Twenty years after the original Avatar: The Last Airbender concluded its run, a new animated film, Avatar Aang, has finally delivered a worthy successor. Director Lauren Montgomery, who previously worked on the original series and The Legend of Korra, as well as DC animated adaptations like Young Justice, draws parallels between Aang and Superman, incorporating classic DC storytelling elements into Aang's new challenge.
The film opens with a flashback to Aang's youth with his fellow Airbenders and mentor Monk Gyatso, swiftly transitioning to the adult Aang grappling with the trauma of genocide and the loss of his people. The story refreshes key moments from the original series, reintroducing the main characters and the state of their world. While Aang's friends have focused on improving the world in the years since defeating Fire Lord Ozai, Aang remains somewhat in the past, collecting lost Air Nomad artifacts in the Southern Air Temple.
His solitary pursuits are interrupted when the Denied, a militant group of nonbenders, steals a recent find. Aang reunites with his friends—Sokka, dreaming up new technologies, and Fire Lord Zuko, navigating bureaucratic challenges—to investigate. Though the plot involves a quest for a stolen item, the narrative remains character-driven, emphasizing Aang's personal grief and hope over the immediate threat posed by the Denied.
A New Challenge
The film introduces Tagah, an ancient airbender who was frozen in ice, portrayed by Dave Bautista. Tagah serves as Aang's dark mirror, much like General Zod to Superman. He offers Aang lost knowledge and power, urging him to prioritize strength over peace and forgiveness to protect his people from future victimization. This conflict builds upon the original series' nuanced portrayal of war's effects without resorting to gratuitous violence.
The animation, handled by Flying Bark Productions and Studio Mir, leans into the original show's anime sensibilities with dynamic fight sequences that range from precise arrow shots to large-scale environmental destruction. Jeremy Zuckerman's score complements the action, building tension and providing moments of triumph.
Despite its strengths, Avatar Aang falters slightly with excessive fan service, including memes and fanfic references. A detour into the spirit realm feels underdeveloped within the film's tight 90-minute runtime, creating an imbalance between the original's charm and the weightier themes of a more adult story.
Ultimately, Avatar Aang is a must-watch for fans of the original series, offering a compelling bridge between Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. It also holds promise as the potential start of a new adult-focused series. As the first project from Avatar Studios, founded by original creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the film's success suggests a bright future for the franchise.
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender premiered in select theaters on July 24 and is available to stream on Paramount Plus on July 25.