As an Earth Nation spy is captured in the Fire Nation and taken to the Fire Lord, he is questioned, before the Fire Lord grabs him by the hand and brutally burns him to a crisp – the spy screaming in agony before his burnt corpse slumps to the floor. And so begins Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the beloved kids TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Live-action adaptations, like all remakes and reboots in the modern age of cinema and tv now have a pre-conditioned bias against them, stemming from a long history of failed attempts. The moment a new, live-action adaptation is announced, the first question that is always asked by fans is…”Why does it need to be remade?” After the first episode of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) it feels like that question hasn’t really been answered. Fans concerns were elevated when the show’s original creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, left the project, with Albert Kim (Sleepy Hollow) taking over Appa’s reins.

The original series, airing on Nickelodeon from 2005-2008 is considered by many to be the greatest children’s TV shows of all-time, and one of the greatest shows, full stop. Alongside its whimsical animation and comedy, the original ATLA also explored surprisingly mature themes like war, genocide, responsibility, and redemption, whilst playing host to some of the most well-rounded, three-dimensional characters in TV. Netflix’s version, so far, is quite far from the mark.

It firstly must be said that Netflix’s ATLA is a far cry from M. Night Shyamalan’s painful 2010 live-action movie – which blasphemously put a halt to a potential fourth season of the original show. Netflix’s version nails the look and aesthetic of the original series, from the costumes, to the world design, and the fight sequences. The first look images, released a few months ago put many fans’ worries to rest when Netflix showcased the incredible costumes and looks of some of TV’s most beloved characters.

There is one key area where Netflix’s version truly shines and that is in its action design. Fans who remember Shyamalan’s tragic interpretation will probably never forget how the director took a magic system which allowed for incredible creativity and innovation through action design and made it boring. Netflix has learned an important lesson from that and right from the start, it goes out of its way to prove that it will put the elemental magic system to good use. However, this is sadly where the positives begin to stop.

The biggest problem with Netflix’s version is its script. Ignoring the drastic shift in tone – which we will circle back to – the dialogue is lacking in any kind of personality or enthusiasm, with every single character reduced to an exposition delivering shell of the originals. This is most notable when the show attempts to call back to the original. In the first episode, Gran-gran of the Southern Water Tribe delivers the iconic opening from the show, ‘Long ago, the four nations lived in peace and harmony…’ Unlike the original, in which the line delivery felt natural and real, Netflix’s version feels like the writers said ‘oh yes, we should include that here… because fan service, I guess.’ Every single conversation in the first episode is only used as a way to push the overall story forward, not allowing any time for the characters to actually develop individually.

While the script is weak on its own, it is sadly made worse by the rushed editing. The way Netflix’s ATLA is cut together makes the whole show feel like it is racing to the finish line. There are no natural pauses between characters speaking as exposition is compressed together. Expectedly, this makes the plot move incredibly fast, as the first three episodes of the original series are crammed into Episode 1 of Netflix’s adaptation. The choppy editing doesn’t just effect the exposition though, it also kills many of the attempted jokes. Everyone knows that timing is a key part of comedy, but Netflix’s ATLA throws the punchline at you before you’ve even had a chance to process the set-up – or the last chucky piece of exposition you had just heard.

Now, we have to address the elephant in the room. Netflix’s ATLA is a drastically darker take on the original series – if you hadn’t of guessed from our recounting of the opening scene. Honestly, we are still undecided if this is a good decision or not. On the one hand, it allowed Kim to take the action further, both in how much was shown, and how the magic system is used. The first major battle does feature one great moment where an Airbender forms a small hurricane around them for protection, leading the Fire Lord to pour a stream of flames into the twister, in turn engulfing the Airbender in a swirl of fire. However, combined with the rushed editing which kills a lot of the comedy, the darker tone feels like Netflix’s version is missing a lot of the heart and beauty of the original series. While it doesn’t quite feel like a Zack Snyder project – attempting to be edgy for the sake of it – it is a drastic step away from the tone of the original.

Sadly, Netflix’s ATLA fails as an adaptation in most key aspects. Its script and editing make almost every character feel like a shell of their original selves. There is the chance that the series learns to take its time as the episodes progress, although the original series didn’t need to throw endless exposition at its audience, and its episodes were only 20 minutes long. There is certainly enough for new viewers to enjoy, and for old fans who can resist the urge to compare it to the original, with some intelligent action scenes, but, overall, the series sadly feels like the unnecessary adaptation many fans presumed it would be.