Nickelodeon's upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender movies will be CG animation, as announced by CEO Brian Robbins, risking a loss of craftsmanship that made the original 2D series great. The channel recently enticed fans by signing creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko to a multi-film deal and the establishing of Avatar Studios, which will oversee production of the new movies and series within the Avatar franchise. But a recent comment from Robbins suggests some or all of the upcoming projects will break from the 2D style of the series in favor of contemporary 3D animation, missing a major facet of the original's appeal.
Avatar: The Last Airbender ran on Nickelodeon from 2005-2008, and over the course of three seasons, it accrued a fervent following and critical accolades. The inventive world-building, tight plotting, mature themes, and balanced tone contributed to the show's sterling reputation, shedding the pejorative "kids show" designation to rank among all-time prestige TV greats on IMDb's Top 250 Shows list. Among the many celebrated components of the series was its animation, which devoted careful attention to detail in its portrayal of Eastern aesthetics—particularly the fighting styles. To create the in-world device of "bending," many traditional martial arts disciplines were studied and applied to fight choreography in ways which resonated with in-world cultures and characters.
So when Robbins described "a series of CG films and a new Avatar series," some fans were understandably upset. If the movies will break from the style which worked so well for the original show, they risk leaving behind much of the craft and attention to detail that was invested in Avatar's animation and visual language. Certainly, with the resources at Avatar Studios' disposal, there's every chance DiMartino and Konietzko ensure there's no drop in quality for these Avatar: The Last Airbender sequels, but such a change leaves the door open for it, as well as being jarring to the longtime audience, whereas continuing the series' visual style would more likely retain those key elements.
Translating Avatar: The Last Airbender from script to screen was no small feat, especially given the care that went into narratively grounding the visuals within the in-world cultures of the Four Nations. Animation studios in South Korea, like JM Animation, which worked on 32 of the series' 61 episodes, had quick turnaround deadlines, and their efforts to avoid cutting corners while reinforcing the writers' vision in a timely manner should be commended. Avatar has always been a product of two lineages: passionate appreciation for anime and Eastern cultures, and distinctly Western sensibilities in storytelling and characterization.
But 3D computer-generated animation has become the industry standard for feature films, and the days of full-length 2D releases are on their way out if not gone already. Some franchises have updated their designs more gracefully than others. Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) faced criticism for its take on the Looney Tunes. Meanwhile, Studio Ghibli, a stalwart of critically acclaimed Japanese feature animation, recently released their first 3D-animated film Earwig and the Witch (2020), translating their signature style into the medium in a similar fashion to Pixar's Ghibli-influenced Luca (2021). Disney has also received acclaimed for the visuals of its Frozen movies (2013 & 2019), Moana (2016), and others. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) took an innovative approach to the problem by walking a hybrid tightrope, featuring 3D models with various 2D elements peppered throughout the frame at any given moment.
Perhaps Avatar Studios will look to those examples for guidance in navigating their own creative transition. With no comment as of yet from DiMartino or Konietzko on Robbins' statement, it's unknown which direction the new Avatar: The Last Airbender projects will head, nor even if the CG remark applies to the upcoming series in addition to the films. Fans have been burned before when it comes to expansions on this cherished story and world, from M. Night Shyamalan's infamous The Last Airbender (2010) flop to the upcoming Netflix show which similarly spurned the two creators. With their blessing, though, there remains hope for the future of Avatar.
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September 05, 2021 at 01:34AM
