Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender movie 26' (strong start, heavily mixed bag)

Without getting too deep into it-- It's written too much like a Legend of Korra prequel than an Avatar The Last Airbender sequel.

Not dogshit, yet the overall plot is the weakest link.

It's a good time, just not written all that good.

• The more I thought about it, the more it actually trivializes Aang & his team, because the writers wanted to (yet again) make up new shit (Wan, Raava, Vaatu, spirit world being more of a vacation spot populated by pokemon than a primordial extension of the Earth's power that only the best could venture) or pull spin-off concepts from elsewhere instead of expanding what the original series already set up (ex. Koh The Face Stealer).

A lot of contrivances here (hamfisted new concepts aka Korra Syndrome) that just made my brow scrunch, but I did start off hopeful because of how hard it leans into certain beats regarding Aang that I read (especially since my 2024 rewatch of ATLA) wasn't exploited enough in the series despite how well it was executed as it were; the movie begins exactly what I was missing from that specific character beat, very strong start.

Otherwise, the original had more than enough meat to cook with, they didn't need to hardcore OVA this situation in the story department.

Despite the fact that Christopher Yost was on the writing for this (Next Avengers movie writer) this was a mixed bag.

• Downside is a lot of the bending here (like in LOK) is treated like Superpowers than an art.
• But since the best thing about this movie is the animation-- you're going to get some cool powerscaling feats & really slick fight scenes. (like LOK)

That-- and the fact that the characters are back, technically.

To me personally, they don't come off like the same people that matured vs being caricatures of those characters superficially; which I could tell especially by how Katara & Sokka were written, namely Katara's agency in certain scenes to the broad scheme.

(ex. Sokka is Bolin, not Book 3 onward Sokka)

• Aaron Ehasz nor his team were brought on for this (Strike 1 - 2), not just Aaron Ehasz (he's not the best writer to ever live but specifically him and the team that made ATLA work in the first place. It wasn't just him, he was the team leader, but it was a team effort.)
• So I went out of my way to lower my expectations, lower than usual; but this was essentially just a modern shonen anime movie.

Meaning: It sets the bar visually, but not exactly the trendsetter in the writing department-- which is what determines whether something is flashy but a forgettable story aka a Dragon Ball Super Movie or instead …. "Avatar The Last Airbender" lol.

Full breakdown another time, watch it for yourselves when able.

Pro tip: 🚨DO NOT compare it to the original series during the first watch, it's not even close, zero point; best way to watch this is to imagine it as a standalone thing. Don't compare lightning in a bottle to a flashlight.🚨
It's got good pacing/ plot driven (tho there's obvious consequences to that that I speak on often) but at the same time, you won't be held hostage; enjoy it.
Try to save comparisons until afterwards; cause it's still better than Shyamalalamama's movie & the live-action Netflix show."

So many shows get varying relationships between girls wrong because some writers think getting along 24/7 equals chemistry-

when actual chemistry entails different & opposing elements mix to make a solution or compound or reaction.

Toph & Katara work because they're both flawed, had ego's for different reasons and grinded each other's gears constantly. Toph wasn't some overbearing abuser or Katara this halo ridden angel that was always right. Things they likely would be if re-written in today's zeitgeist

Instead they're written as believable real people despite being fiction, and that conflict only made it clear to each of them (& us) where each other's boundaries were overtime & how to respect them. Not handled one-off in one episode and then they never disagreed ever again but multiple times even tracing into Book 3.

 Same applies to the whole team honestly, the show's dynamics as a whole work mechanically because of the care put into the conflict ( which is why the pairings work so well); Point being, many politically correct/modern safe mode writings that aren't political *ex. My Hero* scripts tend to have women all being friends immediately or something and it's so boring, It doesn't work because even for fiction, that's too fake.

Every Avatar Chibi Short Ever 🔥😍🐸 | Avatar: The Last Airbender

"Now I hope that you can see that each element has it's own strengths and weaknesses-- BUT FIRE IS THE BEST!" - Iroh

Anime Semantics #26: How can you subvert the Chosen One trope? (The excess misuse of the term "Chosen one")

exactly, the title is given, not taken. Well said.

You have to be chosen to walk the path, not choose the path. Aang never chose to be the Avatar, in fact he ran from it, but since Book 1 his path was set by Roku himself that he had to master the elements by the end of summer to fight one of the most dangerous benders on the planet during a cosmic event where their god given power would be boosted ten fold.

Aang didn't set out to do that in episode 1, he was aimless.

In fact his path wasn't even stablished until the Solstice Episodes after he met Heibai. Up til then it was Aang just getting used to being the Avatar.

Aang was chosen.

Deku was lucky.

He wasn't chosen by U.A., Deku chose U.A.

The path of the Hero didn't choose Deku, he chose it because of All Might. Which is fine, but that's not a chosen one.

All Might didn't choose Deku by virtue of Deku actually proving anything, Deku was available & rushed into danger headfirst. And being reckless meant he was worthy.

In all respects, Melissa was a leagues better choice but she was a retcon/ later addition so we have to overlook that little gap that Yagi overlooked a genius intellect quirkless for some no talent having NPC he didn't even know.

He didn't even have Inko's permission to train the kid either, ppl forget that, Yagi (some strange man she didn't know) had direct isolated access to her son without her consent or knowledge lmfao.

Deku in his own story is put last after a very early point, he wasn't even treated as chosen or unique by Horikoshi himself, Izuku was just a face among many who are all equally special, valid & visible, and amazeballs.

Everyone is the main character. "You are the protagonist"

My Hero Academia was EVERYONE's story while pretending to be about Deku.