The long-awaited live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender was released this month, but even before it was posted on Netflix’s homepage, the prospect of the series sparked debate among fans about the nature of the film.
Animated work.
It was originally developed as an animated series that aired from 2005 to 2008, but a live-action remake in 2024 was not the first. 2010, directed by M. Knight. Director Shyamalan brought his own adaptation of The Last Airbender to the big screen.
Much to the chagrin of the fans.
The live-action film received record low reviews from critics and fans alike, sparking debate online about the need for a live-action remake of the popular animated series. After its release, acclaimed film critic Roger Ebert responded to the film’s title in his review by saying, “Let’s hope so.”
But Netflix is capitalizing on the success of last year’s live-action One Piece, which The Verge called “a rare anime adaptation that gets everything important right.” Following its success, many anime fans are hoping the new Avatar: The Last Airbender adaptation will continue this trend.
Brad Vu, a senior at the University of Iowa and president of the university’s anime and manga club, has been looking forward to the release of the film.
“I’m a big fan of the original work, so I have high expectations,” he said.
Boo said the remake will allow new fans to experience the series for the first time and revive the hype that followed its original release nearly 20 years ago.
However, live-action remakes of animated works have historically had an uneven track record with the fan base. Vu admitted that this was the root of his hesitation.
“I feel like a lot of studios can make it very well, but some studios don’t,” he said. “A lot of them are just made up […] To get people to invest in original work. ”
UI fourth-year student and club member Matthew Windass similarly expressed concerns about the animation.
“It can be a very difficult balance to express the same spirit but not scare people.” [people] Forget how emotional everyone is,” Windass said.
His comments speak to a fundamental problem many people have with live-action adaptations. The point is that while live action aims to recreate reality, animation is by definition an exaggerated medium that forces viewers to suspend disbelief. Therefore, the transition between the two forms of media is not seamless.
Still, Windass acknowledges the potential value in retelling old stories in new mediums.
“Everyone has heard of Aesop’s Fables. [you can] Retell them by rereading them, using those stories in another story, or finding new ways to convey these kinds of morals and lessons to people who may not be watching them right now. . [older media]” Windass said.
In theory, adaptation is a good idea, said Ad Stratton, a third-year UI student and club member.
“A lot of it actually didn’t work out that well,” Stratton said.
Stratton said adaptations are often most effective when the original author is involved. In the case of Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” this is a potential concern as original creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino left the project mid-production due to creative differences. It has become an area of concern.
“When the original author leaves due to creative differences or other reasons, it means the following: [the producers] “We’re fundamentally changing the story,” Stratton said.
