There is no denying that even those critical of animation cannot deny that the original “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is one of the greatest television series of all time. From its masterful storytelling, timeless characters, rich world-building and gorgeous animation, it is a series that will transcend generations. So many were worried when Netflix announced that they were going to give it a shot, bringing the world of “Avatar” to live-action. I mean, it worked so well the first time.

Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” adapts the first season of the original series but condenses the 20 episodes of the animated series down to eight hour-long episodes instead. Aang (Gordon Cormier) is a young boy found frozen in ice by Sokka (Ian Ousley) and Katara (Kiawentiio Tarbell), two members of the Water Tribe. Quickly they discover that not only is Aang the last of the Airbenders, but he is the Avatar, the master of all four elements. The duo must help Aang master the remaining elements while being hunted down by Prince Zuko (Dallas James Liu) of the Fire Nation.

It is important to understand with this review that it is coming from someone who did not grow up watching the original series. I only binged “Avatar” during my junior year of high school when the series came to Netflix. So, nostalgia does not cloud my judgment when I say that Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is not very good. Not as bad as the movie, but still a pretty underwhelming adaptation.

Before I delve into the elements that are detrimental to the show, I will admit that there are aspects that really worked for me. For starters, the money is clearly on full display here. The bending effects, costumes, sets and everything on a technical level is top-notch. The green screen can look wonky at times, but there was never a point where anything looked or sounded downright awful.

I will also say that some of the casting was on point as well. In particular, the adult performers all bring their own spin to these classic characters. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Uncle Iroh and Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai were definitely  the standouts for me, and one of the changes to the series I really enjoyed was getting to actually see them interact, even if only briefly. Dallas Liu also makes for a great live-action Zuko, although it takes him a bit of time to fall into his own, though he never quite gets out of the shadow of Dante Basco.

And that is easily where the live-action “Avatar” struggles the most; If it is not the animated series, why bother?

The reason we love the original “Avatar,” and part of the reason why it is so unique, is just how much you can accomplish because of animation. The animation allows you to be incredibly precise with every movement and action of a scene. The original was masterful in visual storytelling, but unfortunately, that talent does not translate to this latest series. The show has to explain every single little detail to you. Rarely do we have a quiet moment where a character can express their emotions without having to immediately say how they are feeling.

Speaking of the characters, they are another major factor in why this series does not work. I do not want to be too harsh to the young performers, as for some of them this is their first big role. They all seem like nice kids, and I wish them happy and successful careers. With that being said, the core trio are all awful. Cormier, Tarbell and Ousley’s “chemistry” is incredibly forced, and their “witty” banter feels ripped from one of the lower-grade MCU flicks. More often than not, they feel completely asleep at the wheel, though it probably does not help that they are almost always standing in front of green screens with little actual sets to interact with.

By far though, the worst casting choice of the entire series is Ken Leung as Commander Zhao. No intimidation factor, no cunning scheming like in the animated series. Half the time you almost forget he is even there.

This leads me to the biggest failure of Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” and that is the writing. I say this with no hint of irony, but they butchered the story. The pacing is downright awful at times. The original series’ first season, though it had some filler episodes here and there, felt like an adventure. One built up over the 20 episodes, so we really felt the journey our characters went on. However, the Netflix series’ smaller episode count means they have to cram a lot of story beats in there, but somehow, they missed just about every important one. They also added a lot of nonsense for no reason.

By far one of the dumbest inclusions is Azula (Elizabeth Yu). Now I honestly think the actress playing her is incredibly talented and a fitting choice for the role, but given the story of Season 1, she does literally nothing. In the original series, she was only hinted at once or twice before being revealed as a cliffhanger for Season Two.

Here though, she is revealed pretty unceremoniously in Episode 3 before we even know her connection with Zuko, and she spends the entire season sitting around trying to get her father’s approval.

However, not only do they ruin the whole mystery of Azula, but the show in general does a horrible job building any sense of tension or intrigue. To cite the original series for the last time (it won’t be), one of the best episodes of the series is “The Storm” from Season 1. Without giving too much away, the episode gives us the backstory of Aang and Zuko, brilliantly resolving the mystery of how Zuko was scarred and showing the connection between the two opposing characters. In the Netflix show, Aang’s origin takes up the first 35 minutes of the first episode, and Zuko’s backstory is told out of order in flashbacks sporadically throughout the season.

Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is clearly a show made without a lot of passion for the original, but there are simply too many cooks in the kitchen. It tries to desperately be a carbon copy of its animated counterpart, but also feels it is necessary to be a darker adaptation that removes much of the comedy that made the original so beloved. While on a technical level the show succeeds, it fails to ever capture a fraction of the energy that made the original so great to begin with.

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