On one end of the spectrum, Avatar: The Last Airbender remains one of the most beloved animated series ever. On the other end, The Last Airbender will live on in infamy as one of the worst live-action adaptations to ever (dis)grace the big screen. And a Tweet is now going viral for highlighting just one of the many things that made the movie such a dud.
Chuuzus, the Twitter user who posted the video, made the comparison of a pivotal fight scene between Katara and Waterbending expert Master Pakku. Katara’s training and future as a Waterbender hinges on this scene, and it also creates a touching story exposition moment near the end. In the animated show, the scene is epic – a dynamic battle between two pros, portrayed through a fluid and graceful fight sequence. There are some really creative visual renditions of water being turned into a deadly weapon and it’s action-packed, with near misses and quick exchanges.
The movie, on the other hand, shows us what happens when the cast decides to phone it in. The movements look lazy and sluggish, and lack any sort of impact or consequence. Even the use of CGI fails to add any sense of grandeur or scale – these two are supposed to be experts, but end up looking like novices. Maybe you should just see it for yourself – or don’t, it’s painful to watch.
https://twitter.com/chuuzus/status/1276974600086269952
Fans of the show pointedly ignore the existence of the movie, and with good reason. In fact, some of these Twitter reactions best sum up just how frustrated fans were – and are – with M. Night Shyamalan’s live-action fiasco.
Weak indeed.
https://twitter.com/sayurisansan/status/1277012088691593217
Not to mention all the other issues, like the casting choices.
It’s still the fact that the whole cast is predominantly white or not what Avatar’s cultural background is…….and u would think the director, coming from an Asian background (Indian), would properly cast people……bye
— Ti (@t_kay117) June 27, 2020
We’ve all let hype get the better of us every now and then.
Every day I think about what could've been and what was.
Bro I went with my parents to see that movie, and I hyped up Avatar – it was one of the only things I ever tried to put my parents onto. Needless to say I left that theater embarrassed.
— ᴾˡᵃʸᵇᵒᶦ𝑰𝑲𝑨𝑹𝑰 💋 (@PlayboiIkari) June 28, 2020
It really didn’t deserve this…
https://twitter.com/chulapayasa/status/1276990268701433857
Hopefully wrongs will be righted and justice will be done when Netflix takes a crack at the live-action TV adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. So far, everything we’ve heard about it sounds promising, and it seems like the streaming giant knows what not to do at least. All we can do for now then is wait, watch and hope for the best.
