|
 I discovered this Avatar thing a few months ago in a way far removed from my DVD-reviewing duties. One day my son, going on 10, came home from school. “Can I stay up and watch Avatar?” he asked. "What is Avatar?" I replied. He said it was a show all the kids at school were talking about and that it sounded pretty cool, so naturally he wanted in on what the other kids were talking about. So sure, he could stay up. While I worked one night, he and mom watched it, and a fan was born.
Fast forward a month or two. A screener for Avatar: The Last Airbender - Book 2: Earth, Volume 1 appears in my mailbox. I had yet to actually see it (he always watched with Mom). “Well,” I think, “at least I can watch this with my son to make it more palatable.” So it was that he and I watched Avatar over the course of five days, one episode a night.
As I sat down to write this, my son asked me, “What kind of review are you giving Avatar?” I told him I didn't know yet. He was sure to warn me that he would be very disappointed if I gave it a bad review. Well, no worries there. Turns out I did not need the father/son viewing experience in order to enjoy this (though I certainly enjoyed the heck out of that, too). Avatar: The Last Airbender is an action-packed, funny, entirely enjoyable show that kids clearly like, and adults can probably enjoy, too.
The premise is right out of the Japanese role-playing game and/or anime textbook, yet feels fresh thanks to the characters and Western slant to the writing. In the world of Avatar, people have the ability to command the elements of earth, air, fire and water, bending them to their will. Aang, the titular Avatar and airbender, for instance, can ride around on a bubble of air, cushion falls, push things around, or any other number of  air-related feats. But these abilities don't simply grant people powers. They also serve to divide the land into factions.
In the world of Avatar, people in the Asian-influenced world are divided based on the four elements. There is the Earth Kingdom (the focus of this DVD), the Water Tribes, the Air Nomads, and the evil Fire Kingdom, which is waging war on the world. The Fire Kingdom serves as the primary ongoing villain in the series, now in its second year. The first season, Book 1: Water, focused on Aang's adventures in becoming a master Waterbender. But wait, you say, isn't Aang the Last Airbender? He is. But he is also the Avatar, a mystical person who only comes about once a generation, and who is capable of bending all four elements with extreme power. As we pick up on things here in season 2, aka Book 2: Earth, Aang has already mastered waterbending following his adventures in the first season. Now he is journeying to the Earth Kingdom in order to learn the craft of earthbending, all in an effort to perfect his skills as the Avatar, stop the war-mongering of the Fire Nation and bring peace to the lands.
The story follows Aang, the cute Katara, the comic relief of her brother, Sokka, and their two unusual critter companions through a series of action-packed obstacles as they seek to perfect Aang's powers and stop the Fire Kingdom's warring, all presented with dynamic, fluid animation and crisply choreographed, magic-driven wire-fu set pieces. The narrative is broken up into episodes, or “chapters,” which flow directly into the next to create a single grand epic while also managing to offer a solid standalone story. Volume 1 is just the first of a  projected six discs (same as the first season), so there is no real closure to what we see here, but the individual chapters have story enough that they make for a satisfying watch.
In episode 1, The Avatar State, Aang and his companions meet with General Fong of the Earth Kingdom. Fong stands against the Fire Kingdom, and so seems to be an ally. Things are not as they seem, of course, and ultimately we are treated to seeing the Avatar's power fully unleashed when Fong tries to use him for his own purposes. The dynamic action scenes here are a blast to see. They're intricate, thrilling, highly creative and very well animated. A great introduction to the series. For episode 2, The Cave of Lovers, we get a chance to see just how funny the show can be. Aang and crew meet up with some wandering minstrels who seem to be rather far from sobriety. We see that there is an awkward, unexpressed romance growing between Aang and Katara, and get some good laughs out of Sokka and the minstrels. Oh, and we see some AWESOME giant badgers or something. They were cool!
 Episode 3, Return To Omashu, brings the war to the center stage. The massive, peaceful Earth Kingdom city Aang thought would remain untouched, Omashu, has been ravaged by war. Not good news for the Avatar, since Omashu's King Bumi was going to teach Aang earthbending. Some good humor, big scenes of war, and a thrilling chase high above the city in a series of channels perfect for bobsledding make this episode a load of fun. The Swamp, the fourth episode on this disc, offers something of a diversion from the ongoing story. Our heroes are drawn into a strange swamp, where they have visions, encounter waterbending extras from Deliverance, and get elbow leeches. Finally, Avatar Day, during which Aang has to deal with anti-Avatar sentiment in a remote town of the Earth Kingdom, helps reinforce the notion that young Aang is much more than a kid with powers. He is an everlasting icon of the lands in which they travel. This young boy's actions impact many lives.
To say that I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this show is an understatement. I came into this expecting a weak toy- or game-driven series of 22-minute commercials, ala Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Yo. Instead, I was treated to surprisingly strong animation, truly endearing characters, wild action, good humor, and a rich, well-realized world that I loved sinking myself into.
How much did I enjoy this surprise from left field? Enough so that I'll be seeking out the first season so I can watch this epic saga from the start. My son loved it, I loved it, and I can't wait to see more.
 Disc Presentation
We've got just over 120 minutes of colorful, crisp animated action, presented with a robust Dolby Digital soundtrack. No sign of artifacts, the colors pop, and the animation is smooth. Avatar: The Last Airbender is a far cry from the choppy, stuttering children's animated series I see far too often in a house with a young boy inside. This disc looks and sounds swell.
Disc Extras
Sparse on the extras, but that's okay. First we have an animatic, which is exactly what it sounds like: An animatic. This presents the entire first episode in sketch/storyboard form, with the finished product playing in a small inset screen so you can compare the two. It's an interesting feature, but one you're not likely to revisit. Beyond that, there is only a brief, four-page comic packed inside. Normally I'm something of an extras whore, but I can't say I was overly disappointed with what was offered up by this disc.
The Bottom Line
A surprisingly high-quality cartoon aimed at children yet which is well-realized enough to appeal to child-at-heart adults, Avatar: The Last Airbender brings to life a rich world, likable characters, hateable villains, and some really impressive action in one epic package. There is no question kids will enjoy this - it is currently the highest rated feature on Nickelodeon's Nicktoons lineup by a wide margin, so it's obviously making a mark - but it's good enough so that adults won't be pulling out their hair watching it with the young 'uns. Heck, Mom and Dad just may find that they like it. I sure did.
|
