Amac Productions

Aang and the Gaang are back in a brand-new movie that literally all the fans love and all the people in charge of it – hate. For whatever reason.

Because instead of giving us a theatrical release – which I totally would have checked out – they dropped it on Paramount Plus with very little fanfare. I hate that.

But I loved the movie.

If I had a compliant – it would be that Zuko’s new voice bothers me. I know that the voices were recast because they wanted to be more authentic. I get it. I understand. I don’t mind. Probably should have done that in the first place. I’m totally fine with the changes and everyone else’s voice casting.

Except Zuko’s!

Dante Basco’s voice was just completely iconic and so unique that I can still hear it in my mind to this day.

The new voice actor just could not match it or manage and literally every time he opened his mouth, I was reminded that it wasn’t simply a matter of Zuko growing up, but a completely different person trying to bring him to life. It took me out of every moment that Zuko was talking and made me miss Dante Basco every time.

That is literally my only compliant about this movie.

Otherwise, it was a very good movie.

So good – in fact – that it made me want to rewatch the entire original series. Which I did.

It just reminded me how much I loved the original series with Aang and the Gaang and how well it was done. I loved this movie so much.

There was definitely some nitpicking that happened amongst the fans with people wondering why Aang didn’t think to have children with Katara to further his culture. But I mean, there’s no guarantee that he could exactly. Since Bumi and Kya as far as Aang knew did not have air bending. Bumi got his well after Aang’s death.

And it appeared that Aang only shared his culture with Tenzin once it was discovered that he shared his air bending skills. Clearly, Aang didn’t think of furthering his culture with the children who didn’t share his air bending. I’m not saying that Aang did it on purpose, but I think he just knew there was no way he could know which children he could share things with. Share his air bending and the culture as a whole.

It was also revealed that they decided not to have Katara pregnant. Which people really wanted.

But I was sort of happy that she wasn’t.

That was just a complicated layer to things that we just didn’t need.

People were also upset that Aang appeared suddenly upset that his entire culture was gone. Why is he worrying about it now? Why is hurting him more?

Hey, guess what? Grief is not linear.

It comes back around.

And sometimes, things happen that trigger more intense moments of grief or bring it back up.

Like nearly dying.

Something that has a completely different context as you get older. Because even though Aang thought there was a chance he could die as a child, it takes a whole new meaning as you get older. Age changes perspective.

So Aang having feelings over being the last of his kind throughout his life makes complete sense.

Because hey, just because I’m over the intense grief I felt losing my Nana years ago, doesn’t mean it doesn’t come back around every once and while when I wish she was still here with me. So many events that she’ll never join me in, that she should have been here for. But she was unfairly taken before her time, just like the air nomads.

So yeah, I get it.

I think it’s pretty on point.

I also think the only thing that made me sad about Aang’s journey is that a lot of it is tinged with sadness and a heaviness he didn’t have as a kid. I do wish he was a bit more light-hearted. But I also get that he’s going through something here and is struggling.

Not everyone could be so perky when they’re faced with their culture dying out with them.

Then finding a guy who could help you bring it back only to be completely betrayed by him as he tries to kill you and all your friends.

Which brings me to one of my absolute favorite things about the movie was Katara totally clocking Tagah as a villain. Her following him and calling him out was just absolutely amazing.

Definitely reminds me of her promising to kill Zuko if he betrays them when he offers to train Aang. I really love how protective of Aang, Katara is. I just love it so much.

So much.

It’s one of my favorite things about Katara.

Just because I love that Katara and Aang are completely protective of each other. I love an overprotective couple. Like an equal opportunity protection.

It’s not about male or female. They just want to protect each other. And I love that while Aang is very trusting a lot of the time, so to offset that we have Katara who is often overly mistrusting when Aang is too trusting. It’s always a lot of fun.

Very much my favorite type of couple because again, it’s not about weakness or male or female. It’s just love. Honest and true.

Katara wants to protect Aang because while he is important to the world, he is of more importance to her. She wants to protect him because she loves him.

Aang wants to protect her because he loves her.

She’s the first thing he shouts for when he’s dying. When he wakes up.

She’s the first thing on his mind. I love it so much.

Their relationship being such a fore front of the movie was lovely. I just wanted more of it. I also wanted Katara to be the one who snaps Aang out of his stupor when he’s fighting Tagah at the end and is getting corrupted. Because she was always the one pulling him back in the original series.

That was a detail I would have liked as well.

But I love the detail of both Aang and Katara both trying to talk some sense into the same person of the Denied. Which helps them out in the end.

I also really love that all of the air bending that was gifted goes back at the end. That the world just wasn’t ready yet.

Oh and someone mentioned that Tagah’s attacked that killed people looked like dealing lightening from fire benders. I loved that detail so much!

Because we know from Iroh that he made a fire bender move from watching the water benders. I love that each element could learn something new if they bothered to work together rather than divide each other.

Something that has clearly been going on a for a long time.

Earth benders have tried to dominate the world. Fire benders. I’m sure if we look around enough, we’d find the others doing it too. Now, we have non-benders rising up in anger because literally the benders are causing a ton of problems and they’re sick of it.

I actually do not blame them for being pissed. I do think there are better ways to go about their anger though.

Also, I think air bending should have been way more dangerous like this in the original series. Tagah was terrifying. Someone opened their imagination for this air bending style. Love it.

I loved the detail of Aang just flipping through the book of past lives trying to find someone who had the information he needed and getting more and more irritated and tired as it goes. Then finding the chaos gremlin in his past life that had the info but was also difficult as hell to talk to.

Did love his commentary on sandals.

I agree.

Mostly.

They have their place.

I love that Sokka is still inventing things.

I love that Aang is still bothering Zuko. I love that Toph is still Toph and shouting that ‘she’s the greatest earth bender in the world.’ Because she totally is.

I love that when we were in the spirit world and everyone was all messed up there was a baby Toph who was still ready to throw down. It was so Toph and wonderful and hilarious.

It was also hilarious that Sokka was freaked by this.

Katara and Sokka are still siblings that shout at each other and annoy each other while also just loving each other.

Zuko is still a badass and manages to save everyone’s ass. I’m pretty sure Sokka is in love with him. Zuko was attracted to Tagah. Just like Toph.

They were so on brand as adults to the way they were as kids. Just older. I love that so much. So nice. Very well done.

I love Toph getting annoyed that Aang ran off by himself to get himself killed without waiting for them to help him. Seriously, Aang, you could have woken Katara up. I think she would have understood.

By the way, are they married? I need them to be married.

Is Zuko married? Is it Mai? Last, I remember they broke up in the comics. Someone please tell me.

Overall, this movie was great and only makes me want more from this universe. Maybe not the new series coming out about the next avatar, because everything about the apocalyptic world that Korra has somehow managed to make happen. I’m really frightened to watch that series.

Someone else watch it and tell me whether or not as a Korra stan if I’m going to pissed about the characterization. Please and thank you.

I really hope we get more from this time in Aang and the Gaang’s life. It was a lot of fun to revisit.

Thanks for reading! Until next time!

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