CabbageCustard

I am always intrigued when I watch the credits at the end of a movie like this, particularly when the writers are mentioned. I always wonder if those people actually think they have written something new, different and innovative when, in fact, the movie is full of tropes and stereotypes that have turned up in many, often better, movies in the past. That's the case here. All I can say is Mel Gibson must really need the money. Lorraine Bracco's participation is a completely unnecessary as her character is completely unnecessary and has zilch to do with the plot and doesn't appear much anyway.

Look, I don't want to be completely negative about this. I think that tweens and young teens will probably find it riveting, so long as their parents are happy to let them watch it (it does get gruesome at times). Adults who have seen all this done before and can tell when they're being emotionally manipulated ( as this movie often tries to do) will find it all a bit of a yawn.

One final note about Mason Thames, the young protagonist: movies like this are fine to learn the basics and hone your acting chops, but if he doesn't start getting roles in better movies than this, his career is going to be a short one and that would be sad.

I have to confess that I am totally unfamiliar with the anime which is the source of this series and so I cannot comment on how faithful this adaption is to its origin. I recognise that for many watchers, the faithfulness of this adaption to its source is going to make a big impact on how they rate it. I can only comment on how enjoyable this is as a stand alone series. To be honest, I really did enjoy this series. The story is strong enough, the effects and the sets are good enough to keep the viewers attention and even to binge watch. The only down side I can see - and it's a big one - is that the acting throughout is awful. The cast seems to have been chosen based on how oriental they look, not on how well they act. It's hard to find a single cast member whose acting talents are even average. The young lad who plays Aang is one of the worst. Half the time, he speaks so quickly it's impossible to understand what he is saying. Thank goodness for subtitles. I don't know if the original anime was Chinese or Japanese (or otherwise Asian) in origin, but this series is pure Hollywood and America. That's definitely not to its benefit.

In short, I enjoyed this but it is seriously flawed.

I always say that the best children's movies are those which work on two levels: one which keeps the adults interested and chortling along and which flies above the heads of kids, and a second level which delights the kids and keeps them enthralled. The Paddington movies are a great example of this. By that standard, this is definitely not one of the best children's movies. The CGI in this movie and the special effects are top notch. The story is not. It's not even very original. You will recognise a lot of themes and concepts 'borrowed' from other, better movies as you watch this. Of the two main actors - both children - neither can act very well and one of them can't act at all. It's the pity there isn't more in this to appeal to older kids, teen and adults because I suspect that the story and themes may be a bit too complicated to hold the attention of younger kids, even though they're the target audience.

Sadly, it is really hard to recommend this movie. I guess it may be preferable to spending an evening re-arranging your sock drawer - but only just. Maybe.