Raise your hand if you are putting way too much pressure on Taskmaster-related content to be the foundation of your mental wellbeing as you slog through an otherwise shit week.
Me: Wow, the Netflix ATLA was better than what I expected. Indeed, it felt too rushed, probably because they were asked to do only 8 episodes like everything in the platform; but they were still able to capture the feeling of the original, and it was an enjoyable show. Not to mention the effects, those were so well done, especially Zuko fire kicks, I loved those.
[ID: Nine screencaps from Taskmaster. The studio screen shows a ceramic figure of a soldier, with a red and gold uniform and a helmet with a big white plume. Julian Clary says from off-screen, "I bought it to annoy my husband, 'cause I thought he'd hate it." He continues cheerfully, "But, actually, we've grown to love him. We call him Bernard. And he's everything you'd want in a soldier. He's well-presented, he's very, very smart, and probably available for no-strings fun round the back of the barracks." Greg Davies asks, "Why does it have to be no-strings?" Julian laughs, "That's how we like it." End ID.]
i love how greg is apparently in his pointing out how weird alex is era despite it being nearly series 17 like what did he think was going on before that. did he think that was normal. the dog bed was in series 5.
Ok, I’ve binged the new ATLA live action and I have feelings about it so here are my incoherent thoughts! (SPOILERS btw!!)
I’m a fan of the original show and I approached this show with low expectations (namely the only expectation I had was “this can’t be worse than the movie, right??”) but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised!!
I mean sure some details have been changed to flow better in this rendition of the story but I’m fine with that so long as the heart that made the original special is still there and I know some people didn’t felt like it did but I had the feeling that it was.
Do I love absolutely everything about the show?
Nope.
I have some issues with the first episode being too stiff and some shots were outright weird?? Like the tilted camera when Grangran was speaking was a really odd choice??? Was it to signal that the world changed when the fire nation attacked? If so it missed the mark, it just felt weird… to be honest Grangran in general felt weird. Idk man, she felt like an exposition dump made flesh. Also I did like it better when it was Katara’s unchecked emotions that led them to Aang but that was a nitpick to be fair. But to me, the first episode is by far the weakest of the season which is odd since it’s your hook and most of the time you want to make sure the hook is if not the best at least a really solid opening.
I did not like Bumi, like at all. He was never a favorite of mine even in the original but still I found him annoying in this version and the fight in that episode was not the best to say the least but the rest of Omashu was good even if they changed it to include both Sai’s and Jet’s storylines. Too bad they didn’t include the loss of culture subplot for Aang but I get there was no time/place for it in this version of events and the rest was handled well… except for Bumi lol
On the more serious complaints… I did not get why they changed the motivation for going to the North Pole from going there to train to go there bc of Kyoshi weird premonition thing or why Roku didn’t tell Aang about the comet????
Like ok the Kyoshi thing I can just wave it away like a minor change to flow better with the new structure of the episodes but I can’t ignore the fucking comet!!! That’s like a really important timeframe for the gaang to follow and maybe they will get to it next season since it was addressed on Ozai’s side of things but it felt still like a weird change.
That said, do I think the show is a good adaptation of the original?
Fucking yes.
It has its flaws for sure but there is also a lot of good things in it.
Sokka was the highlight for me. I really liked him in the original but i feel like he’s been elevated in this version of the story and the actor did a really remarkable job with him.
Actually all the actors did a very good job! Aang was spot on and Zuko had a lot more humanity in him from the start without losing his rough edges. Iroh was a fucking delight and an emotional gut punch as always and while he was a bit more somber I really liked this version of the character. They did Azula and Ozai justice showing how cunningly terrifying they can be and I really liked that we got to see more of them in season 1. Even Zhao felt the right balance of unhinged cartoony villain and actual threat for the pov characters.
Katara was more of mixed bag for me. She’s my favorite character in the original (with Zuko being a close second) so I have higher standards for her and overall all she still feels like the Katara that I know and love but idk sometimes she felt too poised?? It’s more evident in the first few episodes to be fair and I don’t think it was the acting, the actress was great! Maybe it was the direction or the writing?? Idk man I still loved her mind you but in the original, Katara, while being kind and loving, was still a force of nature that you do not want to anger exactly like a raging river that can both be a source of life or a force of destruction. In this it felt like they softened her edges a bit too much in the first half of the season. That might be a me problem though, as I said she’s my favorite so I have higher standards for her.
Tbh it seems that they softened everyone’s less palatable traits. Zuko isn’t as ruthless, Sokka isn’t sexist at the start of the season, Aang isn’t as goofy and so on. I didn’t mind it actually and most of the time it works really well in showing us new sides of these characters without losing who the are but idk man… while I still loved Katara it felt like she was missing something.
The bending was fantastic and it really felt… well real. Especially air bending! Appa and Momo were really well animated too! Big win for the VFX team!
The music too! It just felt right. And I’m still not over those scenes when you faintly hear leaves from the vines play in the background. Curse you and your great choices that made me actually cry my eyes out like a baby!
In the end I’d give it a solid 8/10. It was a really nice watch and it brought me back to my childhood.
This could still turn into a dumpster fire along the way, it wouldn’t be the first time it happened to a really promising Netflix show (I’m looking at you Voltron and the Witcher) but I have to say, I’m gladly surprised and mildly optimistic about this show!
And of course after listening to this I couldn’t not edit these bits together.
Edit: Just to clarify, Alex’s bits are from Cuddle Club ep.48 and Greg’s bits are from Taskmaster: The People’s Podcast ep.34! I put them together because I find it hilarious that Greg’s convinced Alex hates physical contact while Alex just goes “yeah I like cuddles and Greg’s are the best“.
My body is a collection of all the parts that came before! 🌱🌱🌱
[Image ID: A drawing of a trans masculine person, nude except for underwear. The figure has top surgery scars, and no head, the bottom of a jaw bone with plants growing from it floating above the neck. There are flowers, mushrooms, and stars surrounding the figure, and a bird flying to the left of the canvas. /. End ID]