'Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender' Review
- Kevin Lau
- 11 hours ago
- 2 min read
Release Date: 07/25/26 [Paramount+]
Genre: Adventure. Animation. Fantasy.
MPAA: Rated PG.
Distributor: Paramount+.
The Verdict: A Must-See
Those who have read my review of the Demon Slayer movie may recall my sentiment on writing reviews for movie tie-ins for TV shows: If you’re a fan of the show, you’re going to watch the film no matter if I say it’s good or bad. If you’re not a fan of the show, you’ll most likely skip the film unless someone else drags you to go see it. (Or, in this case, make you watch it at home since this isn’t getting a theatrical release. Yuck!) Writing this review as a casual fan of the show, not having seen it until a few years ago as an adult, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender finds its strength and purpose in areas where the show faltered, but it has weaknesses of its own by being almost too tied to the source material. “Well, duh,” you might say. “It’s a continuation of the show. I’d be mad if it wasn’t tied to the source material.”
What I’m getting at is that this film requires homework to be really appreciated. The homework is fun, satisfying, and relatively quick to complete, but it’s homework nonetheless. Aang and his inner struggles are still developed enough for newcomers to grasp the emotional stakes, and most of the worldbuilding is new to the IP, making it easy to follow along as everything is explained. However, the supporting cast lacks depth when viewed as a standalone film. The animation is stunning, deserving of the theater experience rather than being dumped on a streamer (and Paramount+, of all places!), but the script leans more into TV-movie territory than I would like. The new cast also helps make the experience more immersive, delivering performances that intentionally leave a lot to read between the lines.
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is almost the film fans have been craving, and might be the start of future films that bolster its supporting cast with individual adventures, giving The Last Airbender its own proper cinematic universe. Not that we need another one of those, but it’ll at least salve the wounds of the live-action adaptations.
For those completely new to the franchise, this is still a good watch. Join a friend’s watch party if you can, or at least gift a Paramount+ subscription to a fan in need. This is a film worth supporting with the official release, even if you can only watch it at home.