AVATAR AANG: THE LAST AIRBENDER Review - A Visually Stunning Return

Spoilers for the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender below

I think it’s safe to say Avatar: The Last Airbender has become one of the most beloved shows, especially with my generation. It was of course, big at the time, but it was cool to see the love for it come back to life when the show came on Netflix during Covid (not the live action show, which I don’t really care to talk about here). I feel the love for it is very justified. I’m a super fan myself. It was huge for me when I was a kid, maybe the only show I ever fully watched from start to finish (let me tell ya, the end of it was an event for me). But beyond nostalgia, it’s great to see how well it holds up on rewatches. For my money, it’s not only the best animated show, but one of the best shows of all time. It’s a master class in world building and character work. It’s gorgeously animated and has an incredibly unique score. It’s got one of the most satisfying endings of all time, something I found became rare for shows and movies to nail. I can’t wait to show it to my kids. I just love it so much.

Which makes the handling of Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender’s release all the more frustrating. For those who don’t know, the movie was originally announced to be released theatrically, first in October 2025, then January 2026, then October 2026. That was until Paramount decided to scrap the theatrical release entirely and put it straight to their streaming service, much to the surprise of the cast and crew. To make it even worse, the entirety of the movie was leaked online and shared like crazy back in April. That is not an exaggeration either; we’re not talking leaked clips and pictures. The entire movie was available to just watch on Twitter, and despite the creators of the movie voicing their sadness and disappointment to people sharing the leaks, it didn’t stop. What makes it worse is Paramount didn’t really do anything to take down the leaked movie. All was quiet on the Paramount front until a couple weeks ago when they announced the movie will stream on Paramount Plus on July 25th, with a limited theatrical run in merely two theaters in the country.

This was, to put it simply, such bullshit. It felt insulting to treat a project, a grand return to a beloved world, like this. And after finally seeing the movie, it makes the treatment of Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender even more infuriating, because this is one of most visually stunning movies of the year. A gorgeous, albeit uneven, return to the Avatar world that made me want more, and wishing I saw this in a theater.

The film picks up a little over a decade after the events of the original show. Aang, Katara, Toph, and Zuko are all young adults, and while we get to reunite with the old gang, this is mainly Aang’s story. Aang may be older, but is still learning how to balance being the leader the world needs, his loyalty to his friends, and being the last of his kind. It’s interesting to see Aang still grappling with the guilt of running away when he was a kid, and the near extinction of the air nomads. Something the original show did so well with all the characters is show that they still have flaws and make mistakes, and that continues here. While Aang does mean well, the guilt causes him to become narrow minded at times, which leads to big time trouble throughout the movie.

I do think it’s important to note that this movie is Aang-focused to temper your expectations, because that does mean the rest of our beloved Team Avatar is pretty sidelined. I love all of these characters, who throughout the show become truly fleshed out, so to see them all be pretty one-note here was a bummer. Zuko and Toph don’t get to do much besides showcase some pretty badass action. Sokka is pretty much just there for comic relief, although he did make me laugh a bunch. Katara also sadly doesn’t get much to do besides being loyal to Aang. How the movie handled her bummed me out especially because I would’ve liked to see more of her and Aang’s relationship, especially since it was a romance that was building all the way until the final scene of the show.

What doesn’t help there is the show’s pacing, which is probably my biggest negative with the movie. Avatar Aang moves fast. Maybe a little too fast. At a little over ninety minutes, it’s a jam packed movie that covers new worlds, new lore, and a couple new characters at a breakneck pace. Don’t get me wrong, it’s all interesting, but so much stuff here never really feels like it gets a chance to breathe. It feels like the focus was more on rushing to its admittedly incredible action set pieces. Still, these negatives I have basically boil down to me wanting more of this world, so in a way that also feels like a compliment. I honestly would take another movie or show just showing the gang hanging out. That’s how much I love these characters.

While I do have issues with the movie, these didn’t really come to mind until well after the movie was over. I think that’s because I was so entranced by the most glowing part of the movie, and that is the animation. This movie is fucking breathtaking. I figured I was going to be distracted by how different it was going to be to the original show, as well as The Legend of Korra, but I was wrapped up in this style immediately. This is probably the most stunning animated movie of the year. A mix of hand drawn and 3D animation that will just wow you in every frame. It is different and a step up from the shows, yet it still feels like it fits right in. There’s moments here that made me just wanna pause my tv and soak in every last detail, and moments where I wanted to slow down and frame by frame some of its kinetic and fast action. While the entire movie is beautiful, there were two standout moments for me. One involves the gang navigating an insane storm, with multiple tornadoes in the way. The detail while they’re inside the ship is just bewildering, and Aang attempting to part the tornadoes taking them head on just felt massive. The other involves a fight with Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko taking on a powerful enemy, and it’s maybe the best fight scene in the whole movie (which is saying a lot considering this is Aang’s movie, but rest assured he gets plenty of good moments here). While these guys don’t get much to do, their teamwork in this shines. I especially loved the detail of Sokka being aided by Toph and Katara’s bending. It’s here where the movie’s speed is particularly effective , and the way the animation goes from close up hits to big wides of powerful bending was just incredible. I watched this particular fight multiple times.

Regardless of my issues, I strongly encourage you to check out Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender. Its story may not be as strong as its animation, but that doesn’t make it any less of a fun return to the Avatar world, and an absolute feast for the eyes. Getting to see the old gang is great, even if they don’t have a whole lot to do. It’s funny even if not every joke lands. It might move a little too fast but it gives Aang a satisfying arc that deepens his character and further cements him as one of our tv (and film’s) greatest characters. And again, this movie has some of the most incredible animation you’ll ever see. I know the journey to this movie’s release didn’t go the way the crew expected, and my heart goes out to all of them. But I hope they are proud of what they did here regardless, because it is undoubtedly a technical achievement. I’m hoping and praying this is only a taste of what’s to come, and that the world of Avatar only gets bigger and better from here.