder]

Episode 4: Guy who plays Bumi, knocks it out the park! Doesn't overdo it, doesn't overly make it his own a nice. Saw shades of the Iroh I was wanting, but still lacking that killers instinct that he no longer feels the need to tap into due to the death of his son. That he is trying to show a better way to Zuko, but doesn't want to over step his position as an uncle and as like 4th in line to the throne.

 

[Snatch Goblin]

I didn't like it after the first episode but I stuck with it. I really enjoyed it by the end. The "Masks" was brilliantly done and then I was hooked.

 

[fonzerrillii]

 

[fonzerrillii]

I tell you this... the Sozin's comet finale is going to have a shit ton to live up to.... because the OG Avatar finale is still one of the greatest series finales of all-time.