anna01010

It's got to be a herculean effort to try and recreate the magic of a cartoon world in a live action format, and this really was a good effort with stunning visuals and true to the source physical motions when we see bending scenes. The firebenders in particular bring a shocking brutality to a world which has been at war for a hundred years. Not for kids in that respect.

If one is expecting a cartoon, watch the original which is truly a work of art. The whimsy and joy of it can't be recreated in a story that tries to show us a real world version.

I will say that even though so much was well done and involved, a lot felt rushed. This effort tried to take a 20-episode "book", and pack it into 8, and while I admit, that there were some areas in which this kind of editing won't show in the long run, it does feel like it's being pushed along too quickly.

As far as the cast goes, there are some brilliant spots, particularly in the adult performances, and the kids don't do too badly for the most part. That said, I think more care could have been taken with casting to better match the characters, not necessarily in looks but in individuality. There's not a whole lot of "x-factor" there. Aang and Sokka are bright spots, but the rest of the cast looks like they're interchangeable. Hopefully, they'll improve over time.

There was one other weird, noticeable thing to mention. The costumes are incredibly clever - but way too clean. Possibly some sort of deliberate homage to the cartoon? The hairstyles for Gran Gran and Yue are unbelievably unrealistic and Sokka's necklace makes him look like Pebbles Flintstone, so one wonders if these are cartoon affectations. The sets themselves bring us back to familiar territory, as do occasional bits of dialogue.

Overall, this was an enjoyable series. I hope it's continued.

Let me preface this by saying that I am, myself, a practicing vegan. That said, about 20 minutes into this thing, I was appalled at the overt finger-wagging toward meat-eaters. I tuned in for a study on dietary changes, not a documentary about climate change and how cows are destroying the planet. Now that I've seen the agenda, how am I supposed to trust the findings of the study? That is, supposing they actually get back to talking about the study. Halfway through the first episode and it doesn't look promising.

For now, I'm going to continue watching for awhile to see if it improves. I don't enjoy the patronizing tone though, so I have some doubt about how much more I can tolerate.

I like Jordan Gavaris from Orphan Black so I watched the first Season of The Lake and pretty much enjoyed it. Gay characters are fine as a part of a storyline, and in this series, being gay was a primary factor in the father/daughter relationship, and that relationship was a major plot point for the series. That said, I feel like gay love scenes which don't move the story along are just there to be in people's faces for shock value, so I walk away from that. I watched a few minutes of the opening scene and left, and I won't be back because I'm not looking for social commentary. I'm just looking for entertainment.