Netflix had a huge hit on it hands with One Day, but the streaming giant now has a new number-one show - a high-budget TV series that's based on an animated classic.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is a live-action adaptation of the 2005 Nickelodeon cartoon of the same name. Inspired by the world of martial arts, its plot is as follows: "A young boy known as the Avatar must master the four elemental powers to save a world at war and fight a ruthless enemy bent on stopping him."
Cast includes Gordon Cormier in the lead role, Ian Ousley as Sokka and Kiawentiio as Katara. Oh, and Community's Danny Pudi makes an appearance as The Mechanist.
Since the original 2005 animation, there have been numerous spin-offs and comic-book runs, so Netflix is tapping into a massive fan base with this one.
A fan base, however, that has been burnt before by an adaptation, with M Night Shyamalan's 2010 live-action movie universally derided. There were high hopes, however, that showrunner Albert Kim managed to capture the spirit of the original.
According to the reviews he has just about managed to do this, with the show debuting at a 'just fresh' 60% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Here's what the critics are saying about the show...
Entertainment Weekly notes: "The result is a charming but imperfect adaptation that vastly improves upon the 2010 film - but never soars quite as high as the original animated show."
IndieWire reckons: "This Avatar might not be what people know, but the show is on its own heroic journey to realizing its full potential."
Variety isn't impressed, writing: "Cheesy acting and some Disney Channel-like dialogue turn what could have been a resounding epic adventure into a whimpering thud."
Inverse sees its potential, though: "Flaws aside, it’s difficult to discount Avatar outright. Even when the series feels scattershot, it remains a tremendous flex of an adaptation."
And so is Rolling Stone: This new Last Airbender is entertaining enough to work for newcomers to this world, and respectful enough to remind the cartoon’s fans why they loved that world in the first place.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is streaming now - and, according to FlixPatrol, it's the number-one show on Netflix, globally.
The Last Airbender is one of our picks in our what to watch guide this week.
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