Nickelodeon has had numerous hit animated series over the years including the most recent version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and of course their massive hit Spongebob Squarepants. Back in 2005 they debuted the different kind of anime like series Avatar: The Last Airbender. While there has been a DVD release of the three season series if is nor finally getting the Blu-ray treatment.
Avatar The Last Airbender follows young Airbender Aang fulfills his destiny of being the long-lost Avatar! Join Katara and Sokka, siblings and members of the Water Tribe, as they help Aang master the four elements needed to become the Avatar - master of water, earth, fire and air! I admit that I was never all into this series when it came out other than seeing the live action movie that hit the big screen which was less than stellar. At one point I tried to get into the show, but for some reason it just didn’t work for me. With this new release I decided to try to get into once again and to my surprise was sucked in a little bit more than I had been previously.
The story is both serious and silly making for one that offers some interesting balance for all ages. The animation and character design works well with the anime look and consistently offers up an epic scope to make each episode look bigger than it might have otherwise. As a martial artist I was instantly sucked in this time around due to the attention to detail in all the execution of the action. Sure they are mostly filled with magical powers and over the top insanity, but it is clear that they went all in with the way each of the characters move. You can see varying martial arts styles being used to not only fight but also to unleash the powers they wield.
This time I found myself all in as they push on their action packed journey showcasing a series that is full of everything you need to be entertained. Fans of anime will no doubt love the look and feel while the martial artists will love the details that make it all work. Each episode flows well playing into the bigger journey they are on while also offering some that are standalone tales giving us all the insight we need to learn and get invested in these characters.
This is a must have for fans of the series that includes all three seasons of the hit series as well as bonus content including commentaries, featurettes and so much more. Grab your copy of Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Complete Series available now on Blu-ray for the first time ever from Nickelodeon and Paramount Home Entertainment.
Review by Bobby Blakey - Bobby reviews way more movies on his own website than the genre-specific ones I post here. Check out Bobby's awesome website and his live show he co-hosts with his wife, Drusilla, at Hollywood Matrimony.
