The long-awaited premiere of Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender is less than a week away, and the first reactions to the series have been trickling out. After original creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino exited the project in 2020 due to creative differences, fans were a little apprehensive, but it sounds like the streaming service has largely gotten it right, or, at the very least, it’s better than M. Night Shyamalan’s movie.
Our own Steve Seigh was a big fan, saying, “I had the pleasure of previewing the first seven episodes of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender for JoBlo.com and I’m thrilled to say that it’s fantastic! It’s full of outstanding performances, one-to-one shots from the original, and new elements to get excited about! I say this as a die-hard fan of the original animated series. I wholeheartedly love this version of the show. If you’re nervous about it, don’t be! Get excited, show up, and enjoy the ride!” Use those… screen-bending powers and scroll on down for some more Avatar: The Last Airbender first reactions.
“Water. Earth. Fire. Air. The four nations once lived in harmony, with the Avatar, master of all four elements, keeping peace between them. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked and wiped out the Air Nomads, the first step taken by the firebenders towards conquering the world,” reads the official description. “With the current incarnation of the Avatar yet to emerge, the world has lost hope. But like a light in the darkness, hope springs forth when Aang, a young Air Nomad — and the last of his kind — reawakens to take his rightful place as the next Avatar. Alongside his newfound friends Sokka and Katara, siblings and members of the Southern Water Tribe, Aang embarks on a fantastical, action-packed quest to save the world and fight back against the fearsome onslaught of Fire Lord Ozai. But with a driven Crown Prince Zuko determined to capture them, it won’t be an easy task. They’ll need the help of the many allies and colorful characters they meet along the way.“
Avatar: The Last Airbender stars Gordon Cormier as Aang, Kiawentiio as Katara, Ian Ousley as Sokka, Dallas Liu as Prince Zuko, Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as General Iroh, Ken Leung as Commander Zhao, and Elizabeth Yu as Princess Azula. The live-action series will debut on Netflix on February 22nd.