The Netflix adaptation of Avatar is decent. It takes the core plot points, remixes them a little, and turns it into a slightly more mature-toned version. It's still family friendly, but more closely resembling a modern PG-13 superhero story than the PG original.
My core complaints are the dialogue writing and the overall rush to get through the plot at the expense of deeper character development. There is a lot of fanservice, references to the Kyoshi books, a lot of action, and some small changes that I would argue are a little better than the original. However, those are at the expense of a deeper connection with the characters. The most well-developed characters are Aang and Zuko, but even they get a few of their core characteristics shaved off. Aang is a lot less goofy. He still acts like a kid and makes a few good jokes, but he isn't going on little sidequest adventures anymore. There's no elephant koi at Kyoshi Island and only a little cart surfing in Omashu. It's like they trimmed the fat and lost the flavour.
Another issue is the dialogue. Especially in the first episode, the dialogue is very clumsy and exposition-heavy. A lot of telling, and not enough showing. It does improve a bit from episodes 2-8, but a rough start gives a very poor impression, unfortunately.
In terms of the good, there is a decent amount. The choice to combine several plot elements from different episodes into one does work. For example, the third and fourth episodes in Omashu combine plot elements from "The King of Omashu", "Jet", "The Northern Air Temple" and surprisingly "The Cave of Two Lovers". You'd think I'm crazy, but it surprisingly works a lot better than it should.
Then there's the fight scenes. While not as impactful as the animated show, the mix of top-tier CG effects with real choreography far surpasses most fantasy television, let alone the awful 2010 movie. There's no six earthbenders lifting a single pebble in this one, I can assure you of that. Waterbending feels a little weak in this show, but that's about it honestly.
Overall, I'm impressed by the effort. It's not a perfect show, and it definitely isn't remotely better than the original, but I do think it's worth a watch, and I'm looking forward to seeing the rest when it comes out.
My core complaints are the dialogue writing and the overall rush to get through the plot at the expense of deeper character development. There is a lot of fanservice, references to the Kyoshi books, a lot of action, and some small changes that I would argue are a little better than the original. However, those are at the expense of a deeper connection with the characters. The most well-developed characters are Aang and Zuko, but even they get a few of their core characteristics shaved off. Aang is a lot less goofy. He still acts like a kid and makes a few good jokes, but he isn't going on little sidequest adventures anymore. There's no elephant koi at Kyoshi Island and only a little cart surfing in Omashu. It's like they trimmed the fat and lost the flavour.
Another issue is the dialogue. Especially in the first episode, the dialogue is very clumsy and exposition-heavy. A lot of telling, and not enough showing. It does improve a bit from episodes 2-8, but a rough start gives a very poor impression, unfortunately.
In terms of the good, there is a decent amount. The choice to combine several plot elements from different episodes into one does work. For example, the third and fourth episodes in Omashu combine plot elements from "The King of Omashu", "Jet", "The Northern Air Temple" and surprisingly "The Cave of Two Lovers". You'd think I'm crazy, but it surprisingly works a lot better than it should.
Then there's the fight scenes. While not as impactful as the animated show, the mix of top-tier CG effects with real choreography far surpasses most fantasy television, let alone the awful 2010 movie. There's no six earthbenders lifting a single pebble in this one, I can assure you of that. Waterbending feels a little weak in this show, but that's about it honestly.
Overall, I'm impressed by the effort. It's not a perfect show, and it definitely isn't remotely better than the original, but I do think it's worth a watch, and I'm looking forward to seeing the rest when it comes out.