Trailer for the series "Avatar: The Last Airbender"/Netflix
In a perfect imaginary world, any attempt to replicate the creation of a culture would begin at the idea stage with the question "why".
What does another version of something that has already succeeded (or failed) contribute to us and why would it take the place of something new and original?
A very good answer could be that of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", where the innovation changes the tone and balance between the heroes - and allows us to experience a similar but completely different story in the spirit of something we already liked (or at least we were aware of its existence).
But this answer is very rare in most cases, simply because it requires effort, courage and creativity - things that Hollywood gave up a long time ago.
The bot winks because the fan base already exists and the brand is known, there is no need to sell or intrigue with a new story, and the finger on the budget approval is much easier on the trigger.
The case of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" goes even further in this regard, because the greedy turn on its back was already done with the infamous M. Nate Shyamalan film in 2010.
A classic case of lemon-squeezing with zero desire to understand or connect with the original 2005 animated series.
That fiasco should have been enough to convince that this creation should be left alone, but Netflix wanted it anyway.
To her credit, this time she asked to do it with the creators of the original series, Michael Dimartino and Brian Konietzko, and hence the hope that we will see a different version here, one that expands and deepens the story.
But after two years on the job, DiMartino and Koniecko used the three trendiest magic words in Hollywood, "creative disagreements," and announced their departure.
In a letter published by Konietzko after leaving, it was claimed that the atmosphere working with the people of the streaming giant was "negative and unsupportive", and that as time passed the two felt that their ideas and vision were not accepted.
Only those who were part of the production will be able to tell if this version is true to reality or not, but we can all be impressed by the final result.
And while it is far from being the catastrophe that many fans of the animated series feared, it is hard not to come away with the feeling that the one who won the creative battle was the one who wanted to copy and paste.
He is excellent, she less so.
Ian Owsley as Sokka and Kevantio as Katara, "Avatar: The Last Airbender"/Robert Falconer/Netflix
As the animated series progresses, it reveals surprising depths and a smart and thought-provoking study of human nature and the cost of wars.
It reaches its peak with the brave plot arc of its heroes and villains, who go through not only a coming of age journey but change worldviews
For those who are not familiar with "Avatar", it takes place in a world where there is harmony between the elements of nature: earth, water, fire and air.
Some humans are able to control one element and use it to enchant the world around them, while in each generation one person is born who can control all four elements: the Avatar.
His role is to maintain the balance and fight for the preservation of peace and order in the world.
At his death his soul is reincarnated into another person who receives the responsibility in an eternal circle.
Aang, a 12-year-old airbender, becomes the new Avatar as the story begins, but he is caught in a storm and remains frozen in ice for a hundred years.
When two young Water Tribe brothers, Katara and Sokka, discover and rescue him - he discovers a world out of balance, when the leader of the militaristic Fire Nation decided to go conquer the other kingdoms.
The greatness of the original "Avatar" and the reason it is ranked seventh on the list of the best series of all time on IMDB, is its ability to combine genres and themes.
On the face of it, this is an adventure series for children, and to be honest, the first part of its first season does feel very childish.
But as it progresses, it reveals surprising depths and a smart and thought-provoking study of human nature and the cost of wars.
It reaches its peak with the brave plot arc of its heroes and villains, who not only go through a journey of growing up but change their worldviews - and at least in some cases end up at a point completely different from the one you expected at the beginning.
And so, depending on the age at which you were exposed to it, the experience of watching it changes every time.
Not something you'd expect to hear about a children's series.
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Abbreviation of processes.
"Avatar: The Last Airbender"/Netflix
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Which naturally leads to the first major claim against the live-action adaptation.
As expected in reconstruction works of this type (things we have seen recently, for example, in "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" and "The Cycle of the Skill of Time"), there is an enormous urgency to show a maximum of scenes and key moments from the original work.
And while this task is achieved quite successfully at the end of only eight episodes, its main price is the natural development of the relationships and the characters.
Although the total screen time here is almost exactly the same as the 24 short episodes of the first season in the animated version, the compression of many plots together into one episode shortens proceedings to the point of diminishing their value.
So, for example, the distance between the acquaintance of Aang, Katara and Sokka and their becoming soul mates, is almost non-existent.
Originally these bonds were created and strengthened gradually, revealing each time another layer and another of brotherhood and love, which made the danger of loss much more significant than here.
Another example is how Aang himself grew into becoming familiar with his own abilities and the need to learn others.
These are not only abilities, but entire philosophies that produce a whole that he needs to become in order to be the savior that everyone sees him as.
And while the process is not perfect here (the series hopes to continue for more seasons), Aang reaches tremendous power in a short process, which robs him of the gradual growth that the original series allowed him.
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Her version doesn't make sense.
Elizabeth Yu as Azula, "Avatar: The Last Airbender"/Netflix
Although the total screen time here is almost exactly the same as the 24 short episodes of the first season in the animated version, the compression of many plots together into one episode shortens proceedings to the point of diminishing their value
deserves the greatest compliments.
Dallas Lowe, "Avatar: The Last Airbender"/Robert Falconer/Netflix
Another problematic choice is the tone of the new version.
While the animated series knew how to balance lightness and infantility with dramatic moments, the live-action version quickly falls into the sin of too many modern adaptations: dark and gloomy, at times even creepy and murderous (for example in the cries of people who are burning to death).
It's a choice that doesn't really make it easy for who its main target audiences are.
On the one hand, it contains too much opal to serve as a children's series that should recruit new fans, and on the other hand, it lacks the wink and self-awareness that fans of the original series sought to re-experience.
This tone also affects the way the series shouts out what is supposed to be encapsulated within the story.
Characters tend to speak their hearts out in pathos, instead of allowing the plot and the situation to allow us to feel what they are going through without being spoon-fed.
If the choice to go in a dark direction would have come with a new plot or at least a different point of view - it would have been justified at least by old fans.
Perhaps here we can find the foundations for an explosion between the creators of the animated series and Netflix.
While quite a few of the characters get a proper version in the new "Avatar", there are also a few squeaks.
Kewantio, who plays Katara, fails to instill in her the spirit of the ever-optimistic leader of the original Waterbender.
In some cases it's a writing problem, but the game also fails to anchor Katara as the leader of the trio of heroes.
Even among the villains, this is evident in Azula (Elizabeth Yu).
The daughter of the Lord of Fire in the animated series is an excellent character precisely because her evil always comes with an omniscient smile, as if she has already seen all the moves of her victims in advance and is simply playing with them.
The angry, over-serious live-action version draws a resemblance between her and Zuko, a move that doesn't quite make sense considering how different they are supposed to be from each other.
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The approach of the characters is too fast.
"Avatar: The Last Airbender"/Robert Falconer/Netflix
Still, alongside the many complaints, the new "Avatar" manages to close eight episodes of a rather fun binge.
The quality of the computerized effects is not uniform and in some cases it is easy to recognize that part of the background is not real, but in most of the big key moments, the series manages to provide high-quality and fun action - including in huge scenes like the battle on Umasho.
A good word also goes to the effects people for being able to reproduce the unique way in which each of the elements works, and the way in which the magicians are able to influence it.
Although Aang (Gordon Cormier) is a little more serious than his predecessor, he manages to fit nicely into the shoes of the brave monk who is torn between the desire to behave like a child, and the enormous role he is supposed to play in the world.
Sokka (Ian Owsley), perhaps the most entertaining character in the original series, could certainly have enjoyed a little more lightness - but here too, quite a few compliments come for Owsley's ability to capture the flirtatious-clumsy-brave spirit of the young warrior from the Water Tribe.
The biggest compliments go to Dallas Lowe, who plays the most complex character in the series, Prince Zuko, and succeeds in a very non-obvious way to allow him to be obsessive and touching, without being annoying and childish.
The bottom line is a kind of strange ambivalence, which is all the result of a decision that should not have been made in the first place: the decision to create duplicates of a great work.
On the face of it, there is no reason for you to choose the live action version of "Avatar" if you haven't watched the animated version.
It is good, smart, deep and much more entertaining (and this is a good opportunity to ask the broadcasters in Israel to bring it back, and not only in the version dubbed into Hebrew).
On the other hand, if all you wanted was a light and non-committal family binge, the new version will provide you with what you are looking for (assuming the children are not too young, as mentioned the tone tends to be rather gloomy).
Not something that will stay with you, but also not something you will regret.
In today's reality TV, that's also something.
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