Directed by Lauren Montgomery, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is finally granting fans’ biggest wish—for the Gaang to return. Set 13 years after the ending of the original series, the film follows Aang (Eric Nam) on a quest for an ancient staff belonging to the lost avatar, Sonam (Freida Pinto).
Along the way, he is joined by the rest of Team Avatar: Katara (Jessica Matten), Zuko (Steven Yeun), Sokka (Roman Zaragoza), and Toph (Dionne Quan). As the group assembles for another quest, they also encounter a frozen Airbender, Tagah (Dave Bautista), meaning that Aang may not truly be the last Airbender after all.
In order to discuss Avatar Aang properly, it’s important to establish one thing: Avatar: The Last Airbender has been a top three show for me since before my age hit double digits. I remember watching episodes as they aired and calling my best friend on the landline while we watched. My dogs’ command for “up” is “yip yip.”
When the live-action movie came out, my older sister saved up for a month to take me on my birthday. Naturally, that wasn’t the good time we hoped for, but it goes to show the level of connection I, like many Avatar fans, have enjoyed with the series for most of my life. Many times, I have felt Zuko’s identity struggle alongside my own and taken the advice of Uncle Iroh to heart.
As a result, it’s safe to say I am exactly the audience for whom Avatar Aang was made. However, the question remains: did it deliver? The answer isn’t a clear yes or no.
Aspects of the movie are pitch-perfect. The animation is a beautiful progression from the original series, making bending feel truly magical again. There are some sequences where the Gaang acts in tandem with all four elements and Sokka’s mechanical/swordsman expertise, and it feels like exactly what I needed to see from an adult Avatar movie.
Likewise, the characterization for many of our heroes feels natural. Aang is equal parts dutiful and silly, a balance that made him endearing 21 years ago and still does now. Sokka is capable and smart, while still cracking jokes at every turn. Toph, likewise, is her arrogant yet lovable self. Katara is both a powerhouse fighter and an emotional refuge for those she loves.
The character who fares worse, unfortunately, is Zuko. He is a more mature, self-assured person now that he is a decade into being the Fire Lord, a progression that is cathartic to see after how emotionally tumultuous his arc was in Avatar: The Last Airbender, but he is not given much to do. That said, there is an elephant in the voice acting booth.
For Avatar Aang, the original voice acting cast of Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman, Michaela Jill Murphy, Jack De Sena, and Dante Basco were all replaced. This decision was met with disappointment among some fans, though I was willing to give the new actors a chance. Recasting the characters isn’t inherently a bad thing; over the course of the movie, I found myself getting easily adjusted to the new actors.
In particular, Zaragoza channels the humor that De Sena infused into Sokka through his acting while not feeling like an impression. Additionally, Bautista is a welcome addition to the Avatar world, with his performance as Tagah being a standout for me.
That said, the hardest sell for me is Yeun as Zuko. To be clear, Yeun gave a good performance. However, Basco’s voice is synonymous with Zuko. Its uniqueness, coupled with his ability to convey a diverse range of emotions, are a huge part of what makes the antihero so memorable. Without his voice, Zuko loses a major element of his characterization.
Speaking of characterization, the supporting members of Team Avatar are more or less one dimensional versions of their previous selves. There is limited time, so it’s not like we can dive into, say, Sokka’s modern day relationship with his dad and Toph’s metal bending academy and Zuko’s life as Fire Lord and where all of the love interests are.
Concessions had to be made for time, and the film has essentially no subplots. This is a misstep; giving a B-plot to the supporting characters would have better recreated the ensemble-led energy of the original show’s last season. So what did the movie focus on?
Without getting into spoilers, the crux of the film is Aang’s struggle with being the last Airbender and watching the nations unify, but without his. This is challenged through his meeting Tagah and having hope for restoring Airbending to the world. These themes are not new to the Avatar universe, as the sequel series The Legend of Korra heavily features similar plot elements.
While Aang’s grief and deeply rooted hope to restore the Air Nomads are not novel, they are able to serve as a decent jumping off point for the film. Unfortunately, Avatar Aang does follow the MacGuffin trope with Avatar Sonam’s staff, but this flaw isn’t necessarily fatal.
Overall, Avatar Aang is a good time. It’s not perfect, and it’s not quite what I would want in an Avatar sequel. That said, as a lifelong fan, I am glad this movie exists. The animation is beautiful, the score is moving, and the plot is serviceable.
At the end of the day, the Gaang is back, and that is enough for me. Mileage may vary among fans, but Avatar Aang is a worthy enough addition to the franchise. If Avatar Studios makes a sequel, then you best bet I will be first in line to watch more, hopefully in theaters this time.