Didn’t watch it yet, as I’m only 2 episodes in and Idon’t want to taint my first view too much.
But from what I’ve seen of the show, I understand how they reach this conclusion. And Jessie Gender usually has quite a good grasp on these things.
Edit: Kind reminder that this post is for sharing/discussing the video, not for dunking on the Netflix adaptation.
Edit2: Watched it now. Spoilers for the first 2 episodes and light spoilers for the rest of the live action show, season 1.
It’s a very good and thorough analysis, pretty much every live action remake of everything falls into the same trap of cutting substance/context in favor of having “cool” fight/action scenes. Unless an adaptation is extremely faithful to the original it will devolve into what kind of cool visuals can we do and then the actual substance of why those things happen and the point the writer was trying to illustrate is lost.
Also very insidious for the show to not include Saka putting on the Kioshi warriors’ costume because it would be seen as promoting drag/cross-dressing in kids media, that is one of the most memorable parts of that episode and it makes no sense not to include it other than to be as marketable as possible. Makes me wonder how the one piece live action will deal with it when they get to it, whether it’s the director’s choice in this adapation or something top down from the current netflix execs.
The thing is: The action is not even good. They have Netflix money and are adapting Avatar. A show which deliberately coded different martial arts techniques to different elements and went into great detail to properly animate all the martial arts styles.
And then they refuse to choreograph proper martial arts! Sorry, Lady Kyoshi, could you please stop waving those CGI effects around so we can see some fucking martial arts, for Christ’s sake?
Ehh… the benders do a lot of hand-to-hand fighting. Like actual martial arts fighting. In the middle of bending, when they get really up close.
The bending not being martial enough is not one of my complaints.
They just murdered all the characters imo. Aang is a caricature of a children’s show protagonist, giving “life lesson” speeches at the end of every episode. Katara is a perfectly caring and thoughtful wise woman. Sokka is extremely understanding and open. Zukko is hurt but from the get-go is made out to be “actually a really good person”. They are all basically flawless besides minor issues of self-doubt.
All the major character development beats were just removed… Aang hearing the council speak of removing him from Gyatso’s care and running away before Gyatso comes and says he will never let that happen… Sokka being bigoted and learning to be more accepting by seeing the world… Iroh being aloof, wise but distant, and learning to be more honest (with himself) after losing Zuko, and that he must be an active person in the world after meeting the Gaang. Zuko being misguided and cruel, and learning to connect with who he was, his mother, after losing everything once again…
I hate this remake man. It removes all the best parts of ATLA, and doesn’t put in anything new or better in their places.
When they said “remix” maybe they meant of the “movie”. Flipping show is done just make minor edits here and there fans didn’t like or wanted and move on or just go full ember island players.
Imo, you just can’t make changes for the worse. That’s just it. Make changes, but for the better. Or differently good. But never for the worse…
I don’t think you can remake show like ATLA for the better, because the OG show is pretty much perfect. They can only remake the show for money, which by definition makes it worse.
Yeah didn’t leave the show wanting more.
All I ever wanted was to see the grown-up Gaang… And we’re getting that! As an animated movie!
Like THAT is what the people want!!
They left the kioshi warrior dress part out? Aw man, that was one of the most important moments for Sokka’s character. I never recognized that as drag before now.
Yeah. I hated how they cut that part.
They replaced Sokka’s character growth with teenagers wanting to fuck. (they even added a scene were both of them lie on top of each other while training and then blushing) 🙄
