It goes without saying that Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) proved very popular and successful, so much so that it spawned two follow-up series, The Legend of Korra (Korra) and the upcoming Seven Havens. In the interim, however, it has had two divisive live-action adaptations, M. Night Shyamalan’s infamous The Last Airbender film and the Avatar: The Last Airbender remake from Netflix. Creative differences regarding the latter would inspire the formation of Avatar Studios, with series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko at the helm, to expand the world of ATLA, starting with what would become the film Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender (Avatar Aang). This project would later receive more notoriety not just for a pivot from the original theatrical distribution to streaming directly on Paramount+, but also for someone leaking the entire finished film online months in advance.
Of course, release plans moved forward, with a premiere at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 (I attended the event, but didn’t go to the screening) and a limited run in only two theaters solely to qualify for the Oscars shortlist, despite protest from fans and members of the crew. Although I would have seen the film anyway as an ATLA fan, the increased awareness from the troubles surrounding the film’s production and release further piqued my curiosity. Although I found the film enjoyable, it did unfortunately fall short where it counted the most.
Thirteen years after the events of ATLA, Avatar Aang (Eric Nam), with the aid of his friends Sokka (Román Zaragoza), Katara (Jessica Matten), Toph Beifong (Dionne Quan) and Fire Lord Zuko (Steven Yeun), have established Republic City as they attempt to bring balance to the world. Not everyone is on board with Aang’s efforts, however, as he is ambushed at an abandoned Air Temple by the Denied, an extremist group of non-benders, who are after a relic tied to the mysterious Avatar Sonam (Freida Pinto). Seeking answers, Aang concludes, after speaking with one of his past lives, that the Denied are after a staff with power to channel the energy of the Spirit Realm and travels to Mount Baihu. There, he discovers a frozen airbender, Tagah (Dave Bautista), who guides Aang toward an island that will provide the answers that he seeks.
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An older Team Avatar reunites for one more journey. L-R: Katara (Jessica Matten), |
There’s no doubt about the level of talent and artistry that went into Avatar Aang. Every single second of animation is full of life and of such high quality compared to either of the shows that came before it. Shoving it on a streaming platform and letting it slowly rot behind a digital paywall does such a disservice to both Studio Mir and Flying Bark, whose talents would be better showcased on the big screen (hopefully, those who saw the finished film at SDCC or those two theaters in Los Angeles and New York appreciated the opportunity). While the numerous fight scenes do draw more from their anime inspiration than the more grounded feel of the original ATLA, they are nonetheless well-executed and retain the attention to detail that makes each bending style unique. If I could sum up the animation in one word, I can think of nothing more appropriate than simply “beautiful”.
Although it would be neat if avatar Aang had secured the original ATLA voice cast, the new voice actors still did an admirable job. They understood their roles and you can hear the right age in each character’s voice. I’m assuming that they also had good direction as well, but either way, there wasn’t any real issue with any of their performances.
Then there’s the story. The idea of Aang encountering another airbender in a world where he’s the last one is intriguing, as is the motivation to find a staff that could potentially help him regain his lost people. Aang’s struggle with his duty as the Avatar against his desire to rebuild his nation is a good way of exploring his character and highlights the contrast between him and Tagah in terms of their motivations. Weaving in the concept of an Avatar that almost no one, not even most of Aang’s past lives, would know anything about also helps flesh out his shared history in his role, as well as the history of the air nomads and their interactions with the other three nations. The presence of the Denied also adds a nice bit of depth about how even in a more peaceful world, there are those who would feel slighted by society, despite Aang’s team also including a nonbender. Fans will also appreciate that some of the series’ signature humor remains intact, including the return of a particular cabbage merchant.
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| Aang (left) gets good development in his interactions with Tagah (Dave Bautista, right). |
Having said that, where Avatar Aang falls short is its ability to manage its ambition within its short 99-minute runtime. Although it’s nice seeing Team Avatar reunite and get a glimpse into what they’ve been up to during their quest to restore balance, as well as interact like no time had passed between them, most of them (outside of maybe Katara) are underdeveloped and underutilized within the story. It is Aang’s story, yes, but their impact isn’t felt as much as some may hope. We also don’t learn much about the Denied outside of their motivation, as they are hardly seen in the first place, with Tagah and Sonam taking up more screentime. Perhaps a few extra minutes to let scenes breathe or flesh things out, maybe even as much as fifteen or twenty, could have mitigated some of these issues. That or reducing the narrative scope.
If I could describe how Avatar Aang fits into the grand scheme of things, I would compare it with one of those non-canon anime films where the plot is mostly isolated in a new location like an island (like the My Hero Academia films, for instance). It’s not a setup that I dislike, mind you, with introducing a new villain or power that can easily disappear by the end and not significantly impact or contradict the main plot, but it’s odd when applied to what’s intended as a canon story. Then again, the ending makes it clear that this film acts as a bridge of sorts between the settings of ATLA and Korra, so the studio already couldn’t contradict what they had established in the latter series. This does, however, make Avatar Aang feel inconsequential as a result, which feels rather unfortunate for such a grand return to the original setting that fans have loved all these years.
Despite its shortcomings, however, I find it hard not to recommend Avatar Aang on some level. It’s worth watching for the animation quality alone, but fans who’ve wanted to spend more time with the original cast will surely find something to like regardless.
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